INDIA: Durbar

Toward mighty Khyber Pass, the Empire's most romantic and reputedly most dangerous frontier, traveled Earl Willingdon last week, taking along the golden throne on which he sits as Viceroy of India. For this elaborate pilgrimage there were urgent reasons of state.

Beyond the Khyber lies unruly Afghanistan and behind its King Nadir Khan looms Soviet Russia. In the past year raids, riots, savage bloodletting and civil disturbance have burst forth alarmingly in the North-West Frontier territory. Therefore last week it was "raised to the status of a Governor's Province"—this British boon being conferred upon the dazzled natives with a show of might and riches calculated to arouse wholehearted fear and admiration for the British Raj.

In Peshawar, capital of the newly-created Governor's Province, natives gaped with wonder at the chuffing in of the glistening white Viceregal Train, prostrated themselves as Lord & Lady Willingdon alighted with the icy-smiling mien of ruling sovereigns. The natives stuck their brown fingers into their hairy ears as heavy British field guns shook the earth with a meaningful salute.

The durbar was to be in Victoria Memorial Hall. There on a dais the golden Viceregal Throne had been set up. Crowded close to each other on one side of the hall stood 500 frontier Khans, all in their richest gold sashes and blue turbans, all bright-eyed with mass expectancy. On the other side, starchy and aloof, stood 200 British officers and civil servants, many of them battle-scarred oldsters. Present also as Their Excellencies entered and the durbar solemnly began were the 40 who were about to become the Legislative Council.

Advancing to within twelve paces of the Throne, Sir Evelyn Howell, Foreign Secretary to the Government of India, loudly asked viceregal assent to proceed with creation of the new Governor's Province and with the installation as Governor of Lieut. Col. Sir Ralph Edwin Hotchkin Griffith, recently the British Resident of Waziristan* but formerly a popular British officer in Peshawar.

Regally Lord Willingdon gave his assent, then administered to Sir Ralph: 1) his oath of allegiance to the King-Emperor and 2) his oath of office. That was all for the day, except more ear-splitting salutes followed by "God Save the King."