Ahmadiyyat - The Renaissance of Islam — Page 237
CHAPTER TWELVE The First World War, which had been prophesied by the Promised Messiah some years earlier, broke out within less than five months of the election of Khalifatul Masih II to his exalted office. India was then a dependency of Britain and the entry of Britain into the war automatically carried India with it. As the war proceeded Indian political leaders began to hope, and then to demand, that after the cessation of hostili- ties India should advance constitutionally to the status of a Dominion. In response to this demand His Majesty's Government announced in Parliament in August 1917, that the objective of British policy in India was the attainment of Dominion status by India. In pursuance of this declaration Mr Edwin Samuel Montague, Secretary of State for India, visited India for the purpose of ascertaining public opinion in India on the shape and measure of India's advance towards Dominion status after the end of the war. Representatives of political and sectional organizations were invited to Delhi to place their views -before His Excellency the Governor General, Lord Chelmsford, and the Secretary of State. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II also received an invitation to go to Delhi to meet the Governor General and the Secretary of State and to present his views. He prepared an address in which he set out his views in some detail and went to Delhi with a delegation composed of certain leading members of the Community. The delegation waited on the Governor General and the Secretary of State and one of them read out the English translation of the address which had been pre- pared by the Khalifatul Masih II. He himself had separate interviews with the Secretary of State and the Governor General for the purpose of an exchange of views. The Secre- tary of State told him that he had been much impressed with the address that had been presented to them and sought 237