NAWSA SUBJECT FILE Gandhi, Mohandas K. Copy. (Speech at Tremont Temple, June 1, 1922-Ghandi movement. From the original notes sent to Edna Stantial by Miss Blackwell to be typed for the press.) Miss Blackwell said: "We are here tonight to protest against the imprisonment of one of the world's greatest spiritual leaders. "The story of what this gentle seer and prophet has already accomplished for his people reads like a romance. India contains one fifth of the inhabitants of the globe. For centuries this great country has been fettered by an iron system of caste. Ghandi has so freed the minds of his people that today men of high caste will sit down to eat with those who were formerly looked upon as "untouchable". Think what it would mean, even in the United States, if caste could be abolished-if we could be made to feel that we are all really brothers and sisters! How much more it must mean in India, where the caste lines have been so much more rigid, and have kept the people so split up that they could not even make common cause in the effort for self-government! "Ghandi has brought Hindus and Moslems and Buddhists together in this effort-another astonishing achievement. "He has freed multitudes from their besetting vices. Under his teaching, so many have given up liquor and opium that there is great complaint about the lessened revenue from those sources. A street that had formerly 52 opium joints, now has only one. "Pussyfoot Johnson, just back from a 7000 mile tour through India, says that every native newspaper is advocating prohibition and that thousands turned out to greet him in every city with enthusiasm, because he had come to assure them that prohibition in the United States was not a failure, as the British in India -2- declared it to be. "For centuries women in India have been kept in subjection and seclusion. Ghandi's influence is freeing them too, and bringing them out into the larger world. Hindi women of high caste are throwing aside their veils and going out to speak in public for self-government for India, and are even going to prison for it. Ghandi's wife, Tagore's niece and other prominent women are setting the example. "Most wonderful of all, Ghandi is trying to make his revolution against British rule by spiritual power alone, preaching peace instead of violence, love instead of hate; and his spiritual power is so great that the British Empire, with all its overwhelming material force, is at its wits' end how to deal with him, and has found no better expedient than to put him and 25000 of his sympathizers in jail. As if spiritual forces could ever be stopped by prison walls, or even by the death of the prophet! The Southerners tried it on John Brown and found the truth of the anti-slavery song, 'Old John Brown, Ossawattomie Brown, May trouble you worse than ever When you've nailed his coffin down!' "There has been a general belief that British rule was good for India. Ghandi says that many of the Englishmen who administer it honestly think so. But when Ghandi - a staunch co-operator with British rule for more than half a life time - is driven at last to change his mind and to launch out with all his might upon this non-cooperation movement, it leads us to doubt and inquiry; and then we find that under British rule there are habitually 2,000,000 people who do not have one square meal a day, and 70,000, are always on the verge of starvation; - 3 - that in 1918 millions actually died of starvation, though 7,000,000 tons of grain were shipped out of India that year. We learn that the once flourishing native industries of India have been deliberately ruined for British profit; that for years freedom has been abolished, and any Hindu may be sent to prison without trial and without appeal. "We cannot be self-righteous. Our own government has done things just as bad in Hayti and San Domingo and elsewhere. But if we believe in the right of nations to self-determination, we must wish success to the self-government movement in India, unless indeed we are afflicted with the spiritual color-blindness which cannot see that justice applies to persons of a darker tint. "As the Rev. Sydney Strong has lately said, 'The white man's first task and duty is to get right with the colored races.'" April 1950 Issue NEWS of INTERNATIONAL CENTERS and INDIA - PAKISTAN INTERNATIONAL CENTERS PARIS Departures The last two weeks in March were very much taken up with farewell parties to Phyllis Richards, Centers staff worker and English Friend, whose term of service has now drawn to a close. The staff writes, "Phyllis is deeply missed here, and her place will not be filled even if there were to be another staff member." The Center is sorry to lose Albert Brethenoux from the staff. He has accepted a full-time position and has resigned as Yearly Meeting Representative and part-time Center worker. Improvements The Center rooms have been transformed with paint, new doors and corridors where needed, and gifts of a standing lamp, several rugs, and a reproduction of a Cezanne landscape. Activities A UNESCO Discussion Group continues with undiminished satisfaction--with ably-led discussions on such topics as: the impact of evolution in the theory and application of science; the relation of depth psychology and social life (the community); and Friends' theory and practice of community. Many visitors continue to come to the Center, with much welcoming of traveling AFSC personnel to and from assignments. A French translation of the Russian-American Report is expected to be ready in Paris by the end of Easter vacation. Meetings of the G.I. Group, the World Citizens, and the Cercle de Jeunesse have recently taken place at the Center. And many more activities--plus a number of visits by Centers staff members with international leaders, professors, and a journalist. GENEVA Linked Centers Our last Newsletter told of the new trend in International Centers towards cooperative and linked efforts of such Centers as Geneva and Paris and Quaker House in New York for reconciliation activities international in scope. Colin Bell has now outlined in Geneva the following proposed principal areas of activity for linked Centers: -1- - 2 - a. East-West tension b. Support for the mediation and conciliation services of U.N. c. The future of U.N. and world services to refugees and DF's. Already "Linked Centers" correspondence has gotten well under way between Geneva, Paris, New York, London, and Philadelphia with hope of influencing events and leaders in some significant ways. Change in Personnel Ellen Wright's term of service on the Centre staff ended in March, and although "her variety of gifts and unfailing friendliness are no longer a part of the Centre's staff assets, they can still be drawn upon in the Centre's interest," since Ellen and her husband Carlos are staying on a while in Geneva. Renate Warner, a young English Friend, has been welcomed to the staff as Ellen's successor. AMSTERDAM Radio Broadcasts Three radio talks are to be given in April on Quakerism from Hilversum Radio, Amsterdam - - "Who are the Quakers?" by Jim Lieftinck, "What do Quaker Believe?" by Duba Vab Dakfsen, and "What do Quakers do?" by Toot Bleuland van Cordt. Journey Kiek Franken of the Quakercentrum staff visited Switzerland in April to attend the International European Conference of Friends for Netherlands Yearly Meeting. Activities Distribution of the Russian-American Report to interested leaders and the Netherland Student Union for World Legislation. Late in March a great number of new International Refugee Organization cases came to the Quakercentrum "to be unravelled." COPENHAGEN Plans are in progress for a European Centers Newsletter to be written and issued at the Danish Quaker Centre in Copenhagen. KINGSTON, JAMAICA Special Events at the Center The first of a series of Coffee and Music appreciation Class was held on January 30th when Tom Murray of the British Council brought his Record Player and some fine records. Variety Evening - to raise money for the Center. An open air entertainment was held in January augmented by the sale of tea and cakes. It was a great success with well over $100 raised and a program enjoyed by all. Work Camp Committee meetings are being held often in Kingston to plan next summer's work camp in Jamaica. The proposed project - - Building a Youth Club Centre at Hope River Flat, an underprivileged area. It will be a truly international work camp sponsored by AFSC is cooperation with Earlham College. If plans work out as - 3 - hoped, five or six nationalities will be represented in a work camp of 20 campers - - including 10 Jamaicans, 5 Earlham College students, and 5 from European countries and possibly other parts of the world. SHANGHAI Centre Staff Change With the possible departure of Mary Campbell this spring (if she can get a shop), Mrs. Hazel Hsu has been appointed to take over Mary's Centre work on a half-time basis starting April 3rd. Centre Worries The Centre staff tells us they are besieged by refugee cases - - with individuals asking help with illnesses, tax demands, and emigration problems and drink-drug-addicts demanding cure, people seeking jobs or selling things, and even a budding inventor of a new type stove asking assistance. "Happily there are some lighter moments or the accumulated worries of other people would be too much for us to bear." The Receiving Home for Children The Receiving Home continues in its new building to fill a real need caring for Chinese children. Recently the children had been taken to lunch at the Hostel - as they can, play with Margaret Perry's wooden Chinese dolls, and climb to the top of the Hostel to look out over the Park from the verandah. CALCUTA CENTER Activities at the Centre have continued as usual despite the communal disturbances which took place early this year. (See News of India and Pakistan which follows). The bustee girls school and the night school in the Park Circus area (Muslim) were stopped for a few days but were able to resume later. Ingeborg Olden helped out at Telinpera, noth of Calcutta, where several thousand Muslim refugees congregated following upon an "incident" in that area. INTERNATIONAL STUDENT HOUSE, Washington, D.C. Renovation Plans Redesigning and re-equipping plans for the I.S.H. kitchen and plans for a kitchenette in the Directors' apartment have been approved, and everyone is looking forward to a more spacious and really adequate kitchen, which will serve 120 people or about twice the number which the present inadequate kitchen can serve. In the new kitchen, it is planned, will be such impressive - - and badly needed - - additions as an electric dishwashing machine, a new refrigerator and gas range, new dish tables, a utility sink and pre-wash unit, a linen cabinet and a food storage cabinet, a service table and service counter, a hot food warmer, a large coffee-maker, a deep freeze, and a 4-slice Toastmaster. DAVIS HOUSE, Washington, D.C. Hospitality Continues Davis House, now a part of the AFSC International Centers program, continues to perform an important Quaker work in Washington. Guests from many countries spend one or several nights at the House, teas are given for foreign women, and Congressmen and other government officials are frequently entertained. -4- (Image - Map of India and Pakistan) - 5 - INDIA AND PAKISTAN Communal rioting in East and West Bengal this spring brought in its wake great suffering and mass dislocation of minority groups. The Friends Service Unit, operating on both sides of the border, has helped restore confidence to the frightened refugees and aided the government in setting up camps in the disturbed areas. In Pakistan. Unit members in the new center at Dacca administered first-aid to the refugees, prevented looting where possible, and aided in food distribution at a nearby camp. One Unit member who had served in West Punjab camps in 1948 was asked to organize a camp for 2500 Hindu refugees. Cloth, which had been sent to Pakistan several months ago for use in the Unit flood relief program, was distributed to the most destitute of the refugees in the camps and in badly hit village areas. Agatha Harrison, an English Friend, and other members of the Unit have been helping the Y.M.C.A. and the Oxford and Baptist Missions in setting up machinery for the location of missing persons in both areas. Prior to this emergency, the Unit in Dacca had planned some activities in the field of adult education, or in a Government medical program in the area. However they have recently been asked to work with Muslim refugees at a camp to be opened on the outskirts of the city. These refugees have come from India and the work of our people will be to help in the organizational set-up of the camp, give practical assistance where possible, and restore a measure of confidence to these people so that they will feel free to return to their homes in West Bengal. The Unit will continue to assist the Government in its efforts to give confidence to the Hindus to continue living in East Bengal. In India. Across the border, in West Bengal, the Unit gave relief to the Muslims made homeless by the Calcutta riots. In a refugee camp, 25 miles north of the city, Friends helped distribute rice and milk, and aided Health Officers in disinfecting the area. Vaccinations and innoculations were given to prevent epidemics of smallpox and cholera, the constant dread of the camps. Horace Alexander was asked by the Indian and the Pakistani Governments to investigate the facts behind the "incidents"; the role taken by the police, the press, and the Government in restoring peace. It is, of course, very difficult to separate fact from fiction in such an inflammatory situation yet it appears that a comparatively few individuals lost their heads and started a vicious circle of attack and counter attack. However, it is encouraging to report that in many instances the villagers themselves after driving out their neighbors of the minority group, a few days later went to the camps and begged their friends to come back. Many have returned, their possessions have been restored, and their homes rebuilt. Friends have won the trust of the people in both Bengals and are aware of the heavy responsibility placed upon them. The Unit leader writes, "We are being turned to for help in such a way that demands all we have got as human beings." The protection of minority rights would seem to be imperative. It is hoped that adequate steps will be taken to prevent similar tragedies. At this writing, newspaper accounts tell of a meeting between Prime Minister Nehru of India and - 6 - Pakistan Prime Minister Ali Khan to discuss the minority problem and to come to some agreement which will be effective in handling this explosive situation. Pifa-Ragabpur: The population in these villages where the Unit has worked for several years is almost equally divided between Muslims and Hindus. The centres are situated only ten miles from the East Bengal border and there was some fear that there might be repercussions of the communal flare-ups taking place in the vicinity. Peace Committees were set up and meetings held at which local leaders spoke to the villagers, calming their fears and asking for unity. We have had no reports of incidents to date. Annual Exhibit. Despite the disturbances in the surrounding areas, plans for the Annual Exhibition went ahead. No full report has reached us to date of the success of the exhibit, but we know that it included movies on health, agriculture, maternity and child welfare, a display of agricultural products, slides on the treatment of animal diseases by the local Veterinary Officer, and dramas of historical and social significance. Building. The building for the cooperative store and medical cooperative dispensary has been completed at Ragabpur. The medical cooperative is treating 100-125 persons on alternate days. Respiratory maladies and malaria are treated most frequently. Jessups' Visit: Phillip Jessup, the President's Ambassador-at-Large, and his wife, visited the Unit work in Pifa and Ragabpur. They stayed about an hour and a half, looking over the dispensary, library, and maternity sections at Pifa, and stopping for tea at Ragabpur. As one Unit member writes, "To our knowledge, Pifa has never before acquired tourist precedence over Calcutta." Friends Abroad. Stanley Walters and Ingeborg Olden were married on February 18 in Rasulia. . . Donald Groom, Charles Freeman, and Ray Hauserman (the last two were former Unit members) have been helping the Unit during the communal disturbance. . . . Roderick Ede, India-Pakistan Secretary at Friends Service Council, returned in February from his trip to India and Pakistan where he visited Unit projects and other Friends' work on the subcontinent. Late News. Charles Freeman and Flora Navitt will be married in Allahabad late this month. They met in December, 1947, at Kurukahera, the large refugee camp in East Punjab where they were both doing relief work. Friends at Home: Margaret McNees and Ralph Durgin were married on March 25. Margaret has now returned to the International Centers Deak, after a honeymoon in Atlantic City. . . . Mervin and Esther Palmer report that they are still receiving many requests to speak of their experiences in India. Recently Mervin gave three talks in a single week. . . . Allen Longshore, now living in California, recently put in an S.O.S. for film strips to illustrate a talk he was giving on India. . . . Verna and Russ Curtis are editing and printing a weekly paper called "The Current," covering news of the community of Three Rivers, California, an area of small holdings in the mountains. They wrote us a journal-letter of their seven week trip across the continent and we think you will be interested to read excerpts from it: "(We were) met by the Cartwrights in New York, we found them extremely busy in progressive teaching at City and Country. . . . Near Hartford, the Pittengers have a lovely home - - - 7 - Bob is working at the Veterans Administration hospital - in psychiatry, and Barbara as a dietitian in a city hospital . . . . "We thought Pine Mountain, Kentucky, where the Rogers are settled to be the most beautiful spot in America, after Three Rivers, of course. Burton is doing a very significant job there as principal and director of the famous Pine mountain Settlement School. . . . In Chicago, we found Harry Abrahamson busy with his chemicals and Julia hard at work helping on the memoirs of the outstanding lady social worker at International Harvester Comapny. . . . Clem Alexandre was in town and had just taken a publicity job with a publisher of religious and children's books. Marvin Palmer is back in teaching, and Esther is taking one of his classes in Algae so she'll know what it is in all the puddles of the world that he is so interested in. After leaving the Rogers', we called in at the Frontier Nursing Service headquarters where Joan Court is to spend the next year. Besides her midwifery work there she has taken a writing assignment for the British Nursing Journal and will be reporting on hospitals and clinics that she visits. . . . A few miles beyond Joan's place we stopped in at Berea where Norman Fenn teachers. . . . Only a jump ahead of a blizzard we could make only a very brief call on the Moormans in Conway, Missouri. Al is teaching a college in Springfield." The Curtises visited the Wrights in Chicago about whom we reported in the last newsletter. Recent news from Stuart is that he is taking his doctor's preliminaries in May. American Friends Service Committee 20 South 12th Street Philadelphia 7, Pennsylvania Transcribed and reviewed by contributors participating in the By The People project at crowd.loc.gov.