"To what do you attribute this fall of prestige?" I asked.
"The thing started with the Russo-Japanese War when an Asiatic Power defeated a European Power} and all Asiatic nations felt that they were as good as Japan and therefore quite as good, if not better, than the European states. The Great War further contributed to our loss of prestige. For five long years we wrangled and fought and contested with each other and, unfortunately, it is not yet over. 'The backward nations saw all our weak points, our mistakes and naturally took' advantage of their opportunities. A magnificent tribute must, however, be, 'Paid to the assistance which was' given to the Allies by the Asiatic and African colonies and subject states. But after the war, things changed, The most backward nation {regarded itself as an equal with the most important of European Powers, They wanted to govern themselves even when their independence could not last long and was obviously running against thir own interests. They conducted strikes and boycott and to forth, but most of their movements failed because, in each given country, the people' are not even! ble to agree amongst thmselve: fanting They Known Not What "Take India for instance. Ghandi one of the noblest and most] spiritual human beings I have ever met. At first I thought he was a fake, but after visiting him, T was deeply impressed with his intense cerity and. psychological insight, But what is the use? The man h Ino definite programme. Of course, his followers think that he has a gramme, but he hasn't, derstand' such things. He says that Swaraj will come before he dies, Dut it won't, causes. against two problems. which it may. take centuries to rottle: the antagonien between Moslems and Hindus and caste,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.