INDIA: A Bungalow in New Delhi

If I were Sir Stafford Cripps,

I’d tell myself there’s much

In adages concerning slips

And clips and lips and such.

Thus a Bombay rhymester last week expressed the fear of the whole anti-Axis world that Sir Stafford Cripps, Britain’s newly arrived special envoy to India, would be unable to resolve India’s conflicting political demands and thus promote her war effort.

Sir Stafford had paused in Cairo to talk with Britain’s Middle Eastern command, whose task may depend greatly on his work. Indian developments seemed to favor that work. After committee meetings, the Indian National Congress party, which has demanded complete independence, appeared to be in a receptive mood. Congress’ Mohandas Gandhi spoke with easy informality of Sir Stafford: “I once had the pleasure of meeting him. The one thing we had in common is that he is a food faddist [vegetarian].”

There were also signs that the demands of the Moslem League, India’s second largest party, for a separate Moslem state might not bulk as large as had seemed likely. One of the country’s leading Moslems, Premier of Punjab Sir Sikandar Hyat Khan, told friends that he was resigning from the League’s Working Committee and Council. It was believed that he had quarreled with the League’s President Mohamed Ali Jinnah. Since Sir Sikandar has long favored coalition with the Congress in forming provincial governments, his resignation might mean that he would work for rather than against Moslem-Hindu unity.

Another promising development came among the Princes who rule India’s 562 big & small semiautonomous States. Often they have been accused of encouraging British rule as a means of guaranteeing their own powers. But last week, after a meeting of the Chamber of Princes, Chancellor Maharaja Jam Saheb of Nawanager declared that the Princes would support Dominion status under a constitution framed by India’s “main elements.”

But, beyond doubt, Sir Stafford had before him one of history’s most difficult problems in statesmanship. In one respect he had already made what seemed an excellent start. As Britain’s envoy it would be his privilege, if he wished, to stay in the Viceroy’s elephantine palace in New Delhi. This red sandstone and white granite symbol of British rule stands on a hill overlooking the city and lifts a copper dome 177 feet against the hot Indian skies. Under the dome a huge crystal chandelier lights a marble throne room bounded by ten-foot torches and yellow marble columns. The surrounding building is a mammoth jewel cabinet of teak and rosewood and gold. Sir Stafford would find ample and luxurious space for meditation in one of its 54 bedrooms.

But socialist Sir Stafford, during his visit to a land whose 352,000,000 people are mostly dirt poor, had chosen instead to live a mile away in the vine-covered, chintzy bungalow of Sir Andrew Gourlay Clow, Communications Member of the Government of India.