Los Angeles herald., 1909-03-20
EFFORTS ARE MADE TO
POISON MINDS OF INDIA
FAkIRS USED TO TURN THE
NATIVES
Truth and Lies Rolled Together t.
Color Facts and Make British
Subjects Against the
Government

LONDON. March 19.-The methods adopted
b. those who are intent on poisoning the minds
of the millions of India against British rule
are strikngly illustrated in a story which has
just appeared here.
The situation which gives the writer the
story is as follows: Private James Smith had
fallen out of the ranks in the course Of some
cavalry maneuvers, and was trudging along
with his lame horse in the hope of finding the
camp. AS Il matter of fact, he was lost, and
sometime after dark he reached a native vii
lage. On the same day a fa1ir "hlthy to an
unspeakable degree" had arrived in the VIII
lage, and at the moment that Private James
Smith reached it was haranguing the natives
the wrongs of India.
His hearers, standing and sitting around him
In picturesque group, dwelt upon his words
and swallowed his statements eagerly. They
saw themselves robbed of their little stock of
hard earned money they saw themselves
preyed upon by government of foreigners,
and despoilei to make fat an unknown lord
sahib and a king who dwelt across the seas.
Truth and Lies Mixed
Truth and lies rolled together and in turn
from his glib and polished tongue. He demon
strated beyond refutation how famine had
been introduced into the country with the sole
view Of stamping out the population. He
showed how, not content with the progress or
the scourge with which it was seeking to kill
off the people, the government had invented
certain thing called innoculation, with the
sole view OF Staying the people by more direct
means.
But, he went on, that was not ALL Worse
things were being done. When the government
saw that the people were not deceived it be-
gan to do something yet more develish. They
sent out emissaries to-here, with an orator
instinct for effect, he paused-to poison the
village wels
1t was at this moment that Private James
Smith stumbled into the village, and the fakir
took instant advantage OF the dramatic possi-
bllities Of the situation
flush! Watch him, and see II he goes not
to the well?" he whispered. Naturally that
is eactly what Smith did. The bucket was
lowered three times before his thirst and that
of his horse had been satisfied.
''There" said the faxr impressively to those
nearest him. '"Therel Did I not tell You that
the government sent forth men to tamper with
the wells?'
The result was that Private James Smith
was attacked and tied up and then the fakir
led his audience to the well to prove that 1t
had been poisoned.
Fakir a False Saint
Truly, this pseudo fakir was a useful man
to those who employed him. He was not one
OF the posturing devotees who acquire merit
and earn sanctity by measuring their length
along the road all the way from Calcutta to
Benares, or by some similarly foolish and Inn
pressive act. He of another breed-a
new breed that has sprung into existence of
recent years; a breed the members of which
are sent out from various countries to poison
the minds of the country folk, to tell them the
real truth about the Feringhi and the aims
Of his rule.
The bucket was again lowered. 1t was easy
for the fakir to drop several little bread pills
into 1t, and then it was raised.
Floating on the surface were half dozen lit
tie objects that bobbed innocently in the rip
pies, and showed white in the light OF the
lantern. A roar broke from the crowd; the
water was poisoned had been poisoned before
their eyes by a soldier. There was the poison
in the bucket, evidence irrefragable of the