Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-07-30
BITS OF ToLsToY PHILOSOPHY

What Tolstoy thinks OF war In gem
eral and the present conflict particu-
larly, that philosopher sets forth In
long article in the London Times. This
is the way he puts 1t, and the wonder
is that he is not accorded a crown OF
martyrdom for his utterances;
"In order not to let the japanese into
Manchura and to expel them from
Korea, mot 10, 900, but fifty and more
thousands Will, according 10 all prob
ability, be necessary, | do not know
whether Nicholas IL, and Kuropatkln
say like Dibitch In so many words that
not more than $4,000 lives VIII be neces-
sary for this on the Russian side alone,
only and only that but they think II,
they can not but think II, because the
work they are doing speaks for itself;
that ceaseless stream OF unfortunate
deluded Russian peasants now being
TRANSPORTED by thousands to the Far
East-these are those same--not more
than $4,000 live Russian men whom
Nicholas Romanoif and Alexis Kuro-
patlkin have decided they may get killed
and who viii be killed IN support OF
those stupidities, robberies, and every
KIND of ahomination which were ac-
ccmplished In China and Korea by I'M
gn0ral, ambitious men now sittlnB
peacefully IN their palaces and expect,
ing new glory and new advantage and
profit from the slaughter OF these 3D.
600 unfortunate defrauded Russian
workingmen guilty OF nothing and
raining nothing by their suferlngs and
death. For other peoples land, to which
the Russians have no right which mas
been criminally seized from It's lesit-
mate owners, and which In reality IL
not even necessary to the Russians
and also for certain dark dealings by
speculators, who I'm Korea, wished TO
gain money out Of other peoples for
osts--many millions of money are spent
i e., a great part of the labor OF the
whole Of the Russian people, while the
future generations OF this people are
bound by debts It's best workmen are
withdrawn from labor, and scores or
thousands of It's sons are mercilessly
doomed 10 death. And the destruction
Of these unfortunate men Is already
begun
He also asks this pertinent question:
1T is comprehensive that heather,
n Greek. a Roman, even a medieval
christian ignorant of the gospel, and
bllndly believing ell the prescriptions
of the church, might fight and, fight
ing. pride himself on his military
achievements; but how can a believing
Christian. or even skeptlc, involuntar-
ily permeated by the Christian Ideals OF
human brotherhood and love which
have inspired the works Of the philoso-
piers, morallsts, and artists Of our
time. how can such take gun,or stand
by cannon. and aim at crowd or
his fellow men, desiring to Kill as many
Of them as possible?'
There is only one answer possible to
this question, and that is this that
those who engage in war for selfish
purposes are not true Christians, True
Christianity would make the nations
love one another; IT would make them
promote the interests OF one another.
TO the extent that rivalry, hatred, self
shness prevailto that extent pasanlsm
and barbarlsm rule, Profession OF
dying and the thunders OF cannon is
Christianity amidst the groans OF the
rank hypocrisy, that may deceive man,
but never God.