DISCUSSION WITH GANDHI

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23743, 15 September 1942, Page 5

DISCUSSION WITH GANDHI

■ f PERMISSION SOUGHT BY HINDU MAHASABftA NEW DELHI, Sept. 13. It is understood that the Working ' Committee of the Hindu Mahasabha hai applied for permission to interview Mr Gandhi and other detained CongrOM Party members. The president of the ' Hindu Mahasabha (Mr V. D. Savarkar) said: “We feel that our efforts have, reached the stage of demanding Immediate consultation with Mr Gandhi and other Congress leaders." The president of the Moslem League (Mr Jinnah) said that the Moslem League definitely was not prepared to enter a provisional government unless Pakistan (a Moslem State) was explicitly granted, The Congress civil disobedience movement was a declaration of civil war/not only against Britain, but against the Moslem League. Congress wanted to establish a Hindu overlordship in India, be said, to which Moslems must submit. “If they do not submit they will be treated like the Jews in Europe," added Mr Jinnah. “The Moslem League is not supporting any war effort, not because it is recalcitrant, but because it is unable to give its whole-hearted support to the war unless it feels that the people have a real voice and share in India’s Government, but however much the league deplores British policy it will do nothing to embarrass Britain." A special correspondent of the “Sunday* Dispatch" says that from military points of view, and particularly from the point of view of an attack from the east, the recent acts of sabotage in India which were supposed political demonstrations could not have been more valuable to the enemy if they had been organised by a Japanese staff officer. Congress followers systematically attempted not only to paralyse India’s general war effort, but also to hamper immediate operations against the Japanese by interfering with all-important communications. A correspondent in Assam asks why "civilians’’ chose as the scene for their demonstrations provinces that might have been selected by an Axis staff officer, where a few acts of efficient sabotage could have blocked communications and thus stabbed in the back the forces in the Assam mountains, The concentration of acts of violence In eastern India showed clearly the greater design, says the correspondent. CHRISTCHURCH NAVAL OFFICER IN ACTION (Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A.) LONDON, Sept. 13. Sub-Lieutenant E. Mackenzie, of Christchurch, who is aged 22, and commands a gunboat,' was recently in action in the Channel. “After a night patrol,” he said, “two of us found about 18 Jerries at dawn, chiefly engaged in minelaying. We made straight for them and took on a flotilla of eight, opening up fire at 1000 yards, and closing in to a range of 400 yards. Flak flew everywhere. The Jerries soon sheered off to France. We had some of the crew injured, but not badly.” Ice Cream Ban.—Lord Woolton, Minister of Food, has refused an appeal against the prohibition of the manufacture of ice cream, which is being introduced on October 1. Pre-war consumption of ice cream was 30,000.000 gallons a year. The ban is expected to save 30,000 tons of transport, and 1000 tons of paper a year.—London, September 13, New Aircraft Post.—Sir Robert Renwick has been appointed to the newly created position of Controller of Communications and Equipment in the Ministry of Aircraft Production in the United Kingdom.—Rugby, September