[Miss Ashbrook of Coward-McCann, publishers in New York, wrote to Gandhiji on September 6, 1928, that they were publishing Understanding India by Gertrude Marvin Williams. Mrs. Williams, who attended the Belgaum session of the Indian National Congress (1924) where she was introduced to Gandhiji, tried to give "a truthful, unbiased picture of India." Miss Ashbrook requested a statement about the book from Gandhiji as that would "help greatly in bringing the book to the attention of intelligent, thinking people."¹⁵]

Dear friend,
I have your letter for which I thank you. I have also the book by Mrs. Williams. As soon as I can get the time, I shall read the book and let you have my opinion. But I am so overwhelmed with work that I do not know when I shall get the time to read the book.

Yours sincerely,

Harriet Ashbrook
Coward McCann,
425 Fourth Avenue,
New York