The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1931-03-14
By l. r

Copyright, 1881. NEA Service, Inc.)
Mahatma Gandhi. who had stuck
by the British lion In the Boer, Zulu
and World wars, because he believed
in the inherent justice OF the British
people. even though he distrusted
British government and governors,
finally lost all faith in the crucial
years 1919 and 1920.
He had once believed SO much. He
now believed no longer. In 1909 he
had written that there was no i'm
passable barrier between cast and
west. He now saw such a barrier. A
series of events shocked him to the
marrow.
There was the terrible Amritsar
tragedy. Native mobs had killed sev-
eral Europeans. British troops took
a terrible revenge. Hundreds Of ma
tives we're killed and wounded, many
were flogged. others imprisoned, still
others compelled to crawl on hands
and knees and apologize. In 1920 the
British House of Lords refused to
pass a resolution condemning those
responsible.
About the same time the Treaty
of Sevres was signed. This shattered
every hope the MoslemS of India had
that Britain would see that generous
treatment was accorded Turkey after
the World war.
LAUNCHES DRIVE FOR
INDIAN HOME RULE =
AT a meeting OF the All India Ma
tional Congress in Calcutta in Sep
tember, 1920, Gandhi aSsented to a
movement to refuse to cooperate any
longer with the British government
in India until these and other wrongs
were righted and until Swaraj-home
rule-was gained. This policy was
called "non-violent cooperation"
Gandhi was responsible for this in
sistence upon non-viOlence. He had
learned the value of passive resist
ancc as a weapon in his South African
struggles. The sacred writings OF
his own Hindu sageS and those of the
New Testament had reinforced this
belief. He held that Jesus Christ,
Daniel and Socrates presented the
purest forms of passive resistance or
soul-force. They all counted their
bodies as nothing in comparison with
their souls.
He quickly returned his British war
medals and issued his n~on-coopera-
ton proclamation to the people, call
ing upon them:
To abandon all honorific titles and
functions; not to participate in any
governmental loans; to boycott the
law courts and lawyers and arrange
their disputes by private arbitration:
to boycott the government schools;
to refuse all civil and military posts:
to use goods made in the home coun-
try and especially to weave cotton
cloth for themselves and thus strike a
blow at English textiles.
PUBLISHES ACCUSATIONS
AGAINST BRITISH RULE
In a remarkable letter he set forth
what he thought the British Empire
meant for India:
Exploitation of India for Bril-
tain's benefit.
2-An ever-increaSing expenditure
for military and civil service.
3-Extravagant working of govern
mental departments, regardless of
midas basic poverty.
disarmament Of the Indian peo-
pie, lest, if armed, they might en-
danger the foreign occupants.
5-Traffic in intoxicating liquors
and drugs for the sake OF the taxes
gathered thereby.
6-Repressive legislation to sup
press a nations agitation for self
government.
7-Degrading treatment Of Indians
residing in other parts of the British
empire.
The non-cooperation movement
started with a great swing. but grad
ually the people got out of hand.
In Bombay, just when Gandhi had
arranged a boycott on the visit of the
Prince of Wales in 1921. mill hands
rioted. burned liquor shops and killed
innocent pedestrians. Four months
later at Chauri Chaura a mob. chant