Saint Fined

When a Most Holy Mahatma or Hindu Saint is caught red-handed staging a bonfire of British cloth for propaganda purposes, how stiffly should the Saint be fined?

Emaciated, bandy-legged Mahatma Gandhi is Most Holy. He lives on cold water and Indian leeks. Skinny, always nine-tenths naked, and to Occidentals often ridiculous in appearance, he yet evokes from myriads of Hindus the purest devotion, the blindest obedience Just now Gandhi is crusading afresh for a boycott of British goods. He has ulti-matumed that by 1930 India must be as free as Canada (TIME, Jan. 7) and time is getting short.

Therefore, bonfires! Rip and burn the British cloth!* Scream that no Hindu needs more clothes than a breech clout!

Let each patriot weave his own rags, as the Mahatma does! Boycott the British! Freedom for India!

Last week in Calcutta, where Saint Gandhi had sat in jail 22 days charged with holding one of his "propaganda bonfires," he was finally brought to trial. As the "Biggest Little Man in India" stepped spryly into Court everyone rose, even the Crown Prosecutor, in deference to the Prisoner-Saint.

"I did not desire to break your law!" piped the high-pitched, treble voice of the Mahatma. "The cloth was ours to burn. Always I advocate non-violence."

On the second day of the trial, Saint Gandhi was allowed to remain away from court. Absent, he was fined one rupee (36-c-) which his lawyer refused to pay. As always happens when the Mahatma is fined--and invariably refuses to pay--an unidentified "friend" stepped briskly up and laid down the requisite rupee.

*Purchased, of course, since Saint Gandhi advocates complete, Christ-like non-violence.