The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-05-30
MONDAY. MAY 90, 1904.
WHAT IS CIVILIZATION.

This is a large question to ask. We are not going to attempt an. answer except to say it seems to us that as The struggle in the East progresses Ja- pan Is proving herself a conspicuous believer in and practitioner of the arts or civilized warfare and Russia is showing herself to be indifferent utter 2 Iy to the requirements of humanity. Russia was much engaged in prayer at the beginning of hostilities and in these prayers protection and favor were asked against the yellow barbar- ians who had dared challenge the great White czar. the head of the Orthodox Greek Church. It looked at one time as if the Russians were going to fight their battles on their knees in prayer so shocked, humiliated and detected were they at the sight of yellow heath ems unacquainted with the devout usages cf civilized, mankind. ohterihg Themselves in serried array Co do bat tie. It is true the first blow was struck while. the Russians were dancing, but a slight circumstance like this will not compel us to abate one jot or tittle in our contention that the Russians off, fered thePselves to the view of the world and asked the worlds judgment on themselves as devout people on whom reckless. constituencies, barbaric heathens were waging war.
 We have felt sure that since there is only a thin veneer of civilization in Russia and this confined to the larger cities that in severe triai such as has come upon the country in the con- test now raging, her essentially .sav- age Instincts would come to the sur- face and be revealed. Yet we were hardly prepared to expect so gross a disregard of all the proprieties of civ ilized intercourse among nations as has been shown by Russia in boosting bombs to float in neutral waters. This barbar- ity makes us gasp and stare. Where is 1t to end? If Russia can release these engines of destruction in the adjacent seAs open to the innocent commerce of neutrals on the mere. chance of catch ing a Japanese warship and sending it, to the bottom of the sea, why may she not with equal propriety cover the YelloE and China seas with bombs? She has not the power to place them there. but she is entirely willing, ap- parentIy, to risk the destruction Of any number of shirs and any number of lives of seamen serving neutral nations if by an odd stroke Japan may be made to suffer. It is now announced Russia will spread her bombs and look to the powers to patch up an arrange ment after the war by which the useI of these shall be regulated in future wars. We apprehend Russia will not have to walt until hostiIities have come to an end between her and Japan be- fore she learns once and for all that wars are not to be prosecuted in so barbaric way. War is hell. as sher- man said but it is not the sort of hell happily, where among civilized races. soldiers are encouraged to butcher wo- men, murder children, poison wells and hire assassins. Dispatching floating bombs upon the high seas savers of the darkest and most despicable practices of the East and Russia will .assuredly be warned against the consequences of 60 monstrous and wicked course. We speak of Eastern practices. But Japan has behaved with admirable correct ness. Can 1t be Russia in despair is seeking fo4force outside interference?
 
 Under the heading, Alabama Press" inc esteemed Chattanooga Times copies Items from The New Orleans Pic ayune and The Arkansas Gazette. Old Alabama is surely reaching ont