Page:The Modern Review (July-December 1925).pdf/504

Rh give us the power to place ourselves second to the social good it may yet save us from complete moral bankruptcy.

A. C.

Preparing1 for Another War ? Towards the beginning of August Mr. J. C. Davidson, Parliamentary and Financial Secre­ tary to the British Admiralty stated in the House of Commons that the battleship Nelson would be completed at the end of the year, the battleship Rodney in April 1927, two cruisers in. May 1927, three probably in October 1927, and minelayers and destroyers in 1926. Altogether they were building some £58,000,000 worth of warships. Mr. Ramsay MacDonald remarked with reference to this statement that the expendi­ ture was unnecessary as there was no chance of a war with America or Japan. As for France, a fight with her would be mainly aerial. Mr. Mac­ Donald did not think it possible that there could be a war with America or Japan ; but his opinion regarding France contained no such assurance. He only said that a war with France would, mean engagements in the air. Did he mean that a war with France was not an improbability ? Who knows ? Whatever the chances may be in favour of an Anglo-French war, there is no doubt that England is wide awake to its implications. A war with such a near neighbour as France would mean devastation of the industrial areas which are near the coasts of England and France. The lesson of the last war has been that it is not safe for any country to invest much capital within a probable war zone. Buildings, roads, wharves, railways, machinery etc., represent the wealth of modern industrial nations. If a nation fits up probable war areas with industrial equipment, the first thing an enemy would do would be to blow up these and thus hit the foolish nation in a vital spot. That is why England and France are finding it expedient to keep their capital-wealth away from such dangers. England has lately begun to believe in growing more food within the country aud investing as much capital as possible out of it. Behind this one can see the fear of submarines and aerial bombardment. Eng­ land has suddenly developed an “eagerness to industrialise India. This means that instead of manufacturing goods in England and 61—13

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carrying the same to the Indian market* they would much rather do the manufactur­ ing as well in the latter country. This will keep both their capital and markets safe from military and trade rivals. Of course on the surface England is giving protection to India, probably at the request of the Rationalists ; but let us look more critically and, may be, we shall find English capital gaining a firmer foot-hold in India under .protection than it ever had before. And pro­ tection may save the Englishmen in India from, let us say, German competition. A. 0.

“Bengal Swarajya Fund” Accounts According to the Amrita Bazar Patrika there are certain doubtful points in the accounts of the Bengal Swarajya Fund which have recently been made public ■ by the members of the ' Finance Committee of the Fund. The Members are Principal G-. C. Bose, Dr. P. G. Roy, Babus Nirmal Chandra Chunder, Saratehandra Bose and Nalini Ranjan Sircar. Says the Amrita Bazar Patrika We have carefully gone through the statement. The name and reputation of the signatories are a sufficient guarantee of the fact that it was not pre­ pared with haste. Yet there are certain points in it on which sufficient light has not been unfortunate­ ly thrown by--them, which in the public interest require explanation.

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We are told that altogether Rs. 92,249-1-3 were remitted to the Bank exclusive of the donation of Mr. T. C. G-ossain which was Rs, 1,25,000. The two together amount to Rs.2,17,249-1-3. There is no mention of any other sum in the statement pub­ lished. It is, therefore, certain that so far as the Committee are aware, this was the amount contri­ buted to the Fund. Yet. we find from an appeal of Deshbandhu Das in the issue of “Forward” on the 31st January last that “the total amount collected up to date is Rs.225,003-7-llV2.” There is thus a clear difference of Rs. 8000 between the two figuresWhere has this large sum of money gone ? It should be remembered here that when Beslibandhu announced the collection of this amount, the Funds were not closed. In fact he expected that “by the end of to-day” at least another lac of rupees would be collected. .It is thus pi'actically certain that the sum obtained exceeded Rs. 2,25,003-7-llV2. It is said that “out of Rs. 92,219-1-3 remitted to the Bank, Rs. 10,866-2-0 is represented mostly by cheques given by contributors, but not honoured when presented”. Undoubtedly a most splendid record of the honesty and. patriotism of the donors ! But why have the committee become so tender to these respectable gentlemen who so fraudulently