The New York herald., 1922-03-12

Gandhi, the Indian Leader.

To the Western world there is at
tached a degree Of mystery and an
air of that intangible, unfathomable
Orient to man who rises from the
swarming hundreds of millions of
India to stand in world interest
head and shoulders above them all.
It is perhaps for this reason that
Great Britain, which better than any
other nation. should know and under
stand the Indian, watched for almost
three years the strange career of
MoHANDAs KARAMcHAND GANDHI, and
permitted him with his strangely
subversive doctrine to remain men
ace, even q peril, to the British rule.
Had he not been of the East, had
HIS trend Of thought been Occidental,
and had his actions been measured
by the standard of the West. the
real inertia of his t,an OF a pacific
revolution through non-resistance and
non-cooperation would have been dis
covered long ago and, If necessary,
combated. $50
.GANDHI. arose from q lower caste
in land where caste is one of the
strongest factors in life. He yas, a
Hindu in land where not only
racial affiliation is more clearly de-
fined than anywhere else in the world
but where centuries have erected al
most impossible barriers between
adherents OF different religions or
practitioners OF various occult and
mystic observances. 1t becomes this
a matter Of vital Importance to the
authorities who must meet the pres
ent condition which GANDHI has de-
yeloped to know how he has obtained
from practically all of these strangely
diverse elements a support which
has elevated him to the position OF a
leader.
In the first place GANDH4's prepara-
tion has been different from that of
any Indian leader who has before ap-
peared. He learned principally from
the British themselves, not only dur
ing his term OF school in England but
from an outward study of the British
people. He was not invited, as many
= the higher class Indians who came
u English universities were, to meet
the upper class English people. His
caste was. against it, and he studied
the people OF the streets, the slums,
the shops and the farms. He knew
different England from that the
Indian princes knew He resented
the fact that his caste condemned
him to this, but he rejoiced that he
knew the real England. Again, he
saw service in South Africa, another
part than HIS own OF the empire, and
he had in his defense OF the Indian
laborers an opportunity to test the
spirit OF that empire and to find out
what the standing OF the Indian was
in that combination of states. Then
as an organizer of behind the lines
service In the world war he met the
Indian In Europe, this time as a part
and parcel OF the allied armies.
He returned to India with good
understanding OF the fundamental
laws of the British Empire and with
an unusual knowledge. gained largely
from experience, of the problems con.
fronting the empire. He saw that the
vast population OF India was ruled
by handful OF Britons because OF
the mental and material cooperation
OF ruled and rulers. IL this force OF
cooperation could be used TO hold
India TO the British Empire why
could II not also be used to win
self.government for India?
II Is now that we find GAypHI in
the pursuit OF his ultimate purpose
He came out strongly for non-cooper.
alton and non-resistance. He took on
the attitude OF the humblest OF his
adherents, he clothed himself In rags
and he tasted until he became more
Of shadow Of man than ever, a
mere wisp OF humanity" his wor.