"مذكرات وذكريات مسؤول في الخدمة السياسية الهندية" [و‎‎٣‎٦] (١٥٦/٧١)

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enemy alien, and she was not, therefore, interned on the outbreak of war on 3rd
September 1939. Our son, David, was born on the 30th September, in the State Hospital
at Jodhpur, where Mary had gone for her confinement. His God-Parents were Ted Hayward,
the Superintendent of the Maharajah's modern and efficient hospital, and Edward
Eustace, my friend and ex-D.C. of Campbellpur. After a few days, Mary travelled back
to Abu with the baby and Gisela.
To go back a little to the outbreak of war, when all the signs indicated that it was
inevitable, the acting Resident (Conrad Corfield, later Sir Conrad KCIE, CSI) summoned
me to join him in Ajmer to assist in the decyphering of the myriads of telegrams which
were pouring out of New Delhi. Most of them embodied the texts of the wartime regu
lations which were shortly to be introduced. In the aggregate they came into being as
the Defence of India Ordinance and were designed to put the country onto a war footing
akin to the new regime in Britain and in the colonial territories. For ten days or so,
I had little sleep and no leisure as the telegrams poured in and had to be relayed to
the outlying Political Agents.
In parenthesis, I should add that throughout the five years of the war with the Axis and
later with Japan, the Princely Rulers of India remained entirely steadfast and loyal
to their connection with the British Crown. The support they consistently rendered to
the war effort in men, materials and money was a revelation; and we British owe them a
deep debt of gratitude which, unhappily and to our eternal dishonour, went unrequited
when in 1947, India and Pakistan gained their Independence. When that happened, the
States were left to their own devices to settle their futures with the new Governments.
One by one they all went to the wall. Some immediately, and one or two later (Hyderabad)-,
and now they no longer exist. It was a sad ending for them and for those who had
worked for and with them.
But to continue. At first the war did not outwardly alter the pattern of our lives.
The work, of course, became more arduous and there were fewer Political Officers to do
it. The younger ones, who had not yet been confirmed, were recalled to their Regiments
or to their Provinces. New recruitment ceased, and home leave was discontinued for
the duration of the war. As* during the time of the 'phoney war' in Europe, some peace
time activities continued for the time being; for instance, Mary and I were invited to
attend the Christmas Camp of the Maharajah of Rajpipla, a state not in Rajputana but
in Gujerat, which came under the jurisdiction of the Resident at Baroda. The Maharajah
was a perfect host; he had a large party of friends, mostly from Bombay where he was
prominent in the world of the the Turf (it was his horse 'Windsor Lad' which had won
the Derby a few years previously). For us he arranged race meetings, tiger and big
and small game shoots, tennis and golf. Over the years the Christmas celebration^