Britain was treading warily in awakened India.
For two taut months the country had watched the Raj's court-martial of three "Indian National Army" officers who had fought with the Japanese against Britain. More than 30 had been killed in protest riots (TIME, Dec. 3). A severe sentence might make these men martyrs, and touch off another nationalist explosion.
When the three officers were marched into the Delhi courtroom last week, their faces were grave. Colonel E. K. Squire, resplendent in ribbons and scarlet collar tabs, began to read the verdict: "All three of you are guilty ... of waging war [against the State]....