TOLSTOY’S PEACE IDEAL

Hawera Star, Volume LI, 20 June 1931, Page 3

TOLSTOY’S PEACE IDEAL

DISCUSSION AND ADDRESS. HAWERA W.E.A. ASSEMBLY. ‘‘Tolstoy’s Struggle for Truth” was the subject of an address delivered to Hawera W.E.A. members bv Mr J. A. Brailsford, staff tutor, last night. Prior to the address, members took part iu a discussion upon Tolstoy’s absolute peace ideal. Messsr B. Muller and H. R. Denize were the principal speakers and the discussion was open wlje.n they had concluded. Mr Muller upheld Tolstoy’s view that it was wrong to engage in war under any circumstances whatever, while Mr Li. R. Denize opposed this.

Mr Muller’s main contention was that all men were labourers in God’s world. He disregarded nations and consequently all war was civil war, which should be avoided at all costs. Mr Muller briefly explained that wars were caused economically or by religious feeling and gave the opinion that when a country could not gain access to its own resources it would gaze enviously upon those of its neighbours. The country would be egged oil bv capitalists and the Press, and would be in a worst' nnsition when it, was all over. “Tf the League of Nations decided not to have another war iiniil the last one was paid for.”

said Mr Muller, “there would he everlasting peace.” Mr Denize spoke with the view of a man who. although not a believer in war. would take up arms it bis country was attacked. There were two lines of thought indulged in bv the pacifist, the theoretical line ami the practical: he intended to speak from a nractical point of view. An aggressive war could not be tolerated, said the sneaker, but if it was defensive war all would have to fight. It was a pronounced trail of human nature that man must fight or go under. M r'j Denize referred to a struggle between \ the white and coloured races. It there was .stiife between them, would the white race allow the coloured to overrun it? he asked. Other sneakers also spoke oil the subject. Miss D. Slieat and Mrs K. A. Shackleton from Mr Muller’s viewpoint, and Messrs C*. Chuck, Carter and Dr. A. AT. Young from the opposing side. STRUGGLE FOR TRUTH. “Tolstov’s idea of pacifism would rule out those revolutionaries who,

while not in favour of international war, are slightly in favour of civil war,” said Air Brailsford in the course of his address. “Tolstoy was antagonistic to all forms of war. He based his aversion to war on the force •of the Christian spirit.” Continuing, the speaker said that. Tolstoy held that leaders of nations frightened their people into war with the idea that other nations were preparing to attack them. He also considered that it was wrong to inflict punishment on others and held that crimes were committed on account of the private ownership of property and the struggle for power. It was not until he was 50 years of age that this conviction reached Tolstoy, however. By then he was not only a Russian Count with the Czar’s blood in him, and a large holder of land, hut he had also reached the height of his career as a writer. He then resolved that the only thing to do l was to give up this power he held. It was not sufficient for him to give to the poor, as lie found that when lie did it appeared that he was only giving back to them that which lie bad taken. Air Brailsford referred to the continual struggle which existed between Tolstoy and bis wife in regard to the distributon of ’Tolstoy's estate. Tolstoy. on account of bis principles, held that his estate should be given up, but bis wife wished it 'to he divided between the 11 children. Eventually his wife prevailed, but Tolstoy lived in discontentment until lie died. “Before Tolstoy married,” continued Air Brailsford. “iie felt that something was missing in life. lit' was a man of exceptional physical strength, and it gave him great delight to take part in any manual labour. He was. however. self-centred and an egoist, and be did not realise that bis success was in any way due to people about- him.” On account of his struggle with bis wife in regard to the children. Tolstoy j would have left bis home bad it not | been for bis family devotion, said the j speaker. He did not enjoy this living | in luxury, and the two were always j quarrelling in regard to copyrights of bis work which he would not take out after his conversion. Things went on in this manner until Tolstoy was 82 years of age. He then left his family, but six weeks after his denarture he died.

“It is rather amusing to notice,” said Mr Brailsford, “that his good breeding showed even when lie was making his departure from liis home

to work as one of the labouring class. He called for his carriage to take him to the station and ordered (his daughter to pack his clothes for him.” The address throughout was punctuated with quotations from Tolstoy’s works.