of Indian's destiny. In ris Convocation address he shows a good deal of friendliness to the Government and this has been explained by his critics in the press to mean that Mr. Sarkar is a hired slave of the Government or something equally bad. We would strongly oppose any attempts by the Government to officialise the University, for we do not believe that any good can come of such an arrangement; rather, it will ruin the future of higher education in Bengal. It is of the greatest importance that the University should be democratically managed by its own members, and we do hope the constitution of the University will be suitably changed for the fullest realisation of this ideal. Mr. Jadunath Sarkar will undoubtedly take the lead in effecting any such change. As for the friendship shown by him to the Government in his Convocation address, we are not convinced that it can be accepted as a receipt confirming the sale of Mr. Sarkar's soul to the British Government. On the other hand, demonstration of exuberant friendship has always been a feature of convocation addresses and as such may be accepted as merely conventional and formal. A few quotations from some previous convocation addresses delivered by the late Sir Asutosh Mukherjee, who was a "Tiger" for freedom, would show how in their convocation addresses even the most advertised defenders of academic liberties poured out honey to the British lords of India. In the heat of the Swadeshi days Sir Ashutosh once used the words quoted below:

We have the gracious announcement by His Excellency the Chancellor about the foundation of a University Professorship which has been received by all with feelings of intense satisfaction, and which will make the administration of His Excellency gratefully remembered for ever as the era of effective and substantial support by the State to the canse of the highest education of Indian youths. [ Convocation Address 1908. See Convocation Addresses vol. IV, p. 1102]

In 1912 Sir Asutosh Mukherjee said :I rejoice in the thought that I am justified in claiming our learned Chancellor as a sympathiser with the new aspirations; and to make on this point a statement final and crowning as it were, it is to me a source of the most intense satisfaction and pride that the special need of the Indian, which I am now endeavouring to set forth. has been elearly discerned and emphatically stated by no less an authority than our wise and gracious King Emperor himself. For in his ever memorable reply to the Address presented by our University— a reply which we have resolved to engrave on marble in letters of gold,-etc,, etc. [ Convocation Addresses, Vol IV, 1227]

It is indeed by a wise dispensation of l'rovidence that the destinies of India have been united to those of a Western nation so progressive and enlightened as Great Britain; this has rendered it possible for us to maintain and develop our highly cherished national culture we look for comradeship to the nation which has been a lesson to oppressors, an example to the oppressed and a Sanctuary for the rights of mankind,-that comradeship which is the key to all well-being and happiness in the demora ic life of the British Empire to-day, comradeship between nation and nation, between race and race, between people of all ranks in all walks of life. [Convocation Addresses, Vol. V, pp. 443-444.]

Such words as the above as the above abound in nearly all the convocation addresses delivered by a long line of Vice-Chancellors who have built up the present University and Mr. Jadunath Sarkar's address does not differ in spirit from any delivered by any previous Vice-Chancellor. Rather, it is less honeyed compared to what we have quoted above.

Mr. Sarkar's Oversigh

He has forgotten to mention the names of people who have died during the year after serving the University for a long time. Such a one we remember in Rai Bahadur A. C. Bose than whom the University seldom had a sincerer and more devoted servant.

All the credit that Mr. Sarkar has given to Lord Lytton nay also not go to him fully. There have been other outstanding persons, who should have been named, who helped to make the Government see reason.

Among the scholars named by Mr. sarkar we do not find the names of some notable figures in the field of science. The scientists of the University have been rather neglected in the Vice-Chancellor's address.

A recent event of outstanding interest has been the arrival in India of the Secretary of State for Air in the first of the great air liners sent out to this country by the Imperial Airways Company. In so far as India is concerned this development of aviation marks the introduction into the country of a new form of civil transport. India is a country of vast distances as it has hitherto been reckoned. The increased speed of air transport, coupled with the facilities which it offers for surmounting geographical obstacles, will be a potent factor in shortening the communication of India with other countries and also in linking up her own widespread provinces, thus drawing them more closely together as members of a single nation.

Every word in the above extract is true, and yet there can be no greater insult and menace to India than the introduction of aviation in it without previously making the least effort to train Indians in civil and military aviation. Aviation would be the strongestlink in the chain of India's slavery, if the exclusion of her children from learning and practising it here were continued. They are not naturally incapable. Indra Lal Ray fought in the air force galtantly and died in the world war. Captain Patwardhan has done good work as a flight captain in Afghanistan. Given the training and the opportunity, Indians can shine in aviation as they have done in other fields.

How would Lord Irwin have liked the arrival of a German air pilot in Britain if Britishers had been prevented in their own country from learning or undertaking aviation?

Germany has now taken commercial aviation in Europe. 13 last year, the sea-plane

the lead in In November

high speed

honors of the world were wrested from America by Italy in Norfolk, va., America. Great Britain herself has built the largest dirigible for the India-Australia service.

The question will naturally arise in the minds of Indians as to what part Indians will play, either in the future internal airservices of the country or in the IndiaAustralia or other transcontinental air services. Of course, they will have the privilege of being carried like goods-that is plain. And they may also be coolies to cleanse the machines. We should all take note that, in India, "the personnel of the batteries of Horse, Field and Garrison Artillery is wholly British, except for a portion of Indian drivers. The Tank Corps and Royal Air-Forces a e The Royal Air Force in wholly British,

in India cemprises 16 squadrons organised in 8 wings of 2 squadron each; the Aircraft Depot and Aircraft Ports are directly under Royal Air Force Headquarters, India. 1ts establishment is 28 officers and 1,757 British and 139 Indian of other ranks"

Thus there is not one Indian officer in the British Indian Air Service and it is the deliberate policy of the Government to keep Indians out of Artillery, Tank and Air forces, whereas we find that in all Asiatic States, including Siam and Afghanistan, not to speak of Japan, China, Turkey and Persia, that nationals are becoming proficient in aerial navigation. Afghanistan is employing Russian experts to train Afghan aviators; in Persia, French and German experts are establishing air stations; and in Turkey the Government has decided to establish a special school for training aviators and a factory to build airships, The people of India are not inferior to those of any other land; what India lacks is a national Government and a far-sighted programme for national regeneration.

Our people should not rest contented with merely blaming the British Government. They should organise private national efficiency. India should send capable engineers to Italy, France, Germany and other countries to master the science and art of aeronautics.

The Editor's Explanation

22nd

Private duty obliged me to start for Rangoon on the 13th February last. I expected to return to Calcutta in time to be able to write all the Editorial Notes. But as I could not get a berth in the steamer which left Rangoon for Calcutta on the February, my return return was delayed, and I could reach Calcutta only yesterday. While at Rangoon I had so many private and public engagements that I could not collect myself to to write any notes. For these reasons I have been able to write only a few notes for the present issue of THE MODERN REVIEW.

P. 46. 27.