The Ashram,
Sabarmati,
April 6, 1928
Dear friend,
I have your letter. I do not perform any miracles nor do I believe in miracles. I would advise you to be content with what God gives you bearing in mind that there are many who are in a worse plight than you are. And, after all, physical blindness is not half as bad as moral blindness. And, whilst we have no positive control over physical infirmities, we have over the moral infirmities. If, therefore, there is any such thing as miracle, it should be attempted after one's moral welfare.
Yours sincerely,
Charlie U. Morselow Esq.
P.O. Box 123, Waterloo
New York
MURPHY, CARL
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[Mr. Murphy (1889-1967), President of Afro-American Newspapers, Inc., publishers of the Baltimore Afro-American, wrote to Gandhiji that the book Mahatma Gandhi's Ideas by C.F. Andrews, published in the United States, gave the impression that Gandhiji approved certain anti-social practices in Western
civilisation, particularly the prohibition of inter-dining and inter-marriage of coloured and white people. Mr. Murphy also asked Gandhiji if he had refused to visit the United States because of the colour bar.119]
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As at Wardha,
India (C.P.)
7th May, 1934
Dear friend,
I fear that either Rev. Andrews has misunderstood me or you have misread his writing. Caste as a trade guild has not been a harmful institution in India. Caste as an offspring of untouchability is a most harmful institution. Either it has to go or Hinduism has to die.
But I have said that inter-dining and inter-marrying are not necessary factors in the removal of
untouchability. Inter-dining means much more than sharing a restaurant or hotel in common with others. Inter-dining that I have in mind means entry into one's kitchen. That undoubtedly is a matter of individual choice. Prohibition against other people eating in public restaurants and hotels and prohibition of marriage between coloured people and white people I hold to be a negation of
civilisation.
It is wrong to say that I have refused to visit the United States because of the colour bar.
I hope that I have answered all the questions you have raised.
Yours sincerely,
M.K. Gandhi
Carl Murphy Esq.,
President,
The Afro-American Co.
628 N. Street,
Baltimore
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