titution I
am conducting in Ahmedabad as the finest thing in the world. It alone
gives me sufficient inspiration. Critics tell me that it represents a
soulless soul-force and that its severe discipline has made it merely
mechanical. I suppose both--the critics and I--are wrong. It is, at
best, a humble attempt to place at the disposal of the nation a home
where men and women may have scope for free and unfettered development
of character, in keeping with the national genius, and, if its
controllers do not take care, the discipline that is the foundation of
character may frustrate the very end in view. I would venture,
therefore, to warn enthusiasts in co-operation against entertaining
false hopes.

With Sir Daniel Hamilton it has become a religion. On the 13th January
last, he addressed the students of the Scottish Churches College and,
in order to point a moral, he instanced Scotland's poverty of two
hundred years ago and showed how that great country was raised from a
condition of poverty to plenty. "There were two powers, which raised
her--the Scottish Church and the Scottish banks. The Church manufactured
the men and the banks manufactured the money to give the men a start in
life.... The Church disciplined the nation in the fear of God which is
the beginning of wisdom and in the parish schools of the Church the
children learned that the chief end of man's life was to glorify God and
to enjoy Him for ever. Men were trained to believe in God and in
themselves, and on the trustworthy character so created the Scottish
banking system was built." Sir Daniel then shows that it was possible to
build up the marvellous Scottish banking system only on the character so
built. So far there can only be perfect agreement with Sir Daniel, for
that 'without character there is no co-operation' is a sound maxim. But
he would have us go much further. He thus waxes eloquent on
co-operation: "Whatever may be your daydreams of India's future, never
forget this that it is to weld India into one, and so enable her to take
her rightful place in the world, that the British Government is here;
and the welding hammer in the hand of the Government is the co-operative
movement." In his opinion it is the panacea of all the evils that
afflict India at the present moment. In its extended sense it can
justify the claim on one condition which need not be mentioned here; in
the limited sense in which Sir Daniel has used it, I venture to think,
it is