845.00/1864: Telegram
The Consul at Bombay (Donovan) to the Secretary of State
[Received 10:59 a.m.]
173. From Phillips. “During my stay in Bombay I have been meeting many Indian leaders who have presented their views with regard to the present political deadlock, a conference of important Congress supporters is taking place in Bombay at which a resolution was passed yesterday afternoon addressed to the Viceroy requesting permission for a small group to visit Gandhi. Rajagopalachari will probably carry the resolution personally to the Viceroy within a few days. It appears that during the fast Rajagopalachari was permitted to see Gandhi. During their conversation Gandhi expressed his emphatic disapproval of all violence and sabotage and denies that the Congress Party had authorized it. The proposed resolution is an effort to obtain from Gandhi a more formal assurance to the same effect which would then be communicated to the Viceroy in the hope that the deadlock might thus be broken and a way opened for negotiations.
Rajagopalachari who has given me the above information fears that the Viceroy will give the resolution little consideration; he believes that the better course would be for the Government to release Gandhi without further delay but he is willing, nevertheless, to go to Delhi for this purpose and in view of what he has learned in private conversation from Gandhi he realizes that it is only the first step in an effort to find a way out of the immediate difficulties.
In view of the rigid position which the Viceroy has maintained in the past there is, in fact, some danger that he may not permit any contact from the outside with Gandhi and in my opinion this would be unfortunate and would only aggravate the present situation and the general antagonism to the British.
In the circumstances I wonder whether you could informally suggest to the British Government the inadvisability of rejecting this plea.”