Evening star., 1930-04-01
DELAY OF GANDHI
IRKS AUTHORITIES
British in India Await DeCi-
sive Action by Leader Be-
fore Taking Steps.
BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.
Dy Radio to The Star and Chicago Dai
News. Copyright, 1880.

Dy Radio to The Star and Chicago Daily
News. Copyright, 1880.
LONDON, England, April 1.--Mahat-
ma 0andht and his followers seem to
have adopted the old oriental slogan
Haste comes from the devil" Their
procession 10 Jalalpur is undoubtedly
slow, but, after all, the Indians have
been Great Britain's subjects for some
400 years, so that weeks or months to
shake OF the yoke are really Of not
much importance. The Indians can
wait.
Their slow progress, however, is get
ting on the nerves of British officials.
They must wait for unknown and un-
foreseen events hence their sincere wish
that Gandhi make move very soon
which may or may not plunge India
into open rebellion against her masters.
Dispatches from India indicate that
Gandhi's progress is slow because he
II beginning to feel the strain of the
long marches under a blazing sun and
on comparatively little food, but he is
expected to reach Jalalpur at any mo-
ment. There is but little doubt that he
will be arrested the very moment he
defieS the law by taking salt without
paying the legal tax.
Concentrating Efforts.
The Indian nationalist congress is
fully prepared for an emergency, and
mass civil diSobedience will start from
the moment that Gandhi is sent to
prison. India is a big country and
consequently even the most optimistic
Netionalists cannot expect civil DISC
bedience to take place everywhere at
once. They are concentrating their
efforts in five provinces.
In the united provinces of Agra and
Oudh, which have no sea coast and
consequently cannot be centers for
breaking the law regarding the salt tax,
the campaign viii start with the forma-
ton of tenants organizations
Tenants will refuse to pay their land
lords and insist on the ownership of
the land held by them in tenancy. This
can be interpreted as a Communist
movement on small scale end resem-
bleS good deal the beginning of the
Bolshevist movement in Russia. To-
gether with the tenants strike. the
Nationalists are organized for picketing
shops selling liquor or foreign goods
In Madras presidency there are only
two places where the salt tax can be
gathered. As non-payment of the salt
tax in that province cannot be serious,
the Madras Nationalist dictator has
organized boycott of foreign goods.
Campaign Organized.
From the point of view of law and
order, the situation is more serious In
the Andhra district, where the popula-
ton Is notoriously lawleSs. The Nation
alists are taking full advantage of the
predatory instincts of the inhabitants of
this district and have organized the no.
tax campaign on a large scale.
This district Is very rich in salt and
the population Is most anxious to refuse
payment of taxes. British authorities
are seriously concerned about develop
ments in that province lest they prove
the signal for q violent campaign.
The main salt pans are situated IN
Bombay presidency and here Ghandfs
influence is the strongest. The cam
paign is more hkley to succeed here
than anywhere else in India. Ninety per
cent of the village of1cials have pledged
themselves to resign as soon as the CAM
paign is in fun swing. Under the red
nag Of the union they have promised to
proclaim general strike in that prov
1nce as soon as Gandhi is arrested.
The situation here can become so
alarming that the governor, Sir Fred
erick Sykes, has been given special pow
ers to deal with the emergency and has
been authorized to proclaim martial law
II necessary.
Anarchy Possible.
Il Is very probable that he VIII use
the extensive powers given him by the
viceroy, since the Bombay governor be-
lieves that the policy of non-interference