India, Jan. 25 -- Before I ever met Gandhiji, Mrs Annie Besant, who was then staying at The Yarrows in Simla with the Law Member of the Viceroy's Executive Council, Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru, described him to me as a philosophical anarchist. She did not approve of him at that period because of his non-co-operation campaign, although he himself had called it off after the terrible happenings at Chauri Chaura.

These words, coming from one who had known him from his early years in London, may have influenced me at the time, but later on I was, like most people, greatly impressed by his statement at the trial and the account of the proceedings, which did honour both to Gandhiji and to the Judge who tried him, Mr Justice Broomfield. But I did not...