LABOUR IN MADRAS 39 To the above letter Mr. C. P. Ramaswami Aiyar as Mr. Wadia's Vakil Bent the following answer: To Mebet8. Brightwell and Moresby, Madras. Dear Sirs, Your letter to Mr. B.P. Wadia, dated the 24th July 1918, bas been waced in my harde by bim with instructions to reply there. to as follows: I am instructed to state that of the two statements in his 8 peech to which you draw attention, the latter statement has no reference to the Buckingham and Carnatic Mills Co., and was not intended to refer to them. If, however, your clients consider that the statement conveyed any imputation against them, by client desired me to say that no soob impuation was intended to be made by him and that he unconditopally withdraws the game. As regards the first statement, my client, in the honest and bona fide belief in the information supplied to him by the labourers (who said that they themselves had suffered) which he believed to bo true. made the statement in public interest and tbat too in answer to an attaok on bim in the prese. It was not at all intended or meant to defame your clients. As your clients take exception to the statement as defa matory of them, my client feels sorry that his rencarks should bave been so interpreted and there. fore hereby nu oonditionally withdrawe the statement. I am forwarding for publication to New India, Indian Patriot and the Madras Mail your letter to my client and his reply there Yours faithfully, C. P. RAMASWAMI AIYAR. On the above correspondence the following note written by Mrs. Apnie Besant appeared, entitled "Not on side issues," in New India. July 31st 1918. " It is right tbat I pbould say that the responsibility for the apology of my onlleague Mr. B. P. Wadia, rests on me. In the great struggle for Indian Freedom, we cannot spare our bravest soldiers from the battle-front except for the sake of that Freedom to.
