Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1912-01-30

in their ordinary life. Many
Americans hearing these facts for
the first time find it hard to reconcile
this view of the Turk with the sto-
ries they have heard Of his cruel and
bloodthirsty nature. How can the
Turks be kind and GENTLE they ask.
when they CONT such barbaric
Deeds"
1t is Just at this point that the Turk
is SO hard to understand. He Is kind
and gentle and of winning personality
yet he is capable Of the utmost
cruelty When his religious fanati-
cism is aroused, or when he Is put
ting down a rebellion he Stays In cold
blood women. and children at the
breast; burns down homes and shoots
the inhabitants as they come forth;
violates women before their own hus-
bands and carries tho best into captiv-
ity. A town thus ravaged leaves lit
tie resemblance to a human dwelling
place.
There are Bulgarians and Armen-
ians living who have gone through
scenes of untold horror. Naturally
they do not love the Turk. Yet the
English and Americans who live
among the Turks do like them-do
come to feel real affection for them.
You may meet pasha who will
captivate you today by his kindness
and winnig personality, and the next
day he may have a prisoner tortured
to death with perfect unfeeling.
Whence these contradictions in his
nature2 The assumption that he Is a
hypocrite-that his kindness is mere
ly put on, Is not an explanation, for
1t is not true.
The explanation lies in this. that
the Turk is still in the middle ages.
He is only halfway up from savagery.
Like all orientals, he holds life and
suffering as of little Importance. This
indifference to physical pain is char
actertstic of the east.
The oriental does not differ in ma
ture from the occidental. We who
inherit and receive from our environ
ment an exquisitive senstiveness to
the sufferings of others, leading us to
establish hospitals, care for the suf-
fering and do away with all forms of
cruelty, must not be harsh in our
Judgment of our eastern brothers.
1t is only few centuries ago that
we, too, held life and suffering in lit.
tie value We hung men for stealing,
we quartered them for differing with
us in political opinions, we burnt them
at the stake in order to save their
souls. An offensc to prince meant
more than ostracism from his society
1t meant sudden removal from
this world. A grim AEGEAN age of
bloodshed and horrors. of cruelty and
torture, gone never to return. We
have risen above it-from the dark
age of Europe 10 the enlightenment
of the twentieth century.
When Christianity Was Cruel.
Yet even within two or three CEN
turtles we could have found in England
the prototype of the modern Turk
the cultured English gentleman, the
kindly, dignified merchant who could
witness with calmness torture, execu-
ton, burning at the stake. That it is
not Christianity alone which has
produced this twentieth century gen
tleness, the religious tortures OF the
middle ages bear witness.
Yet this much has been gained
that physical gentleness and kindness
holds sway In the twentieth century.
and we do not have to fear the racks.
the sword. or the stake A difference
Of opinion does not necessarily mean
death, or even Imprisonment. Our
feudal lords may exact revenue from
us in the price Of oil, beef. wool and
other commodities Of life. but they
have no direct power over our per
sons. The highest gentleman in the
land may not wilfully strike the
meanest servant.
The nriout IN still IN fho dcpk 900