The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1921-11-18

The journeyings of "Pussyfoot"
Johnson through India is developing
remarkable degree of cooperation
of conflicting political and religious
interests in promoting the temper
ance reform or rather the cause of
Prohibition. Extremists, conserva-
tives and moderates vie with each
other of delivering a blow to the drink,
working together in complete har-
mony. The same is true as to each
of the great Indian religions. Side
by side on the platforms at which the
American appears sit Hindoos, Sikhs,
Moslems, Parsecs, and Christians.
The leaders of each faith seem anx-
ious to do the most in relieving India
from the drink traffic. The officials
of the British government, even in
these times OF trouble, join in with
the "non-co-operators" in extending
a welcome to the Yankee.
Extremists Cooperate
At Delhi, Rev. F. w. Hale took
the lead in the committee of arrange
ments in behalf of the Christian fol-
lowing. At the first great open air
demonstration, Pandit MADAM Mohan
Malyiya, the head Of the great Hindu
University of Benares, travelled 400
miles and back to preside. Pandit
Malviya is the most influential or
thodox Hindu in India and was twice
president of the Indian National Con-
gress. At this demonstration, fully
5000 people were present. The next
night, there were 10000 or 1900
people presided over by DR.. NJ. A.
Ansari, the famous Moslem extremist
who is one OF the chief leaders of
the Khalafat movement in India.
British officials Welcome Him
The audiences at Lahore were not
so large because of the sudden ar
rests of a lot of extremist leaders
which made people nervous. Johnson
was entertained at dinner by the
deputy commissioner and the Com
missioner, the head of the British
government OF the district. Then he
conferred with the extremist leaders
at the home of Lala Lajput Raj, who
has been twice deported for sedition
and brought back Internationally
and given ten thousand rupees by the
British government. Raj is the
greatest non cooperation leader in
the Punjab and keen for Prohibition.
One of Johnson's meetings at Lahore
was presided over by Rev. DR.. Ewing,
President Emeritus of Forman
Christian College, the greatest Chris
tian educational leader in India. The
other meeting was presided over by
Lala Hansraj, the greatest leader of
the movement to convert Christians
back to Hindooism. In the last
evening. dinner was given to the
American by Raj Sahib Chiranjit La
Seth, a prominent financier and
banker, at which 500 Moslcms, Hin
docs and Christians fraternized in
much merrymaking. The dinner was
presided over by Raja Narendra Nath
one of the three Indians who has
risen to the highest post to which an
Indian can rise, under the British
government A place OF honor was
given to the British government head
of the district.
A Remarkable Demonstration
At Gujaranwala, striking demon
stration of cooperation of conflicting
interests appeared. The meeting
which was held in the open air was
presided over by Mula Singh, an
Indian barrister, who was condemned
to be executed for his connection
with the disturbance of 1919 and who
was later pardoned. Sitting on the
other side of the speaker was Deputy
Commissioner Sales, the head of the
British government for the district.
Gujaranwala was the seat of some OF
the hercest of the upheavals, the
court house, railway station and other
public buildings were destroyed.
Johnson was entertained in the Oak
bungalow which was also destroyed
in the Instruction.
At Amritsar, there was great
demonstration in honor of the Ameri-
can. At the railway station, crowd
gathered and seven garland wreaths
of flowers were hung around John
sons neck, one wreath for each relig-
ious body in Amritsar. The Sikhs
first insisted that the visitor be taken