ARREST OF GANDHI.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21111, 19 February 1932, Page 6

ARREST OF GANDHI.

EXPOSURE AS SHAM.

HELP FROM FRIENDS.

WARNINGS TO INDIA

" The arrest of Gandhi shows what a hollow sham he has been; not a hand has been raised by his pals outside," says Mr. H. Hobbs, a Calcutta journalist, referring to the recent imprisonment of Mahatma Gandhi, in a lett-er to a friend in Auckland. Mr. Hobbs, who has been a resident of India for 48 years, visited New Zealand a few years ago. " Numbers of them have been put away, which naturally put the wheels askew, but the mass mind is not disturbed'," Mr. Hobbs says. " All knew Gandhi was monkeying about and playing up to the sloppy minds of sentimentalists of 'man and brother' type. He and the Ali Brothers have been responsible for at least 25.000 brutal deaths and unspeakable barbarities on ten times that number. The Ali brothers raised the Khilafat fund and made so much out of it for themselves that they dropped out with the money. One has since died; the other is immensely wealthy, and with the exception of making a run about Moslem shrines and talking big, he leaves out the business of 'bending the British lion.'

" The main cause of the rise of Gandhi has been the encouragement given hiro by European merchants in India. They have thought and acted under the belief that with self-government for India they would be more prosperous. He came to India announcing his intention to have 'Revenge! Revenge! Revenge! I'm going to make this country unfit for these people to live in!' The country was badly strained after the war and ripe for trouble. Almost anybody could have stirred up the trouble, but Gandhi, who was ably supported, . first tackled the Bombay mill owners and managed to squeeze £750,000 out of them under threats of causing strikes. They found Gandhi was too strong to fight, so they roped him in on their side and utilised his influence to help in putting imposts on British goods. It is not too much to say that the last tax put at least a rupee a head of the population of India —3so,ooo,ooo —into the hands of Indian cotton mill owners.

" But the Europeans, against whom I've fought for 25 years, are the loading criminals. Their mental attitude has been to keep things ' kushi' until they got out with their pile. No words can bo too severe in condemnation of this mentality. I have insulted their at their meetings, jibed, jeered, ridiculed and written letters, spoken at. council and committee meetings, prophesied that they were furthering methods which would result in the murder of Europeans all over the country. Two years ago I shouted at a meeting, when they were booing at me for all they were worth, 'Look out for the date in the calendar headed "Christian Shooting Begins.'" Well, it, has all come to pass, and I should estimate that from 25 to 30 per cent, of the Europeans working in the country not in Government employ have been driven out, never to return. Not once in ten years has there ever been a loyal utterance by these patriots, and now they begin to wonder if they were so very clever after all. "At a big meeting held at the New Empire Theatre I spoke from the gallery and gently rubbed it in. I had a wonderful reception, and it is now admitted on all hands that my loyalty and sin cerity are beyond criticism and that my prophesies and forebodings were justified."