28 FEBRUARY 1931, Page 3

India In India the conversations between the Viceroy and Mr.

Gandhi have caused alternations of hope and doubt. On Friday, February 20th, Mr. Gandhi addressed a mass meeting of his followers and, as one of his temperate moods was upon him, he went so far as to say that it would be better that the sale of foreign cloth should be permitted than that excesses should be committed by the pickets. He reminded his followers of their pledge of non-violence."Those guilty of a breach of faith are fit only for slavery." Yet when he spoke particularly to the dealers in foreign cloth he suddenly changed his note and said that the sale must stop for ever. Still, Mr. Gandhi's declaration that picketing which cannot be done without excess is a breach of faith was very sig- nificant.

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