Evening star., 1936-05-31
GANDH| IS SLOW
TO EXPLAIN SELF.
Uses "Passive Resistance"
on Correspondent Who
Seeks Statement.
BY JAMES A. MILLS.


copyright, 1885, by the Associated Pressl
DELHI, India.-Mahatma Gandhi,
rndias 'rebel-saint," was sitting in
the center of large open-air prayer
meeting, near the spot where, Is years
ago, the late King George of England
and Queen Mary were crowned
Emperor and Empress of India"
It was the site Of the old capital OF
Delhi. It Is now called GandhiS
"Camp of Untouchables." Hundreds
OF devout Hindus, men and women,
were seated around India's mystic,
gazing with rapt devotion into the
Mahatma's deeply -furrowed brown
face. The light of the full moon cast
o halo over their hatless heads.
I waited for the prayer meeting to
end. 1t was a nightly occurrence, and
many American tourists found their
way out there to see what Gandhi
looked like. When the last psalm
from the Hindu litany was sung,
Gandhi arose. With long staff in his
hand and dressed in pure white gar
ments, he resembled an apostle among
his flock Observing me in the crowd,
the Mahatma came forward and, ex-
tending his hand in greeting, said:
This is indeed an agreeable surprise
to find you in India again! 1t must
be five years since I saw you"
Girl Helps Him Upstairs.
AS India's champion of independence
spoke, his latest woman devotee,
Princess Rajkumart Amrit Kawr,
daughter of the former Maharaja of
Karpurthala State, who is Christian,
stood by his side and then helped the
Mahatma upstairs to his room in one
of the simple houses of the 'Untouch-
ables." The Mahatma invited me in.
After we chatted a few minutes, I
noticed that the diminutive leader.
who is now nearly 10, was in excellent
health. He was vigorous, alert and
cheerful. The only difference I
noticed in his appearance since saw
him five years ago was that he now
uses long stick to aid him in walk
ing. Mentally he seems as active and
as keen as ever.
AS his bedtime was approaching I
said to the Mahatma: II should like
to come over to see you tomorrow"
You can't come tomorrow" he
flashed back, smiling. Tomorrow
monday is my day of silence"
We'll, any other day, them said.
"You will have to see DR. Ansari
(his personal physician), who has just
Overhauled me, and who has made
new set of rules about people seeing
me-"
Delayed Bath Is Chance.
OF course, I wasted no time In
seeing DR.. Ansari, for it was appar-
ent the Indian political leader did not
wish to talk. Two days later 1 visited
the "untouchables' colony" again, and
this time, to my surprise, I was ad-
initted Immediately to Gandhis pres
ence
You can count yourself lucky that
the water for my bath failed" said
the toothleSs wrath with a chuckle.
THAT is why I am able to see you
now"
remarked that one mans mis-
fortune was another mans profit.
Gandhi giggled. He explained again
that was there only because the
water for his bath, which was
brought in buckets from a distance,
had not arrived. I presume if the
water had arrived, I never would have
seen the eccentric little Indian.
This, it seemed to me, was an in
dication of what Gandhis British
critics call his extraordinary vanity
and egotism. Underneath his exterior
OF humility and simplicity. it seems,
Is a firm strata of SNUG self -suffi-
cheney that crops up only on such
occasions as this.
Reticent on Politics.
AS he squatted on the floor and
toyed with his homemade spinning
wheel and other trinklets, I said to
the apostle of non-violence and pas
sive resistance:
Il should like a statement of your
present political position for the
American people, who cannot under
stand the silence and inactivity you
have maintained for the last few
years"
But no longer write" he said
with chuckle. II lost the fountain
pen you gave me before I went to
prison the last time"
II will give you another" said
3okingly, ''if you will take a bribe."
'Ah, that is too high a price to
pay" rejoined India's saint"
Then he drew my attention to the
clock in front of him and reminded
me that it was the duty of his grand
son, who sat beside him, to watch
that clock and toll off visitors. I saw
then it was hopeless to expect state
ment from Gandhi, who from the
beginning had been practicing his
favorite passive resistance" upon me
without my realizing it.
Speaks of Sons Act.
The conversation then turned to
his two sons.
MY eldest boy is a good Ameri-
can," remarked the toothless Gandhi.
"He likes to do things that Americans
do He likes the sensational and the
dramatic. His latest act of shame
NVTa