His Exalted Highness the Nizam of Hyderabad, India's largest native State, rates a 21-gun salute from British batteries and numbers among his many titles that of "Faithful Ally of the British Government." In World War I the Nizam demonstrated his faithfulness by giving four crores* of rupees ($15,000,000) to Great Britain's war fund, including a $400,000 grant for anti-submarine warfare. He also placed the services of the Hyderabad troops at the King-Emperor's disposal.
Well could the Nizam afford such generosity. The revenues of his State amount to some $25,000,000 a year—all his own if he wants it. Moreover, His Exalted Highness is considered by India's princely spendthrifts a miser who is inordinately stingy with elephants for State durbars and who rides around in an old touring car while other less prosperous maharajas sport dozens of custom-built limousines. Thus he has amassed a fortune which includes treasure houses filled with gold, jewels, ivory carvings, antiques, not to mention a railroad or so, a few mines, stocks & bonds. He has often been called the world's richest man.
At this war's outbreak the "Faithful Ally of the British Government" came through again by contributing $400,000, this time to the British Air Ministry. Last week His Exalted Highness announced a further contribution—$45,000 monthly for the support of Hyderabad cavalry and infantry which may be called for service outside the State.
Meanwhile, His Excellency Lord Linlithgow, Viceroy of India, although having his troubles with Mohandas K. Gandhi's Indian National Congress party which last week began a campaign of noncooperation and threatened one of civil disobedience, was swamped with 300 other princely protestations of loyalty and extravagant promises of support delivered in person or by telegraph to New Delhi. > The 60-year-old Maharaja of Bikaner (19 guns), also a lieutenant general, who has fought for his King-Emperor on three continents (China, Egypt, France), enlarged Britain's war chest by a personal gift of $20,000, and a State gift of $30,000, and offered six battalions of native infantry and camel corps. Still doing his bit, His Highness took his sword and son to the Viceroy personally, regretted that owing to his age he would have to be content with sacrificing his heir and not himself. Her Highness the Maharanee also caught the loyalty fever, gave Britain $4,000 from her pocket money.
> Wired the Mehtar of Chitral (a pee-wee State on the North-West Frontier):
"We shall defend these northern boundaries of the Empire to the last man."
>The Maharaja of Nawanagar, in western India, promised a tenth of his annual revenue of $3,400,000, was politely put off when he asked to be allowed personally to fight the Germans.
> The 65-year-old, crippled Maharaja of Udaipur became so passionately pro-British that at first he offered his entire kingdom and resources, later was content to grant $28,000 in a lump and $19,000 annually.
> The Maharaja of Indore, reported to be building a Beverly Hills, Calif., palace for his new U. S.-born wife, dug up $150,000 for the Empire cause.