(   31   )

remain under the High Courts. The existing body
of laws will remain in force, Even if a new legislature
should want to alter or repeal an Act, it will not be
in its power to do so until the head of the Govern¬
ment should give his consent to the measure by which
it may be sought to do it. The services will continue
to be manned by the present incumbents, and, even,
if fifty per cent, of the higher appointments should be
filled up in India in the future, it will be long, very
long, before the services will be half-lndianised. These
facts contain in themselves a guarantee, which can¬
not fail, that the new order of things which may be
ushered will not lead to any catastrophe to any existing
interests. And they ought to inspire courage and
confidence in Englishmen in dealing with the question
of the introduction of a real measure of self-government

in India.

Need for making India self-supporting.

24. There is another vital condition, newly come
into existence which demands serious consideration.
The war has forcibly drawn attention to the dangers to
which India is exposed, in its present condition, both
industrially and politically. It is a matter of supreme
thankfulness that we have got on so far as we have
done. Let us hope and pray that we shall get to
the end of the chapter with equal good luck. Let us
also hope that this devastating war will soon end,
and that the peace which will follow will endure for
a long time. But it will not be the part of wisdom
and statesmanship to build entirely upon such a hope.
It will be safer to think that it may be falsified and
that there may be another war within ten years or
so, and to be .prepared for it. But how to be prepared
for it? That is the question. The learned authors
say that " the war has thrown strong light on the mili¬
tary importance of economic development.   Wc know