Evening star., 1932-10-04
Gandhi's Astounding Power
Thrills Observers of World

Is another world. and that is all there
is to it." The Scranton Times is sure
that "Gandhi realizes that the caste
system in India. which has existed for
many hundreds Of years, cannot be
wiped out at single stroke and was
willing to accept a reasonable compro-
mise, such as the reservation Of due
proportion Of legislative seats for the
'untouchables.' II Hindu leaders would
agree to that" The Newark Evening
News concludes: Maybe in a decade
the caste system can be abolished. 1t
would be bigger social change than
the abolition Of slavery in Great Britain
or the United States. 1t affects mil
lions Of people. some Of them highly
educated, but by misfortune of birth
regarded as forever impure by the COM
plicated dogma of Hinduism"
The reason for the desire to satisfy
him lies in the fact that he has mil
lions Of fanatic followers" in the opin-
ion Of the Louisville Courier journal
and the youngstown Vindicator agrees
that his death would be the signal
for serious trouble The New York
Sun declares: Neither political India
nor political Great Britain could sf-
ford the moral risk Of permitting him
to die in such a cause"
lowed his death from his hunger strike
could net be foreseen at this distance,
but they threatened tremors that would
shake the entire globe" according to
the Asbury Park Evening Press. which
considers 1t fortunate that "the COM
promise between the Hindus and the
leaders of the lower castles has been
approved by London and found accept
able by Gandhi." AS the Hartford
Daily Times views It: 1T is an impress
sive fact that all parties to the contest
feared his death quite as much as they
do the living Gandhi."
Seeing proof Of England's capacity
for "muddling through" again in a
crisis, the Cleveland News states: ITO
the British government goes the credit
for preventing tragedy that might
have been measured In terms of thou
sands OF lives. The death of India's
saint, in protest against what he con-
sidered the injustice of the government,
might have been the signal for the Wild
est disorder, although India's popula-
tion Is neither equipped for ncr tenn
peramentally suited to effective revolt.
The wheels OF government of the great
est empire on earth stopped. reversed
themselves to save q mans life in the
squalid surroundings of a prison cell at
Aoedd. III Ille WUTuS OF lIls MeTlQlan
Star. death of the Hindu prophet
might have applied the match to the
Indian powder magazine"
The terrible meek triumphs," pro-
claims the Oklahoma City Oklahonlan,
with q tribute to the little mans In
terest in books and the conclusion: He
has read through the King James YER
SIGN OF the Bible and the Koran. He
has refamiliarized himself with the
works OF Tolstoi. He has read Henry
Thoreau's 'Paradoxes Of Civilization
Life Without Principle and An Essay
on the Duty Of Civil Disobedience.' He
has renewed acquaintance with Ruskin.
Altogether his intellectual and spiritual
diet has been as substantial as his
material diet has been thin. The world
breathes more easily and partakes of
its food more comfortably since Mr..
Gandhi Is taking o little orange Juice
and goats milk. diluted with warm
water. And any one who has read of
the caste discrimination against the un-
! touchables Of India and who Is even
slightly aware Of their pitiful condition
will rejoice that their champion has
won his case"