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Deputation of the Moderate Party to England, 1919

Importance of the occasion—the Joint Committee—the Indian witnesses—necessity for responsibility in the Central Government—Diarchy—reflex action of Punjab Government—other activities in London.

In due time the Report of the Franchise Committee was published; and we now applied ourselves to the task of organizing a deputation of the Moderate party to England. I had urged it a few months before, in my address as President of the first Moderate Conference. It was a supreme moment in the history of the Reforms. There were the enemies of Indian advancement like Lord Sydenham and others; there were the Indian Extremists playing into their hands; there were our own party, who were not satisfied with the Reforms and who wanted more. The whole atmosphere was charged with difference and discord. We felt it our clear duty to send a strong contingent to England, to support the Reforms so far as they were acceptable, and to press for their expansion where we thought necessary. I was the head of the Deputation; and among its members were Mr. Shastri, Mr. Samarth, Mr. Chintamani, Mr. Kamat, Mr. P. C. Roy, Mr. Chambers, Mr. Ram Chunder Rao, and Mr. K. C. Roy of the Associated Press. Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru joined us later. Mr. Samarth was the first to arrive in England. It is worthy of note that the Extremist party also had their Deputation. Mr. Patel was a member of the Congress Deputation. Mr. Tilak was in England in connexion with his case against Sir Valentine Chirol and he gave his evidence before the Joint Committee. Before he was examined as a witness, he had an interview with Mr. Montagu, and his extreme views with regard to the Reforms had already undergone a sensible modification in the light of his new surroundings. We had several Conferences with the Labour leaders, including Col. Wedgwood, lately a member of the Labour Government. They were all organized by Mrs. Besant, who was in close touch with them. She no longer held that the Reforms were 'unacceptable' or 'unworthy to be looked at. Between her views and ours there was general agreement, and she was a tower of strength to us in London. There was an afternoon party at Lady

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