30 AUGUST 1930, Page 2

Meanwhile, nothing is known of the progress, of the peace

movement in India, though contradictory riinioiirs are numerous. There is no optimism among those who are looking for peace, though it is worth noticing that Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru, who has been interviewing Mr. Gandhi with official sanction said, " It is my' fervent belief that India never had a greater friend than Lard Irwin." A large meeting of Europeans engaged in business in Calcutta has passed a resolution calling upon the Government no longer to yield to agitators. It is always difficult to assess at its right value the declarations of the European merchants in Calcutta. They are most naturally aggrieved by the paralysis of their business and they speak with the fervour of men who have suffered greatly. But it is another question whether a business man's policy or a statesman's policy will in the long run serve everybody best. In 1857 the Europeans of Calcutta were the unsparing traducers of " Clemency Canning," but history is now written from Canning's point of view, not theirs. It was certainly not in response to the Calcutta resolution, but in the con- sistent pursuit of his own policy, than the Viceroy on Wednesday authorized the arrest at Delhi of Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, Mr. V. J. Patel, Dr. Ansari and other members of the Working Committee of the Congress. The Working Committee was, of course, long ago declared an unlawful association.

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