the increasing requirements of the battle front. Then compulsion had to be introduced-compulsion that had been resisted by British people for generations past-compulsion that had been branded by British politicians as a sign of political servitude at most. It brought in more men, but at first certain people had to be excluded because if everybody were brought in and sent to the front the ordinary business of the country, the ordinary arts and crafts of the nation could not possibly be carried on. Then there was another combing, the arts and crafts that were not absolutely necessary for the mere subsistence of the nation and that were not absolutely necessary for helping this war to a successful issue, were forced to release the men capable of joining the army from their service. And this shows the extreme necessity of finding further men to fight this war.

THE PRESENT WAR MAY NOT BE

THE LAST.

I also invited your attention to the very ominous statement published in the papers that this war might end sometime in 1920. Lord Kitchener had predicted three years as the life-time of this war-those three years are past. We are now in the midst of the 4th year of the war and now we are told that another three

years are not unlikely to pass before this struggle comes to an end. It may be a 7 years' war or more. If it comes to an earlier end, well and good-we shall be thankful for it. But if it does not come to an earlier end, we have to provide men for carrying on this war and no power can conduct a war like this for more than three years without feeling some depletion of its fighting capacity and in view of this fact, the time has come, when British Statesmanship, those who are responsible for the preservation of the Empire, must look abroad for further supply of men and material for the successful management of this ruinous war. Where are you to get the men? Where are you to get the materials? America has joined the war and she will be able to supply something, but I am afraid even America will not be able to supply all the men that may be necessary, should this war continue for another three years nor can anybody with a head-piece on his shoulders believe that this war will be the last war of modern civilization.

THE FUTURE THEATRE OF WAR.

Signs are not already wanting of fresh complications in world politics that may at any time set up another conflagration out of the remnants of the

embers of this war that may be left behind. And the next war, as I have often said, the centre of gravity of the next war, the principal theatre of the next war, may not be, indeed I think, will not be Europe but Asia. We do not know whether it will be western Asia or Eastern Asia, but it is very likely that the theatre of the next war will be somewhere in Asia. All these things have to be considered by British statesmanship in laying down the policy in regard to the Government of India and all these things led to the declaration of this new policy.

CIRCUMSTANCES FORCED THE

DECLARATION.

That is my thesis: that is the foundation of every statement that I have made upon this subject viz. that this declaration of policy has been forced by circumstances, by the condition of world-politics at the present time. I was told the other evening that the British character has got a peculiarity-it never yields to force. I dare say it does not. At any rate it never confesses that it yields to force. It is not physical force that I am referring to-this is the force of circumstances, and he must be a fool and charlatan absolutely, having no business to deal with politics or statecraft who denies that statesmanship has not to

bend its knee to the force of circumstances. When I say that this declaration of policy has been forced upon British statesmanship, I do not mean to say that the force that has been applied is physical force-I do not mean to say or suggest that it is the force of any discontent, any revolution, any trouble, any physical rising in India. No, far from it. I still believe that the British Government in India, even as at present constituted, is sufficiently strong to hold its own in this country, is sufficiently strong to put down any revolutionary movement, any sudden armed revolt even, should that suicidal step be attempted anywhere. I do not mean to say that the British Government is weak, but this I do say that the time has come when the British Government must demand not your physical acquiescence but your active help and co-operation in the pursuit of this war and in the preservation of the Empire; and can they get your active help and co-operation in the present state of things? The slave is bound to pay his salam but it is a free man, who, inspired by his sense of ownness with the Government under which he lives, lays down his life and consecrates his all to the service of that *Government.

THE GOVERNMENT IS IN NEED OF A

CITIZEN ARMY.

If the British Government in India desire to draw upon our physical strength and our mental capacities in the work of the empire, it will be absolutely necessary for those who are responsible for this government to so conduct, so regulate and shape and guide their policy that we may feel an increasing. measure of ownness in the Government which, for the time being, is held by them in their hands-this is absolutely necessary. Mercenary men go and fight for what is called their salt ;............but they are all mercenaries and the day of mercenaries has gone. You want now citizen soldiers-and the Government of India-even they, even Sir Reginald Craddock and the Civil Servants in India, feel the necessity of a citizen army in this country-this has been proved by the new policy of the Indian section of the Indian Defence Force. Ever since the birth of the National Congress, we have been crying, year after year, for free unrestricted admission of the people of India into the Indian Army. When the war broke out over three years ago, we demanded free admission into the volunteer army so that we might do our bit, as they call it now. But the time was not yet. Then we said: we are prepared to help this war in any capacity :