The Washington times., 1922-03-26

" AyyuHS.
"HE most formidable strong
hold of Mahatma Gandhi's
non.violent revolution Is the
Bombay Presidency. even As that
Of the regular revolution II the
province Of Bengal. Bombay is
one of the richest provinces OF
India. with an area Of aproxi-
mately $4,000 square miles and q
population approaching 100000.
In cultural achievements Bombay
Is second to none. Many of midas
scholars. statesmen. financiers and
captains Of industries come from
Bombay.
During the last campaign for
Mahatma Gandhis national fund
Bombay contributed the most; and
q great many of the numerous self
sacrificing men workers for midas
national regeneration are to Be
found today in Bombay.
Nevertheless, the president OF
the Bombay Provincial Congress
Committee Is q wOman-a woman
Of exceptional ability and uncOIn-
mon devotion to the cause Of tho
Motherland.
IN FIGHT FOR INDIA.
1t Is not necessary, as in tho case
Of the Mahatma. to agree with her
various theories to appreciate her
sincerity, her singleness of purpose
and her unalloyed self-sacrifice.
She fully deserves the honor OF
the position she occupies today in
midas national life as the right
hand woman Of Gandhi.
Sarojini Naidu is the name Of this
unique woman of Hindustan. And
1t was quite in consonance with
her idealistic nature that when a
few days ago the call came for the
enlistment of Gandhi's civil disobe-
dience volunteers Mrs. Naidu was
the first to enroll. News Of her
arrest and Imprisonment by the
British may be expected any mo-
ment.
Quite unlike Gandhi. who but re-
Gently appeared on the horizon OF
Western consciousness almost un-
awares, Sarojini Naidu is not a
stranger in the West. She 10
ever English poetry Is appreciated.
She is the author Of three volumes
of English verse known as The
Golden Threshold, The Bird Of
Time and The Broken Wing.
An eminent American poet once
said to me:
IT think of all the women poets
of today who write In English.
Sarojini Naidu is the greatest.
Some of her lyrics are immortal.
Her command over the English
language is uncanny."
And the poet began to recite one
Of the most beautiful Of Naidu's
poems. entitled ''Lein':
,."THE serpents are asleep
among tho peoples.
The fireflies light tho sorndless
panthsrs way
To tangled paths where shy 90
sellels are straying,
And pdrrot-plunses CAtshins the
dying day.
o so}tI tho lotus-b,lds upon tho
stream
Are stirring lits stoeet maidens
Whex thsy drsan-
Cd CASTE MARK on tho
azure bro,os Of Heaven,
The golden moon barns scored,
solemn, bright.
Tho v4nds arr doncins n tho
forest temple.
AID ssoooning ct ths holy foot Of
Night
Rxshi IN tho sils~es mystic voices
sing
And make ths gods thsir t'sosnss
offering."
FROM POET TO AMAZON.
The exquisite charm Of Mrs-
Naidu's verse has been 20 highly
praised by illustrious poets and
critics and musical composers Of
Europe and America, including
Arthur Symons and Edmund Goss,
that 1t il not necessary hero and
now to enter into . discussion Of
this phase Of Naidu's life. Today
she has almost entirely given up
writing poems. Instead, shoe II
devoting all her time and energy
to paralyze tho British administra-
ton In India by Mahatma Gand-
hts nonviolent nonoo-operation
with the British in any shape or
form.
Mrs. Naidu's father, the late
Aghorenath Chattopadhya, was .
professor of chemistry in tho en-