New-York tribune., 1920-11-07
Britain Puzzled
By Tactics of
Indian Idealist
Candlai'a Unshakablc Faith
i'll Soul Force TO Compel
Justice From Government
Wins Many tdhcrcnts
A ntith sis Of Lcn;ne
Methods Said To Be More
of Menace to the Empire
Ehan All Red Influences
BY Arthur s. Draper
h~ Tribnn~'S Etropeoa En.o,

Z li" IN" Tfibni!-'S Europeur E,r-~uu
LONDON, Oct. PA host Of OIL
oials in the India Office in Whitehall.
swarm of government servants in
India, thousand and ono traders in
London, Bombay and Calcutta know
Mr.. Gandhi' and fear him. To them
he appears a greater menace to the
British Empire than all ;hc revolution
lists, Rolshcvik aGitators. Indian fa
natics and other trouble makers of the
last fifty years.
But who is "Mr. Candhi"? In tho
Asiatic Review for October \. NJ
Samarth, distinguished lawyer and
prominent leader Of the Moderate
Movement IN India. writes:
MI G&ndhi is not ar extremist in
the sense in Which that term is gen
orally applied and understood in In
dian polucs. Indian extremists, right
ly viewed. arc Indian patriots in an
angry mood. That mood necessarily
postulates absence of cool -headcdness
"Mr Gandhi is nothing il not cool
headed. lie is an idealst. pure and
simple-an idealist with an unshak-
anlo faith IN adamantnc soul force as
- N''N iNi'N pppOSSu 70 pHtSlCHi
force which can compel the most
powerful government. however stern
and unbcndine, to Weld TO the dictates
Of justice rs he conceives IT,
Strength in Sincerity
His strength lies in his Transparent
sincerity and honesty Of purpose and
his untiinching determination to prac
tlce wha, he breaches at all risks and
At all hazards.'
Though the name CT "Mr Gandhi"
appears in every article on India pub
llshed N this review, which reflects to
more or loss degree the government
view, there is not one word against
hlm morally. no charge that he is cor
rupt, that he is seeking personal honor
or reward. "Mr Gandhi" is incorrupt-
iblc. He cannot be bought
This remarkable Indian, with the
wisdom OF a statesman. tho clcverncss
of politician, the simplicity of a
peasant. IS fearless. idolized by a large
part OF his countrymcn. feared by many
hut hated by none. His -co0pcra
ton program. adopted by majority
Congress at Calcutta, provided Tor one
Of the greatest boycotts in the history
OF tho world.
He asked FOR the boycott Of the
courts by Indian lawyers and of for
eign goods by the public generally.
Mr.. Gandhi would withdraw boys and
girls from schools and colleges and
boycott the legislative councils which
have just been reformed in an effort
to meet the disconten. in India.
This is the grave danger which Eng
land fears. Mr. Gandhi is at pains
to warn his followers against the use
Of iorcc He urges them merely to
slt tight, and that policy is infinitely
harder to beat than a force OF revoiu-
tionists.
Won Aid of Congress
In the opinion OF the Bombay cor
reapondent OF The London Times, Mr..
Nandhl won the Indian National Con
sress to his program because Of the
almost universal bitterness' follow
ing the punjab disturbances. On The
other hand, Mr.. Samarth, quoted earlier.
declares that Mr.. Gandhi found the soil
ready after the passage of the Rowlctt
act by the government Of India. "betray-
lng " spirit OF riding rough shod on In
0lah rVbhc opinion, as though il was
absolutely unworthy Of considcratc
treatment
Ihen came the KhaNrat acitation-
the MoslcM enlightenment at the wav
IN winch Turkey was treated BY the
Allies, even though it is no,v common
knowledge that the British government
took an extremely lenicnt attitude to-
ward the Turk. These are only a few
OF the causes Of the discontent or
rather explanations Of the tremendous
growth Of the Gandhi moyement.n
Despite the efforts Of the Indian pov-
'rnment to prove that it pressed the
cause Of Indian Mos lens at the neace
con "rence, the belief apparently still
exists tnat the British have been inter
fcring with their religion and that the
SUI tan Of Turkey, the khalifa, had been
endangered
An Indian, writing recently in The
Natlon, drew an interesting pen picture
OF Nh. Gandhi. A lawyer with lucra-
tive practice in South Africa. Mr..
Gandhl is now a revivalist. "clad in
the simplest of hand-woven garments.
IiVlns on the most frgual diet"
According to this writer, Mr.. Gandhi
IS not Nationalist who points out to
ms followers like a modern Moses
the land of promise lying in the dis
tance. lie is no: enamored OF West
oIn institutions. He has no belief in