Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-12

| at the forthcoming London conference
| for his many American friends.
He sat cross-legged on his narrow
berth in his cabin, his fingers already
| mechanically busy with a takli. small
| brass bobbin on which he practiced
| yarn spinning for several hours daily
as an example to his followers. He had
already recovered from his temporary
| panic at the tumultuous character Of
( his reception. He said, earnestly and
| sadly. Il am afraid there is no hope
| for India at the round table conference
as far as external appearances are con-
| cerned. But, as in irrepressible opti-
mist, I hope against hope something
will turn up which will alter the aspect
| of the horizon. But since such hope
is only based on faith, not on reason, 1t
may prove illusory.
/ Comes without Program.
IT have come to London with neither
a program nor proposal. l have SIM
| ply accepted the invitation of the Brit
ish government, and 1 am ready to place
myself at their disposal, to answer Ques-
| tons and to give them all the infor-
nation within my power. I have come
| expecting to remain in London only
two weeks. but l am ready, If neces-
sary, to remain two months.
| OIlIg engagement lldNC IhudS
| is in the nature of a pilgrimage. /
have promised to visit my friend Roma
in ROLAND, the celebrated French writ
| err who is lying sick at his home near
! Territet Switzerland, and whose sister,
Madeline ROLAND. was among the old
friends who greeted me on my arrival
at Marseille."
Asked if he believed the recent change
in the government of Great Britain
| Drifi el, o1-I
| India, Mr.. Gandhi said unhesitatingly:
mo. Besides, the new government has
| already given me assurances Il will
carry out the policy of its predecessor,
as far as the India conference is con-
cerned."
Hindu -Moslem Situation Gloomy.
With regard to the critical Hindu
Moslem differences, however, he showed
unmitigated gloom. AS frank as ever,
even where his dearest interests are in
volved, the uncompromlsing Mahatma
admitted:
II fear the Hindu Moslem question
| has now become almost inSoluble for
reasons on which I don't wish to en-
large. But 1 am still not without hope
that solution may be found. 1t is
open to the Moslems to block the way
to a settlement of the future of India
government to make their opposition
an excuse for not granting India self
government But If the British gov
eminent is in earnest in it's desire to
make a friendly settlement with India;
! it should not take shelter behind the
Moslem."
Assures Civil Justice.
He was asked if he was fully satisfied
f6a ~ Nfh nr io1
ligious minoritieS would receive justice
under swaraj home-rule government,
mainly Hindu. as it would be, If ap-
pointed on a population basis.
He replied that the claims of the
minoritjes must receive the fullest
satisfaction in any future settlement
He himself, he recalled. had frequently
urged his fellow Hindus to accept all
the Moslem claims, partly on senti-
mental grounds and partly because he
was convinced some OF them were I'M
realizable in practice. But he said en-
phatically that Moslem opinion must be
conciliated and satisfied before swaraj
was possible. He confessed. however.
that he did not know in the present
state of confusion and unrest how this
was to be effected.
Mr.. Gandhi was challenged to ex-
plain apparent inconsistencies in his
attitude regarding the 10000 900 out
cast Hindu ''untouchables," certain of
his statements concerning this grave
problem having provoked much criti-
cism from his friends, bcth in India
and America.
Denies Shifting Stand.
Mr.. Gandhi said to me with the
greatest of earnestness, Believe me,
my attitude on this question of 'un-
touchability' has never wavered in
the slightest degree
my position regarding the 'untouch-
ableS' is unanSwerable. The misunder-
standing which arose regarding my at
titude was apparently due to the fact
that rebuked the leaders of an 'un-
touchable' deputation which interviewed
me early last year. But am always
rebuking some one, and usually my
dearest friends.
What I told this deputation was
that I refused to declare publicly that