Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-28
BY HAL BORLAND.


EN- the present uncertainty of Great Brit
aims most puzzling empire problem
India-both personalities and politics
stand out highly important factors
To deny either is to deny the obvious
for both have been growing throughout the
last IL months and neither rioting nor investi-
CATION has overshadowed either of them.
The politics are mostly sub rosa, yet they are
linked inevitably with the personalities, and Of
these probably most important both from the
British and the international viewpoint is an
acetic, emaciated, almost toothless individual
who would pass on any American street as a
Observation-Disclosures Karamchand Gandhi FASH
fonably clad lawyers from the Far East POM
pous Indian politicians jewell bedecked native
princes all may be most imposing, but the prob
lem of India, in the last analysis, is at the
present time largely a problem of Mahatma
(the Great SouD Gandhi.
Gandhi was literally born into the political
turmoil of India 81 years ago next month in
the town of Porban6er, near the industrial city
of Ahmadabad, where he obtained his early
education and which later became the head
quarters for his crusades From his father he
inherited defiance of British authority. This
defiance, however, smoldered for years Mean
while, at the age of 10, he went TO England and
studied law at the University of London and
was admitted to the bar
England. however, held no charms for
Gandhi. He soon returned to his native India
WHEN he went to Natal, South Africa in
1893, to take part in a lawsuit he had
begun to question the propriety of his pro-
fession. lawyer deals with disputes Gandhi
did not believe in disputes or in coercive meas
ures. When he found that the Beers were
trea ing the Indians in Natal on the same plane
as aboriginal Negroes he remained for wear
helping to found an organization aimed at
promoting Indian suffrage in Natal Another
year at home and he had made the decision
He renowned forever his profession as LAWYER
He returned to Natal and became the leader bY
movement which for 35 years has been con-
Stantly growing and troubling successive
regimes at London
The basis of Gandhis original organization
and still the foundation of Gandhi-ism was
fellowship and justice. Its cardinal points were
truth-to self, to principles and to Others: nom
Nlolsnce, including the belief that the taking
of any life, high or low was wrong and that
the only lasting victory comes Of conquest by
love, which might even involve suffering and
death without so much as gesture in self
defense; non-stealing, which even includes re-
fusal to use articles not essential to life self
control-of appetites, passions and even Of
thought; non-acquisition, which bans any but
the barest necessities of life
1nese principles were put into effect by
Gandhi's growing cult in Natal. They refused
10 pay taxes. They refused even to resist abuse
prt 1lsm now known as nonco-operation, or
no. violent rebellion
The program began to have results and
drew into Gandhis train the great bulk of
the Hindus in Natal. The came the Boer War
Gandhi was keen as well as devout He
organized an ambulance corps and founded a
plague hospital at johannesburg placing them
ate the disposal of the British Profoundly
pacifistic neither he nor any of his followers
toot part In the conflict. But he seemingly
foresaw British victory, and his actions while
pot openly British were decidedly not pro-
Boo. When the question of Hindu exclusion
in South Africa came up in London following
the Boer campaign, all restrictions were
removed.
In 1901, on his second return from Africa
Gardhi, with c. r. Das, became the central
figure in the India nationaISs movement For
as years he labored and taug$z, preaching the
principles of his creed to his countrymen
The World War fared into being and
Gandhi and Das counseied their followers to
become pacihsts, a course so successfully fol-
lowed in South Africa But Gandhi himself
tool different course. He once more organ
ICED ambulance corps for the British Army
3 I'D personally conducted recruiting campaign
~ the Kaira district. He went TO the front In
i ron and in the succeeding months he was