herself, and Indian Mahomedans may out of fear do
likewise. Hindus out of fear, apathy or want of appreciation of the
situation, may refuse to help their Mahomedan brethren in their hour of
peril. The fact remains that a solemn promise of the Prime Minister of
England has been wantonly broken. I will say nothing about President
Wilson's fourteen points, for they seem now to be entirely forgotten as
a day's wonder. It is a matter of deep sorrow that the Government of
India _communique_ offers a defence of the terms, calls them a
fulfilment of Mr. Lloyd George's pledge of 5th January 1918 and yet
apologises for their defective nature and appeals to the Mahomedans of
India as if to mock them that they would accept the terms with quiet
resignation. The mask that veils the hypocrisy is too thin to deceive
anybody. It would have been dignified if the _communique_ had boldly
admitted Mr. Lloyd George's mistake in having made the promise referred
to. As it is, the claim of fulfilment of the promise only adds to the
irritation caused by its glaring breach. What is the use of the Viceroy
saying, "The question of the Khilafat is one for the Mahomedans and
Mahomedans only and that with their free choice in the matter Government
have no desire to interfere," while the Khalif's dominions are
ruthlessly dismembered, his control of the Holy places of Islam
shamelessly taken away from him and he himself reduced to utter
impotence in his own palace which can no longer be called a palace but
which can he more fitly described us a prison? No wonder, His Excellency
fears that the peace includes "terms which must be painful to all
Moslems." Why should he insult Muslim intelligence by sending the
Mussalmans of India a of encouragement and sympathy? Are they expected
to find encouragement in the cruel recital of the arrogant terms or in a
remembrance of 'the splendid response' made by them to the call of the
King 'in the day of the Empire's need.' It ill becomes His Excellency to
talk of the triumph of those ideals of justice and humanity for which
the Allies fought. Indeed, the terms of the so called peace with Turkey
if they are to last, will be a monument of human arrogance and man-made
injustice. To attempt to crush the spirit of a brave and gallant race,
because it has lost in the fortunes of war, is a triumph not of humanity
but a demonstration of inhumanity. And if Turkey enjoyed the closest
ties of friendship with Great Britain before th