Bombay, Mar. 12.
The opening day of the civil obedience campaign wound wp with 'a mass meeting on the esplanade in. the evening.
The speakers included Dr. Herbert Miller, a protestor of sociology, of Ohio, who is touring in India is wife. Professor Miller said that ash ram at daybreak nee the start of the march.
Gandhi, after his morni ers, bade' farewell to the sick ters of the ash ram, where 14 of smallpox, all the victims being children, occurred last week. Three of the children have since died, but the others are recovering The inmates of the ash ram total 160.
Gandhi is now at the head of a pioneer party of 79 civil disobedience Volunteers, who are matching three abreast. Bach of them is carry staff and a kit-bag_ con Absolute necessities.
The party is preceded by an advance-guard of 16 students. from Gandhi's. "National University" in the Gujerat, all with saffron marks on; their forchends—signs regarded by the Hindus as being auspicious.
Hundreds of people marched the wake of the procession. The Police confined themselves to controlling traffic and. there was. disorder.
Flags and foliage are decorating several places on the route of the marchers, who to-day forded the Sabarmati River in true pioneer style.
Gandhi's procession of obedience volunteers was considerably thinned when they passed the Ahmedabad boundary, the bulk of the escort returning to their homes.
The marchers reached Aslali at 10.30 this morning and were recel by a hundred villagers with flags, garlands and Mahatma Gandhi gave his "message of salt" to Aslali and the neighbouring villages at a meeting in Aslali this evening.
He said the salt tax was collected stealthily and therefore amounted to theft. For the removal of the salt tax they must, he declared, be prepared for the worst, even food death.
Gandhi said that' the Government had arrested. Vallabhai. Patel for his intention to address a. public' meeting, and added "let-the Government the world was keenly watching Gandhi's novel experiment which was characteristic of the history of India. It was, he bringing re-Higion to the' solution of political problems and the success of the movement would be India's greatest contribution to human affairs.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.