Charlevoix county herald., 1912-01-20

Mu likeable than the Turks. Tney
are kindly. honest and gener-
ous-hearted. They are gentle
in their ordinary life. Many
Americans hearing these facts for
the first time find 1t hard to reconciie
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 comit such barbaric
deeds"
II is Just at this point that the Turk
is so hard to understand. he Is klno
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 slays 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-
hands and carries the best into captiv-
ity. A town thus ravaged leaves lit
tie resemblance to human dwelling
place.
There are Bulgarians and Armen'
fans 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
ht kin6naQC
and winnig personality, and the next
day he may have prisoner tortured
to death with perfect unfeeling.
Whence these contradictions in his
nature? The assumption that he Is
hypocrite-that his kindness is mere
ly nut on. Is not an explanation. for
II 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
acteristic 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 sensitiveness to
the sufferings of others, leading us tc
establish hospitals. care for the suf
fering and do away with all forms oi
cruelty, must not be harsh In our
Judgment of our eastern brothers.
II is only a few centuries ago that
we. too. held life and suffering In lit
tie value We hung men for stealing
we uuartered them for differing with
us in political OF MONS, we burnt them
at the stake in order to save Their
souls. Ar offense to a prince meant
more than ostracism from his society
1T meant a sudden removal from
this world. A grim age-an age o.
bloodshed and horrors. OF cruelty anC
torture. gone never to return. W.
have risen above it-from the darl
age OF Europe to the enlightenment
of the twentieth century.
When Christianity Was Cruel.
Yet even within two or three cen
turtles we could have found I'm Englant
the prototype of the modern Turk
the cultured English gentleman, tn,
kindly, dignified merchant. who coult
witness with calmness torture. execu
ton. burning at the stake. That It q
not Christianity alone which ha
produced this twentieth century gen
tleness. the religious tortures of tn
middle ages bear witness.
Yet this much has been gained
that physical gentleness and kindnes
holds sway In the twentieth century
and we do not have to fear the racks
the sword. or the stake. differenc
Of opinion does not necessarily mea
death. or even Imprisonment Gu
eudai lords may exact revenue fror
Is in the price Of oil. beef. wool an
,ther commodities of life. but the
ave no direct power over our pc
ons. The highest gentleman in tn
and may not wilfully strike tn
neanest servant.
The orient Ii still In the dark az