Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-05-17
HUNNISH BARBARITY
This idea OF War Gets Them No
Gain.
even TURKS ARE OUT OF SYMPATHY
Mohammedans Of India Are More
Civilized Than Tho Germans, And
They Cannot Be Tempted To Swap
British Rule For German kulter.

ihey Sannot BE tempted To Swap
British Rule For German kulter.
Bombarding Rheims Cathedral by
the Germans did more than destroy
this sacred old treasure house Of wor-
ship and beauty. More than anything
else. 1t shattered the possibility Of a
Holy War OF all Mohammedans. unit
ed under Germans ally, Turkey
against the Christians. upon which the
kaiser had pinned his hopes.
Bishop Warne who had been a
Methodist missionary In India for 80
years, returning to New York a few
days ago In connection with the Gen.
tenary celebration Of the Methodist
Episcopal church says that India in
common with AL the civilized world.
stood aghast when she heard of the
bombardment Of Rheims cathedral.
What kind Of people are these Ger
mans?" asked the native Indian.
They have no respect even for places
OF worship-no reverence for God
Himself. II they came down here
they would destroy our mosques, and
violate our sanctuaries too" BY this
wanton desecration, Germany classi-
field herself in India ~ n barbarian.
Aside from every other consldera-
tion." said Bishop Warne, 1T was a
tremendous blunder on Germany's
part. II the kaiser had succeeded In
organizing the Holy War he dreamed
OF, aligning 81 millions In India with
he Mohammcdans of Turkey against
the Allies he could have annihilated q
large number Of English and other
white people, scattered through India,
and he would have had the inesti-
mable advantage Of a friendly ele-
ment in India.
but II the kaiser had had any
sense Of Indian psychology. he would
have realized that this was q fatal
mistake. An incident in Cawnpore a
few years ago might have given him
warning. 1t was decided to straighten
out some Of the important streets Of
the city. One of these streets ran
past a Mohammedan mosque. and ran
| across the extreme corner Of a great
prayer platform which stretches out
in front Of the mosque. 1t was agreed
that 1t would be out of the question
to cut of the corner Of this platform
to make way for the street. But the
synN hp IrnttaI Dfpx.ipnao
had ruled that this street must be
made straight. AS a compromise. II
was decided to tunnel under the cor
ner of this platform, and let the
street dip under It, and come out on
the other side. The uproar and pro:
test that this occasioned might well
have occasiOned revolution II, after
considerable disturbance, the Viceroy
himself had not come to the city,
and reversed the ruling Of the COVER
nor. The fact that the Viceroy did
to give this recognition to the sacred
ness Of their holy place accomplished
Il great deal in winning the SYM
pathy Of the Mohammedan world.
and putting them in the frame Of
mind which has meant such loyal sup
port to Britain in the war.
For the Mohammedan IL trcmen-
dously intelligent. They were quite
shrewd enough to put these two
cases side by side, and appreciate the
contrast. 1t may be imagined that
tremendously deep influence were at
work to cause the Mohammedan peo-
pie not only to differ In their sympa-
thies in this war, but to be willing to
take up arms against each other. Az
ter this bombarding OF Rheims cathed-
raj. so strong was the feeling In India
against joining the German side In the
war, that an Indian Mohammedan
National League was formed In Luck
now where was living. and there In
dian Mohammedans sent many cable
messages to the Turks. urging them
to keep out. When finally 1t was an
nounced that Turkey had Joined Ger
many. Mohammedans In India said,
'Well-this is a political war, 1t Is In
no way a religious war. and we will
not be drawn in
1T is an interesting proof Of their
loyalty to England that they not only
failed to join their brother co-religion-
lists in war, but that they have turned
out so enthusiastically under the Brit
ish flag, to fight against them. It is an
irony Of fate that 1t should be a Mo-
hammedan army under British officers
which IL today taking. winning the
Holy Land away from the Turkish
Mohammedans"
Discussing German propaganda in
India, Bishop Warne gave 1t as his
personal opinion that a large part Of
the agitations against British rule In
India, masquerading as Nationalism.
Home Rule. etc.. is paid FOR by Ger
man spies.
IL recall an incident which Illus
trated the prompt unquestioning 10y
atty which individual Indians have
shown. There in Lucknow, there was
an Austrian druggist from whom
had happened to buy my drugs for ten
or twelve years. he believed, at the
beginning Of the war that Indian SYM
pathy would be with Germany. One
night he was playing tennis with a
couple Of Mohammedan gentlemen,
and during the game, he made re-
marks which showed his strong pro-
Germanism. They finished the game.
but as soon as II vas over. these
Mohammedans went directly TO the
office Of the British commissioner In
Lucknow. Inside Of an hour his home
was In the hands Of the British army.
BY midnight, he was on his way to
an internment camp. In his home,
they found blue prints Of every Brit
iob font In India uo 1oo on tv,, nar