d Westerners all angels
of light. But of course Westernization has its dark side, while our
Western culture-bearers are animated not merely by altruism, but also by
far less worthy motives. This strengthens the hand of the Oriental
reactionaries and lends them the cover of moral sanctions. In addition
to the extremely painful nature of any transformative process,
especially in economic and social matters, there are many incidental
factors of an extremely irritating nature.

To begin with, the mere presence of the European, with his patent
superiority of power and progress, is a constant annoyance and
humiliation. This physical presence of the European is probably as
necessary to the Orient's regeneration as it is inevitable in view of
the Orient's present inferiority. But, however beneficial, it is none
the less a source of profound irritation. These Europeans disturb
everything, modify customs, raise living standards, erect separate
"quarters" in the cities, where they form "extraterritorial" colonies
exempt from native law and customary regulation. An English town rises
in the heart of Cairo, a "Little Paris" eats into Arabesque Algiers,
while European Pera flaunts itself opposite Turkish Stambul.

As for India, it is dotted with British "enclaves". "The great
Presidency towns, Calcutta, Bombay, Madras, are European cities planted
on Indian soil. All the prominent buildings are European, though in some
of the more recent ones an endeavour has been made to adopt what is
known as the 'Indo-Saracenic' style of architecture. For the rest, the
streets are called by English names, generally the names of bygone
viceroys and governors, or of the soldiers who conquered the land and
quelled the mutiny--heroes whose effigies meet you at every turn. The
shops are English shops, where English or Eurasian assistants traffic in
English goods. English carriages and motors bowl along the macadamized
or tarred roads of Old England. On every hand there is evidence of the
instinctive effort to reproduce, as nearly as the climate will permit,
English conditions of life.... Almost the whole life of the people of
India is relegated to the back streets, not to say the slums--frankly
called in Madras the Black Town. There are a few points--clubs and
gymkhanas specially established to that end--where Englishmen, and even
women, meet Indian men, and even women, of the wealthier classes, on a
basis of social equality. But few indeed are the poi