Mr. Lloyd George, you and your colleagues in the Government of Great
Britain, say that in fighting the Germans you are fighting the battle of
Democracy, to make the world safe from autocracy and militarism, that
you are fighting for rights of small nations, and for the domination of
right over might. The United States has joined the war for the same
reason. I have seen numerous recruiting posters exhibited in New York
City exhorting young Americans to enlist in the army "to make the world
safe" for Democracy. I have not the slightest doubt of the sincerity of
the American professions because their international record is so far
clean. Vide their record in Cuba and the Philippines. Can we say the
same for Great Britain? I am afraid not, so long at least, as you
continue to deny self-government to India, the second of the two biggest
democracies of the world. Here is a nation of 315 million human beings
(or say several nations, if you wish, as your publicists are so fond of
repeating _ad nauseam_ that India is not a nation) whom you are
governing by the force of might, without their consent, and on
absolutely despotic lines; whom you deny freedom of speech, freedom of
association and freedom of education; whom you tax without their consent
and then spend those taxes outside of their country, and in providing
luxuries to your representatives in India or in bribing such Indians as
uphold you in your possessions. I have no doubt that you are sincere in
your denunciation of German militarism. For myself I have no use for
Czars and Kaisers, Emperors and Sultans, and I dare say that you, too,
have none. Thus I am in full sympathy with your efforts to exterminate
the race of Kaisers. So far you are right. But an Indian cannot help
smiling rather cynically when he hears you saying that you are waging
the war to make the world safe for democracy. Your conduct in India and
in Egypt, and in Persia belies your protestations.