1. LETTER T0 SIR CLAUDE HILL ST. STEPHEN’S COLLEGE, DELHI, April 26, 1918 DEAR SIR CLAUDE HILL, It was not without considerable pain that I had to decline the honour of serving on any of the Committee that will be appointed at the eventful Conference1 or speaking to the main resolution2. I feel that the Conference will be largely abortive with the most powerful leaders excluded from it. The absence of Mr. Tilak, Mrs. Besant and Ali Brothers from the Conference deprives it of any real weight.3 I must confess that not one of us who were present at today’s meeting has the influence of these leaders with the masses. Refusal to have them at the Conference shows that there is no real desire to change the attitude hitherto adopted by those who are holding the reins of Government. And without any real alteration in the spirit all your concessions will lose their grace and force and will fail to evoke genuine loyalty from the masses. If I understand the purpose of the Conference aright, you wish to work upon the masses. How to evoke in the Indian the loyalty of the Englishman is the ques- tion before the Indian leaders. I submit that it is impossible to do so unless you are prepared to trust the trusted leaders of the people and to do all that such trust means. So far as Ali Brothers are concerned there is no proof of their guilt before the public and they have emph- atically repudiated the charge of having corresponded with the ene- my. Most Mahomedans think what the Brothers think on the situation. I feel that for other reasons also I could not effectively serve on 1 This was the War Conference convened by Lord Chelmsford. 2 The resolution read as follows: “That this Conference authorizes and requests His Excellency the Viceroy to convey to His Majesty the King-Emperor an expression of India’s dutiful and loyal response to his gracious message, and assurance of her determination to continue to do her duty to her utmost capacity in the great crisis through which the Empire is passing.” 3 Tilak had not been invited; but, after an interview with the Viceroy on April 27, Gandhiji wired asking Tilak to attend the Conference. This he declined to do as Government would not rescind the externment order issued against him. Annie Besant, too, had received no invitation, while the Ali Brothers were still in internment. VOL.17 : 26 APRIL, 1918 - APRIL, 1919 1 the Conference. I have just read the Home Mail papers. They deal with the secret Treaties. The revelations make painful reading, I do not know that I could call the Allies’ cause to be any longer just if these treaties are truly reported. I do not know what effect the news will produce on the Mahomedans of India. The Government will best serve the Empire if they were boldly to advise His Majesty’s Government to recede from the false and immoral position they placed themselves in by these treaties. No one will be more glad than I would be to find that my reading of the papers is totally incorrect.1 There will be no domestic peace in India so long as local officials administer affairs as they have been doing in Kaira. I am sure the Viceroy does not wish that the people should not resist injustice and tyranny. I do hope that the contemplated spoliation in Kaira will be stopped at once and the just demand of the Kaira people will be complied with. I would like to warn the Government against accepting or initiating conscription. I hope it will never flourish on the Indian soil. But, in any case, it ought not to be introduced until all voluntary efforts have been honestly made and failed. You will admit that the leaders have with remarkable self-restraint hushed all the tales of the forcible recruitment that is reported to have gone on hitherto. I venture to think that the danger point has been reached. Lastly a thorough education in Home Rule has now so widely penetrated the masses that nothing short of very substantial evidence of the near advent of Home Rule will secure the real co-operation of the people. You will now understand and perhaps appreciate my reluctance 1 Some light is thrown on the background to these observations of Gandhiji in Charles Freer Andrews, p. 132. Gandhiji had asked Andrews to join him on his way to the War Conference. “In the train on his way there Andrews read in the English New Statesman an account of the predatory ‘secret treaties’ unearthed by revolutionaries from the Russian Foreign Office; Great Britain was a signatory of these treaties, notwithstanding her public declarations of the disinterestedness of her fight for freedom. Andrews thrust the papers before Gandhi. ‘How can you take part in a war conference while this sort of double-dealing is going on?’ he demanded.” This was another reason why Gandhiji had initially refused to attend the Conference. Lord Chelmsford, however, in the course of an interview, repudiated the report about the treaties as having emanated from interested quarters and expressed his disbelief that the British Cabinet would enter into a treaty to cede Constantinople to Russia. It was on the basis of this clarification that Gandhiji finally agreed to participate in the Conference. 2 THE COLLECTED WORKS OF MAHATMA GANDHI to speak or to serve on the committees. I can best demonstrate my good wishes by abstaining from the Conference. Will you please place this letter before the Viceroy at the earliest possible opportunity? From the manuscript of Mahadev Desai’s Diary. Courtesy: Narayan Desai 2. LETTER T0 J. L. MAFFEY ST. STEPHEN’S COLLEGE, DELHI, April 27, 1918 DEAR MR. MAFFEY, I duly received your wire as also your note of the l9th instant for both of which I thank you. The development which the situation has since undergone renders the discharge of the [Ali] Brothers more than ever imperative. After considerable hesitation and much deep thought, I have come to the conclusion that I cannot take part in the Conference and serve the cause for which it has been called. My reasons are set forth in my letter to Sir Claude Hill,1 copy of which I beg to enclose herewith. I do not know whether His Excellency would still like to see me about the Brothers. I am in Delhi up to the 29th, but can naturally prolong my stay if necessary. Yours sincerely, M. K. GANDHI N.A.I.: Home, War (Deposit): October 1918, No. 26 1 Vide the preceding item. VOL.17 : 26 APRIL, 1918 - APRIL, 1919 3 3. LETTER TO J. L. MAFFEY DELHI, April 27, 1918 DEAR MR. MAFFEY, In fear and trembling I have decided as a matter of duty to join the Conference. After the interview with His Excellency1 and subsequently with you, I feel I could not do otherwise.2 Yours sincerely, M. K. GANDHI N.A.I.: Home, War (Deposit): October 1918, No. 26 4. LETTER T0 J.L. MAFFEY DELHI, April 28, 1918 DEAR MR. MAFFEY, I would like you please to secure for me His Excellency’s permission to deliver my speech at the Conference today in Urdu. I intended to send a translation of it, but I think that I shall speak most effectively by merely speaking the words necessary to support the resolution in question. The answer to my request you will perhaps send per Mr. Andrews. 1 This took place on April 27. 2 Gandhiji received the next day the following message from Maffey: “The Viceroy does not believe in your ‘fear and trembling’. Nor do I ! His Excellency is very glad indeed to hear that you will join the Conference. I have written to Sir Claude Hill to inform him that you will join the Man Power Committee which meets at 11 a.m.” Earlier Gandhiji had received, according to Mahadev Desai’s Diary, Vol. IV, the following message from the Viceroy: “Please assure all your friends that I have already done what I possibly could do. The Scheme submitted will not be exactly the Congress-League Scheme, but will substantially be like it. I hope tomorrow there will be no bargaining, no huckstering therefore. The whole world—especially all in England—will be watching with anxiousness what happens tomorrow, everybody’s eyes are fixed on tomorrow and I do hope there will be no huckstering.” 4 THE COLLECTED WORKS OF MAHATMA GANDHI Will you please tell me how long you are going to stay in Delhi ? 1 Yours sincerely. M.K. GANDHI N.A.I.: Home, War (Deposit): October 1918, No. 26 5. SPEECH AT WAR CONFERENCE2 DELHI, April 28, 19I8 I consider myself honoured to find my name among the supporters of this resolution. I realize fully its meaning and I tender my support to it with all my heart.3 From a photostat of the original in Gandhiji’s hand: G. N. 2225 1 To this Gandhiji received the next day the following reply from Maffey: “I now find that in this morning’s rush I did not read the end part of your letter and only dealt with the first question—your speech. If I may deal with that, may I say that I know the Viceroy felt very much touched by your presence, by the simple words you said and the way you said them. I am so glad that you see scope for definite work ahead. It is all wanted and you will not regret it.