He seems to think that the article he has
objected to was the only thing I have ever written on General Dyer. He
does not seem to know that I have endeavoured with the utmost
impartiality to examine the Jallianwala massacre. And he can see any day
all the proof adduced by my fellow-commissioners and myself in support
of our findings on the massacre. The ordinary readers of 'Young India'
knew all the facts and therefore it was unnecessary for me to support my
assertion otherwise. But unfortunately Mr. Pennington represents the
typical Englishman. He does not want to be unjust, nevertheless he is
rarely just in his appreciation of world events because he has no time
to study them except cursorily and that through a press whose business
is to air only party views. The average Englishman therefore except in
parochial matters is perhaps the least informed though he claims to be
well-informed about every variety of interest. Mr. Pennington's
ignorance is thus typical of the others and affords the best reason for
securing control of our own affairs in our own hands. Ability will come
with use and not by waiting to be trained by those whose natural
interest is to prolong the period of tutelage as much as possible.

But to return to Mr. Pennington's letter he complains that there has
been no 'proper trial of any one.' The fault is not ours. India has
consistently and insistently demanded a trial of all the officers
concerned in the crimes against the Punjab.

He next objects to be 'violence' of my language. If truth is violent, I
plead guilty to the charge of violence of language. But I could not,
without doing violence to truth, refrain from using the language, I
have, regarding General Dyer's action. It has been proved out of his own
mouth or hostile witnesses:

(1) That the crowd was unarmed.

(2) That it contained children.

(3) That the 13th was the day of Vaisakhi fair.

(4) That thousands had come to the fair.

(5) That there was no rebellion.

(6) That during the intervening two days before the 'massacre' there was
peace in Amritsar.

(7) That the proclamation of the meeting was made the same day as
General Dyer's proclamation.

(8) That General Dyer's proclamation prohibited not meetings but
processions or gatherings of four men on the streets and not in private
or public places.

(9) That General Dyer ran no risk whether outside or inside the city.

(10) That he admitted himself that many in the crowd di