"Insulting Himself!"

Up from the cot on which he nearly fasted to death (TIME, May 22 et seq.) rose shriveled Mahatma Gandhi last week. With Mrs. Gandhi at his side he hobbled out of the palatial villa at Parnakuti, near Poona, loaned him for his fast by eccentric Lady Thackersey. Creeping into a motor car he was driven into Poona at a dusty 50 m.p.h. to face the executive committee of his All-India National Congress Party. The committee was restive, if not rebellious. Many of the Mahatma's followers feel that his fasts to impress Indians with the need of abolishing "untouchability" have left his more basic "civil disobedience" struggle against Britain far in the lurch. Since 1931, moreover, India has had a stern, strong-handed Viceroy-- Canada's onetime Governor General, the Earl of Willingdon. His police have hounded civil disobedients so hard that last week the Executive Committee was in a mood to give up. When Mr. Gandhi's whizzing motor arrived they had before them a resolution to withdraw the whole civil disobedience struggle and seek a humble compromise with the British Raj. St. Gandhi showed that his fast has certainly not made him less mystical. He talked of supplanting "mass civil disobedience" with a program of "individual civil disobedience." Even his disciples were puzzled. They urged the Mahatma to make peace and petition Lord Willingdon to set free the thousands of Gandhite prisoners, some of whom have languished in Anglo-Indian jails for as much as two years. Seemingly the Mahatma felt his leadership challenged. Squatting down in the centre of the committee, he proceeded to mesmerize all present with a two-hour mystic plea that the All-India National Congress Party through its committee should once more abdicate and place all power of decision in the Mahatma's hands. Before he began to speak such action seemed impossible. The committee knew that Viceroy Willingdon, a sahib of iron will, has refused to treat with either the Congress or with Mr. Gandhi until his followers formally abandon mass civil disobedience. Nonetheless the committee could not resist the Mahatma. By an overwhelming majority, they appointed Mr. Gandhi to treat with Lord Willingdon, resolved that mass civil disobedience shall continue until an "honorable settlement" is reached. They made the Mahatma sole judge of what sort of settlement would be "honorable." Jubilant, Mr. Gandhi babbled, "If the Viceroy refuses this advance he will be insulting himself!" When the Mahatma telegraphed a request for audience with Viscount Willingdon it was promptly refused, whereat he telegraphed a second request, exclaiming "I have packed my kit and am ready to go back to jail, but if the Viceroy will meet me face to face I can show him that the Conference attitude is calculated to produce an honorable settlement."

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