Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-25
BY MICHAEL PYM.

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Of a vague, spiritual ascetic, who acct.
dentally took up political career and1
ia consequence made rather mess OF
it, himself and India. Today those who
accept labels say that he has no power
left.
It happened to be his own place, where
days, not in his usual surroundings,
with the stage carefully set, but presld-
ing at q conference in Western india,
In place where both of us were guests.
1t happened to be his own place. where
he was born, and where his father and
grandfather were diwans at one time,
neither leaving a good reputation be-
hind him. Every evening ] sat and
talked with Gandhi and his followers; /
watched him preside over the confer
ence, and one morning went up to his
quarters In one of the guest houses and
had particularly long talk with him.
My impression of the man at the end
of this period was that he was bril-
liant and subtle person, who knew quite
well what he. was up to, and who had
organized the most complete publicity
for himself on the best American lines.
But he struck ME as being totally in
sincere in everything but his hatred OF
the British.
The one thing I could not understand
at all was why people. especially Amer
leans, should be so taken in by him. 1t
seemed to me that it must be rather like
the story of the Emperor of China's new
suit. Everybody was afraid to say that
they couldn't see any suit for fear that
they should be dubbed evil. The only
person who dared to tell the truth. and
say that the Emperor had nothing on,
was asSmall child
Propaganda Conspicuous.
For some three weeks previous to
Gandhi's arrival I had watched his
emissaries every day in the city market
place prepagandizing the people and
making them promise to wear khaddi
for him The day he came everybody
all took 1t off and went back to their
own clothes The peasants told me
that since Gandhi started his khaddi
campaign homespun cloth had become
far too expensive for them to buy. so
they had to get the cheaper Birming-
ham material. A very great deal of
so-called khaddi upon which some of
Gandhi's supporters made fortunes, was
made in Japan and sold at profit to
deluded Indians.
The sight of Gandhi was something
OF shock. There is saying of Shake
speare's, THE soul is formed and doth
the body make" Here was this great
spiritual personality, little crooked
legged man, rather black, with small
monkey eyes, very long nose wide
cash of q mouth, without many teeth.
just under the nose: tremendous ears at
right angles to the head and a skull
itself most peculiarly shaped, like a
babys. had seen criminals OF that
type, but never great man. had
met and admired very holy men in
t. Ia, Il
Of them.
Thirty in "Inner Circle"
With him were perhaps 80 followers,
whom he called his Inner circle"
These people were quite sturdy and we'll
fed, and one or two had gold wrist
watches on. The really pathetic figure
was that Of the Englishwoman. Miss
Slade, daughter of Admiral Sir Edmund
Slade. Originally handsome woman,
she was now burned black by the sun,
shaved, wearing only a sort of scanty
bust bodice and Sari. A very large
part of her was naked. a fact which
shocked the Indians beyond measure.
Only the poorest Indian peasant woman
wears her clothes in that fashion. 1t
appeared that Miss Slade acted partly
as Gandhi'S secretary and partly as a
dairy worker, cleaning out the COW
sheds. To understand the full impli-
cation of this one must know India.
Here was q scion of the ruling race, a
woman of family, acting as sweeper, the
lowest of all occupations, for Gandhi
His meeting was beautifully organized.
The hall was carefully guarded by
rather insolent Boy Scouts. Gandhi va
riety. Stalls outside were selling khad-
di Inside the room was divided into
q number OF sections, each roped off.
This was for two reasons. First, Ii
solved the untouchable difficulty with
out making the issue difficult for Can
dhi, the right people being put together
in their particular roped-off section;
9econd. 1t made it easy to put cheer
leader In each section.
Choir Sings Gandhrs Praises.
Half way up the hall was a sort of
hallelujah pulpit, from which a choir
sang Gandhis praises and similar
songs. On the stage was beautifully
arranged circle of followers, ostenta-
tiously winding thread on little bobhins
Every speech was already printed III
English and the vernacular, so that the
speakers just read from little pam
phlet.
Following the conference Immediately
kilograms were dispatched to all the
Indian states informing them that the
conference had adopted such and such
resolutions unanimously. OF course 1T
had. The resolutions in question were
prepared by Gandhi's crowd and rail-
foaded through. Nobody else spoke
In all earnestness, had asked for a
private interview with the man. My
idea was simply to talk to him with an
open mind and try to Judge his sincerity.
I had no intention of getting an inter-
view for quotation, but when I went to
him I found him, not alone, as had
hoped and requested, but surrounded
by his inner circle, plus number Of
others. Nobody rose when entered.
sat on q chair facing him. In ordinary
circumstances I would have sat on the
floor, like the rest. but the atmosphere
was not encouraging enough.
It was q most disappointing CONVERSE
ton. Nothing could elicit direct an
swer from Ghandi-except when we
that Indian women had more power
: than any In the world. I demurred and
told him I thought American women
had considerable sway.
"Ah, but" said Ghandi, their sway
Is based upon something equally dis
creditable both to them and to the
men,"
Observes Care in Mixed Company.
When I asked for an calculation of
this invidious remark Ghandi told me
that usually he was very frank and di-
rect, but in mixed company he could
not be more direct on this point. He
intimated that, never having been to
America himself he was In constant
touch with Americans upon whose in
formation he based his statements.
asked whom, for INSTANCE, and he men
toned Q DR.. Wall, of the Union Theo-
logical Seminary. When I asked him
about visiting America he told me that
his friends thought America was not
vet ready for him. With this remark
Instantly and heartily agreed;