the “Times” says.  It even resorts to a falsehood.  It audaciously says that Lord Milner’s Mission listened to the Egyptians only when they were ready to lift the boycott of the Egyptian Council.  For me the only training in Swaraj we need is the ability to defend ourselves against the whole world and to live our natural life in perfect freedom even though it may be full of defects.  Good Government is no substitute for self-Government.  The Afghans have a bad Government but it is self-Government.  I envy them.  The Japanese learnt the art through a sea of blood.  And if we to-day had the power to drive out the English by superior brute force, we would be counted their superiors, and in spite of our inexperience in debating at the Council table or in holding executive offices, we would be held fit to govern ourselves.  For brute force is the only test the west has hitherto recognised.  The Germans were defeated not because they were necessarily in the wrong, but because the allied Powers were found to possess greater brute strength.  In the end therefore India must either learn the art of war which the British will not teach her or, she must follow her own way of discipline and self-sacrifice through non-co-operation.  It is as amazing as it is humiliating that less than one hundred-thousand white men should be able to rule three hundred and fifteen million Indians.  They do so somewhat undoubtedly by force, but more by securing our co-operation in a thousand ways and making us more and more helpless and dependent on them as time goes forward.  Let us not mistake reformed councils, more lawcourts and even governorships for real freedom or power.  They are but subtler methods of emasculation.  The British cannot rule us by mere force.  And so they resort to all means, honourable and dishonourable, in order to retain their hold on India.  They want India’s billions and they want India’s man power for their imperialistic greed.  If we refuse to supply them with men and money, we achieve our goal, namely, Swaraj, equality, manliness.

The cup of our humiliation was filled during the closing scenes in the Viceregal Council.  Mr. Shustri could not move his resolution on the Punjab.  The Indian victims of Jullianwala received Rs. 1,250, the English victims of mob-frenzy received lakhs.  The officials who were guilty of crimes against those whose servants they were, were reprimanded.  And the councillors were satisfied.  If India were powerful, India would not have stood this addition of insult, to her injury.

I do not blame the British.  If we were weak in numbers as they are, we too would perhaps have resorted to the same methods as they are now employing.  Terrorism and deception are weapons not of the strong but of the weak.  The British are weak in numbers we are weak in spite of our numbers.  The result is that each is dragging the other down.  It is common experience that Englishmen lose in character after residence in India and that Indians lose in courage and manliness by contact with Englishmen.  This process of weakening is good neither for us, two nations, nor for the world.