The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-02-08
Gandhi and America.

ooui, IS attracting great deal OF interest IN
America. Doubtless, there are good many Ameri-
cans who are approving and applauding Gandhi
This is particularly true of those who are anti
British in their views and who arc pleased at any
attack upon the British Empire or any misfortune
which may befa it. 1t would be well for those
who approve the Gandhi movement whether they
are anti-British or not to consider just what such
approval means. As matter OF fact. Americans
who take the part OF Gandhi and the "Non-Co-
opcrationists" against Britain adopting IA at
titude of condemnation not of Britain alone, but
more forciby, of America
The Gandhi movement is, in its essence not
directed against Britain but against Western civil
zation. 1t is directed against that of which America
not Britain, is the Gandhi wants to drive
Western civilization out Of India. He wants India
to return to its Oriental nature, entirely Not
alons British soldiers and the British government
would leave India, if Gandhi succeeded but British
methods. schools courts, factories, machinery social
institutions Americans should remember that all
these identical with American things of the
same category, except that American methods
schools, courts, factories, machinery and insttu-
tons would probably be considered degree
more Objectionable than the British. Gandh fights
what he calls Western "materialism" or indus
triaism" Machinery, upon which the economic
life of the West is based is condemned by Gandhi
and his adherents. His condemnation OF machine
made cloth and his reintroduction of the spinning
wheel exemplhes his creed. Machinery, he be-
leves, destroys the soul. Men become slaves of
neutrality-suspicious. own creation.
The Gandhi movement is The East against the
West; Gandhi thinks of it spirituality against
materialism. Americans who approve and applaud.
condemn America and themselves. Now, it is
right and healthful and just to criticize Western
civilization; that is in the way of improvement.
We may we'll wish and strive for elimination of
faults 1t is right and heathful and just to
find good in the East, to seek to bring that good
to tie West. But to admit the general superiority
of the East to the West, of India to Britain and.
thereby, of India to America. is unfair and
true. We have great deal to learn from the
East. The East possesses genuine sages, worthy
ideals clear purposes. but how few the sages
compared with the multitude of ignorant. By
what a tiny percentage Of the hundreds of millions
the worthy ideals and clear purposes possessed
1t is 1amentably true that too great a per-
ccntage of Westerners of Americans we'll
Europeans, slaves of the industrial machine.
without spiritual purpose. without mental and moral
order. They CO. without directing the going. They
speed through the beautiful miracle of existence,
blind to beauty contemptuous of it., They
pursue, and perhaps win surly pleasure that turns
to ashes refusing to accept the supreme joys which
life offers. 1t is true that Western civilization is
faulty; it is true that VIC arc too much ruled by
ndustrialism, creation. But abandon
machinery to toss away the material powers and
capacities VIC have acquired. is not the true way OF
advancement. That would be a cowardly surrender
The West-America-can and should convert in
dustriaism into something gentlcr and brighter.
juste; and more joyous, correcting economic and
social njustccs, eliminating the evils Of congested
ccnters of crowded lives OF smoke and noise, in
Producing of spirituality. of mental and
moral purpose and order, moro of joy. But Gandhi
away from the battle. He refuses to make
of the possibilities of improving humanity,
fearing the dangers that with those prospects.
No true American, reflection, can approve such
Americans who reflect this matter OF the
contact of the West and the East, will be likely
to conclude that the East-India-would do better
70 make of what the West has to offer in
order to improve its condition physically and
tally as we'll, rather than to refuse and condemn,
in fear and perhaps superstition. Americans arc
not prepared to admit that the primitive sort OF
existence Gandhi advocates is superior to our own
that spirituality is essentially incompatible with
material well-being
Turning to Gandhis methods, one may say
that those who so glibly identity his actions and
doctrines with the actions and doctrines of Jesus
Christ stretching the truth. Gandhis doctrine
is not that of nonresistance at all, as some are
stating freely. His is doctrine of very stern
and powerful resistance He is against violence,
not against resistance. Contrast his attitude on
taxation with that of Jesus Christ Render unto
Caesar that which is Caesars" is a totally different
attitude than "Mahatma' Gandhi's instructions to
his followers not TO pay taxes. Jesus Christ did
not concern Himself with political campaign
against the Roman Empire nor seek to establish
an earthly Kingdom.
British rule in India may be open to some
criticisms. The Gandhi movement may result in
accommodation of interests which may be an
improvement. But Americans thinking of Gandhi
and his movement and discussing it, would do we'll
to have in their thoughts some of the bigger as
poets OF the matter.