Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-01-30
during his lifetime" truly a wonder
full achievement

There is man, sent of God. who
is called the Mahatma Ghandi. He
comes to the surface out of that great
sea of human beings that compose
the empire of India, enc fifth of the
people in all the world. AS this is
written, in October he is going about
with no clothing except homespun
cloth wound around the lower part of
his body and partly covering his legs.
If all the Indian people had only this
much for each, there would be none
left, and it would be stealing for
him to take more than his share. He
rides third class in the railway car
riages set apart for coolies and eats
the food on which the meanest of hui
man beings exist.
Much is said regarding this man
to his disadvantage. His name is
anathema to many welded to the ex-
listing order of things-cspecially al
coholic things. Those who attack
him, and there are many such, never
attack his sincerity, his character or
his ability. To them he is of the
devil, because he attacks British rule
in his country"
Born in 1859 of wealthy and devout
parents living in The heart of India
where, as Johnson says, religious
ideas are carried to the extreme, and
where the horror of taking any form
of life is so great the killing of mad
! dog may start race riot, he was sent
to England to finish his education
after making three vows to his moth
. err, not to drink, not to eat meat, and
not to be unchaste. He then came
| back to Bombay to practice law and
was an ardent and effective support
: err of the British government through
! out the war.
| Previously, in the practise of law
an important piece of litigation took
/ him to South Africa where he was
! refused permission to practise be-
cause he was niger" From that
moment he has spared no opportunity
to strive for the betterment Of his
race. 1t was about that time he came
under the influence of the Sermon on
the Mount and the writings of Tolstoi
and out Of 1t all has come his Gag
gressive following Of the truth"
movement called nom cooperation.
Because of Britain's repressive meas
ures in India this movement became
formidably aggressive and Ghandi
saw the liquor traffic to be a vulner-
able point and attacked 1t with re-
markable success, impairing the
revenues and putting a new face on
matters generally. The liquor shops
were picketed by those pleading with
the patrons to leave drink alone.
Some of these picketers were the "un-
touchabies," to kick whom would be
/ a. crime on the part of thirsty high
caste Hindu. In opposition to this,
Johnson claims, British officialdom is
doing it's utmost to preserve the drink
traffic.
Mahatma Ghandi has set his hand
to a seemingly impossible task. in
that he must to succeed retain the
support of the Moslems. His attack
on the drink traffic is in accord with
Mohammedan doctrine but it will be
surprising if he may win on that
point of attack alone, and other de-
velopments may easily upset the pre-
vailing entente between the Indian
factions Be that as it may, it is idle
to express opinion. Northcliffe docs
not venture to do that, but declares
he found the situation there much
uglier than the home papers seemed
to know. II Ireland will now govern
herself without bothering England
the latter nevertheless will find ample
scope for all it's skill in governing.