§ 10. Captain Viscount CURZONasked the Secretary of State for India whether, as an individual called Gandhi has stated publicly that the Viceroy of India is probably sympathetic to the non-co-opera- 1665 tion movement, he can now give any account of the matter discussed at the recent interview with the individual alluded to?
§ Mr. MONTAGUI have seen no such statement. It is difficult to believe it was ever made and impossible to believe that anyone would believe it if made. The answer to the last part of the question is that I have nothing to add to the answer I gave last week.
§ Viscount CURZONIn view of the fact that there is in most of the English Press accounts of these interviews, could the right hon. Gentleman not possibly give some authoritative account of the discussions that actually took place so as to put an end to the rumours?
§ Mr. MONTAGUI do not think so. When the Governor-General accords an interview for informal discussion, it is not customary to keep a record or publish an account of what takes place. As I have said, if His Excellency desires to publish any account of these discussions he will do so.
§ Viscount CURZONHas the right hon. Gentleman not noticed that the man alluded to is now going about giving what purports to be an account of these interviews, and would it not be much better to state exactly what did take place than allow the account to be one-sided and come from unofficial sources?
§ Mr. MONTAGUI do not know to what the Noble Lord refers. On the contrary, I have heard that Mr. Gandhi is honourably fulfilling the conditions under which these private interviews took place.