(Carbon copy of A3/31/1.)
(Carbon copy of A3/31/1.)
(Official.) A3/34/3 has caused his Government surprise and concern. Asks if the telegram was issued by order of the Cabinet, and protests against the implication that they have not realised the gravity of the situation. They had presumed that their policy had the full con-currence of Cabinet, particularly the letter of 24 November, and object to the implication that their determination to join issue vigorously with the non-co-operation movement dates only from the communiqué of the 6th. Remarks further in justification of their actions.
(Leaf from a larger document.)
Expresses disapproval of the Viceroy’s decision to postpone Gandhi’s arrest.
(Carbon copy.)
Treasury Chambers, Whitehall, S.W.1.—Asks Montagu to become his Assistant Private Secretary in the House of Commons.
State Government House, Melbourne.—Congratulates him on his appointment to the Treasury, and suggests he may be able to restrain the Chancellor [Lloyd George’s] rhetoric. The news from England is unreliable. He has not yet faced any difficult problems, having been mainly engaged in releasing husbands who have been jailed for failing to maintain their wives, and deciding whether to return a visit by the Admiral in person. He likes the country and its inhabitants, and is shortly to make a tour of the country districts. The party that disapproves of imported governors is less strong in his state than others, and its leaders have not been offensive to him. Asks Montagu to write, if possible.
18 Mansfield Street, Portland Place, W.—Thanks him for his congratulations [on her engagement]. Hopes he will dine with them again soon, to meet Eric.
On 8 April Horniman published a passive resistance manifesto in the [Bombay] Chronicle. Gandhi was arrested in the Punjab, taken to Bombay, and ordered to remain in that Presidency. A serious riot at Ahmedabad resulted on the same day. On the 11th a large mob attacked and burnt the telegraph office and several other Government buildings, and injured the power house. On the 12th the Inspector General of Police and the Commissioner arrived with a military force, order was restored, and the city remains strongly picketed. Telegraphic communication has been restored. The casualties so far reported at Ahmedabad are one European sergeant and an Indian constable killed, and about 250 rioters killed or wounded. On the 12th a mob at Virangam attacked and burnt the railway station, and are reported also to have burnt Government buildings and stocks of famine grass. An Indian revenue official was murdered and telegraph communication was severed. On the same day two British officers and 200 Indian troops were dispatched from Ahmedabad to restore order. A telegraph and railway party also left to reopen communications. Order has now been restored at Virangam. On the 11th there was rioting at Bombay, but no casualties occurred. The city is now quiet. Gandhi arrived on the 11th and addressed a meeting, making an appeal against violence. He was allowed to go to Ahmedabad the next day. Military forces have been sent to various places in Gujarat where disturbances may be expected. Anticipating that Gandhi’s arrest would lead to disturbance, Lloyd decided to make no prominent arrests till military precautions had been taken in areas where disorder might arise. But immediately he heard of Gandhi’s arrest he made dispositions for maintaining order in Bombay and arranged a meeting with the Viceroy. On his way up, news of Ahmedabad came, and he and the Viceroy decided to leave Gandhi at liberty for the present but to deport Horniman and certain other leaders. Arrangements are being made to do so, but he is having trouble with Sir Ibrahim on this point, and may have to defer action for two or three days, as he does not want to risk the resignation of a Moslem member of the Council. Though he has been very patient, he cannot allow the open advocacy of law-breaking to continue. Opposition to the Rowlatt Bills is a pretext for a carefully planned revolution, of which Gandhi is a tool, not a principal. Mob violence has so far been directed against telegraphs and railways, and the attacks on Virangam show design, in as much as the seizure of that place cuts off all communications with Kathiawar.
(Carbon copy.)
Sidney Sussex. Has taken BD degree and was voted a University Preacher and a judge for Greek and Latin Ode prizes, method of allotting University Preachers, encourages his brother Weeden to attempt prize poems.
Items 76-93, 95-96, 98, 100-109, 111-140 are copy letters; the originals are not in the collection. An incomplete collection of duplicates of these copy letters may be found at M5/1/141.
Advice to N M Butler as a monitor, encourages him to visit the school library, only two Classical candidates for fellowships.
Windsor Castle: Sends condolences on the death of Gordon Butler on behalf of the King.