Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-13

Continued From First Page0
half an hour. When his devotions were
completed he appeared in the chilly,
cement-floored room where the press
awaited him.
Curis On and ShiverS.
Gandhi grinned and so did the re-
porters. Then the Mahatn1a sat on a
chair, slipped his feet out OF his SAN
dals, curled his legs up under the long
warm robe and shivered.
Perhaps you have message Ior
England after your welcome?" an Eng
lish newspaper man said.
"Havn't given messages enough TO-
day?" Mr.. Gandhi replied.
Perhaps you have message ABOUT
English weather." another interviewer
Mr.. Gandhi laughed loud and
heartily.
"Oh, this English weather, how we'll
I remember it," he said. But don't
anticipate any difficulties with 1t. I
have been through it before
Then he grew serious. 1t is i'm
probable, he said, that he will go TO
America
Friends have told me that. Amer
lea wouldn't know what to do with
I feel can speak most usefully to
America by doing my work in lndia. .
He added, however, that he might
change his mind, explaining III my
inner voice says to go, I shall CO."
Receives Petticoat.
oandhi admitted today that he had
received a petitcoat from an anonymous
Englishman, accompanied by sarcas-
tic letter urging him to cover his
nudity" with this feminine garment.
The Mahatma took it good-naturedly,
however, and is preserving the petticoat,
which he said is the oldest souvenir in
his already large collection.
From the moment he entered France
and England he was pursued by re-
porters, photographers and movie cam
eramen who, in many instances, were
more numerous than the spectators.
At Marseille French woman, upon
seeing the half-naked, bronzed Indian
leader in his weird garb, exclaimed:
what g. horror! A man wearing
lingerie"
When he boarded the steamer to
cross the Channel for F'olkestone the
British passengers stared at him as If
he was freak escaped from a circus,
but the Mahatma was entirely indif-
ferent to their gaze.
While Gandhi was seeing the press
tonight. his disciple, Miss Madeline
Slade, was upstairs preparing his bed
ard warming the room with an electric
heater. After a brief appearance at
dance given by the settlement for its
usual bunch" the Mahatma went to
bed-back again in the London he first
knew 40 years ago as a law student.
He will see few friends tomorrow
ard hopes to visit some of the homes
of the poor in the district.
Meanwhile, strong detachment Of
police was on duty near Kingsley Hall
all night
Porters Register Disgust
French and British porters found
Mahatma Gandhi a poor customer
throughout his trip from Marseilles to
London.
The Mahatna gave them no tips for
carrying his spinning wheels, goats
milk, mattress and loin cloths.
II am as poor as church mouse"
he told them. II have nothing for
you Besides, don't want to bride
you for performing a mere public duty"
The porters invariably registered dis
gust
Last night Gandhi slept in q pull
man with his sandals on for fear SOU
venir hunters might get them.
"Next, they'll be stealing my loin
cloth" he said, land then I'll be be-
reft altogether"
The Mahatma said he came to Eng
land on a mission Of peace. He means
to write to Winston Churchill and
Lord Rothermere, he said, and ask to
see them in the hope of winning them
to his side.
He said he also hoped to visit the
Lancashire cotton mill district, which
more than any other English district,
has suffered from his spinning move
ment, If he is invited.