er for the Jallianwalla Bagh massacre. The
latter merely destroyed a few bodies but the others tried to kill the
soul of a nation. Who ever talks of Col. Frank Johnson who was by far
the worst offender? He terrorised guiltless Lahore, and by his merciless
orders set the tone to the whole of the Martial Law officers. But what I
am concerned with is not even Col. Johnson. The first business of the
people of the Punjab and of India is to rid the service of Col O'Brien,
Mr. Bosworth Smith, Rai Shri Ram and Mr. Malik Khan. They are still
retained in the service. Their guilt is as much proved as that of
General Dyer. We shall have failed in our duty if the condemnation
pronounced upon General Dyer produces a sense of satisfaction and the
obvious duty of purging the administration in the Punjab is neglected.
That task will not be performed by platform rhetoric or resolutions
merely. Stern action is required on out part if we are to make any
headway with ourselves and make any impression upon the officials that
they are not to consider themselves as masters of the people but as
their trusties and servants who cannot hold office if they misbehave
themselves and prove unworthy of the trust reposed in them.

THE PUNJAB SENTENCES

The commissioners appointed by the Congress Punjab Sub Committee have in
their report accused His Excellency the Viceroy of criminal want of
imagination. His Excellency's refusal to commute two death sentences out
of five is a fine illustration of the accusation. The rejection of the
appeal by the Privy Council no more proves the guilt of the condemned
than their innocence would have been proved by quashing the proceedings
before the Martial Law Tribunal. Moreover, these cases clearly come
under the Royal Proclamation in accordance with its interpretation by
the Punjab Government. The murders in Amritsar were not due to any
private quarrel between the murderers and their victims. The offence
grave, though it was, was purely political and committed under
excitement. More than full reparation has been taken for the murders and
arson. In the circumstances commonsense dictates reduction of the death
sentences. The popular belief favours the view that the condemned men
are innocent and have not had a fair trial. The execution has been so
long delayed that hanging at this stage would give a rude shock to
Indian society. Any Viceroy with imagination would have at once
announced commutation of the death senten