From the Archives (January 19, 1921): India’s challenge(From an Editorial)

In the world-wide scramble among European nations for economic exploitation and Imperial expansion that marked the history of the world for the last two centuries and threatens still to continue undiminished under the disguised phraseology of mandates, Britain may well claim to have competed with considerable success. Her national tenacity, naval supremacy and diplomatic skill, aided by the workings of an inscrutable Providence, have helped her till now not merely to survive the external attacks of jealous enemies, but also to proudly come out invariably with enlarged territories at the end of such combat. But British Imperialism cannot, with the same degree of pride, glorify itself on its success against internal shocks and challenges to British domination from within the Empire. The declaration of American independence was also at once a proclamation of early British bankruptcy in Imperial statesmanship. And judged by the unhappy picture of the Empire at the present day, with the climax of a ghastly tragedy in Ireland, the beginnings of a desperate struggle in India and the increasing clamour for freedom and equality in the other parts of the Empire, Britain does not seem to have yet learnt the lessons of Imperial immortality.