Page:The Life of Lokamanya Tilak.djvu/284

 for England, there were many well-meaning persons who had expressed their doubt as to whether, Mr. Tilak had at that advanced age the necessary elasticity of spirit to do the difificult and delicate work undertaken by him. They admired Mr. Tilak's ability but evidently thought that " an oak can't be transplanted at sixty." But by his adroitness in dealing with men and affairs, Mr. Tilak fully proved that though his body was old, his heart was ever young.

The spadework done by Mr. Joseph Baptista since August 1917 was of invaluable use to Mr. Tilak. At the Labour Party Conference at Nottingham (Jan. 23rd 1918) the Party had pledged itself to assist {India) in every possible way in her efforts to win Home Rule. Mr. Tilak cultivated the friendship of Labour leaders and the confidence they placed in him and the Congress Deputation was so great, that they agreed to move in Parliament amendments to the Government of India Bill in spite of Mrs. Besant's best endeavours to dissuade them from so doing. His alliance with the Labour party was of great use to the party itself especially in its efforts to bring out the Herald as a daily paper.

At the same time, Mr. Tilak did not neglect whatever aid and co-operation he could derive from the moribund Liberal Party.

It was Mr. Tilak 's earnest desire to bring about perfect unanimity amongst all the important deputations, then in England. He believed in unity more than in any other thing and tried his best to win over Mrs, Besant and the Moderate leaders. He appealed to Mrs. Besant to forget all the bitterness of the Delhi Congress