THE SOLOMON COMMISSION
While Mr. Gandhi and his compatriots were surfering in jail, his countrymen in India, under the guidance of Mr. Gokhale, continued to render all possible assistance to keep up the firm attitude of the South African Indians. Money was raised in thousands for the help of the distressed in South Africa. And in December, 1913, Lord Hardinge’s famous speech in Madras opened the eyes of the Imperial Government to the gravity of the situation created by the Union Government. Soon after a Royal Commission to enquire into the condition of Indians in South Africa was appointed. In view of the forthcoming Commission‘s enquiry, Mr. Gandhi and his colleagues were released from prison. Soon after release Mr. Gandhi made the following statement:—
We were discharged unconditionally on the 18th instant, on the recommendation of the Commission. We were not told at the time of our relief why we were being relieved. It is not true that after relief we went to Pretoria to see the Ministers. Knowing as we do the feelings of Mr. Easelen, and Colonel Wylie towards Indians, it is impossible for us not to feel strongly that the Commission has not been appointed to give us fairplay, but it is a packed body and intended to hoodwink the Government and the public both in England and in India. The Chairman’s integrity and impartiality is undoubted, but Mr. Esselen and Colonel Wylie are well known and admitted generally to be amongst the strongest and most violent opponents of Indians in South Africa Mr. Esselen has emphatically declared from the public platform on many occasions extreme anti-Asiatic views and is so intimately related politically to the Union
