14 Weeks, 7 Knights

In Delhi 4.5 inches of rain, the heaviest single fall in 20 years, ushered in the monsoon season, ushered out the three British Cabinet ministers who had hoped to bring independence to India. Exactly 14 weeks after they had arrived, the Cabinet mission took off into overcast skies, leaving an India precariously set on the road to self-government but still far from the goal to which they had hoped to lead it.

After 14 weeks India still had a government that did not represent India's major political groups. The day the mission left, Viceroy Lord Wavell appointed a temporary "caretaker" government of eight officials of the Raj (seven had been knighted in His Majesty's service, only two were Indians). The biggest step forward had been agreement by both the Congress Party and Moslem League to accept Britain's long-term plan for an Indian constitution providing a central federal government (to please the Congress Party) with strong local autonomy (to please the Moslem League). Election of delegates to frame a constitution was already starting, might be finished within a month. But already the Congress Party had served notice that it would press for stronger central authority, and Jinnah had promised to work for stronger local government for Moslem provinces that would lead to Pakistan.

In some characteristic doubletalk, Mohandas Gandhi had been vaguely optimistic. Speaking of the British long-range plan, he said recently: "There are two ways of looking at the statement. I believe in looking at the bright side. . . . It might be, however, that there is no bright side, but you will lose nothing by trusting." New Delhi's papers looked at the British mission in three ways, said goodbye with these headlines: Hindustan Times (Congress Party), "MISSION'S SUCCESS"; the Statesman (Tory British), "CONTRASTS"; Dawn (Jinnah's mouthpiece), "FAILURE OF A MISSION."

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