A SPECTATOR 2 S NOTEBOOK M R. RAMKRISHNA DALMIA, as revealed at
a reception given in his honour on Tuesday, is a remarkable figure. Little known so far outside India, he is one of the richest men in the country, owning a chain of cement factories, an air-line, all sorts of other companies, and what is far more important from the point of view of influence, The Times of India and a whole series of associated papers. With all this industrial enterprise he combines a studied simplicity of life and the pursuit of one dominating ideal—world- government. That is what he is here for. That is what he is going to America for in a few days. Clad completely in white, with white Gandhi forage-cap, he slightly disconcerted guests who were pro- posing to shake hands with him by bowing profoundly at each arrival with hands pressed together as though in prayer. Never, I think, have I met so remarkable a combination of business flair with uninhibited idealism. " I am not a politician," said Mr. Dalmia more than once in the course of a speech which was still flowing copiously when I had to leave. Unfortunately world-government is essentially a political question, and the way to it is not appreciably smoothed by a demonstration, which perhaps the world hardly requires, of the disastrous character of modern war and the failure of the League of Nations and its successor to check them. Nor do I personally think world-government even desirable. But Mr. Dalmia is a unique personality with whom it is a particular pleasure to become acquainted.
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