SOCIALISM AND WAR.

NZ Truth, Issue 57, 21 July 1906, Page 3

SOCIALISM AND WAR.

TO THE EDITOR.

Sir,— Your, correspondent, "Koro--koro,'' m his attempt, to reply, to my, letter of the 12th ultimo on the above I subject shows clearly that he is either I unacquainted with ancient history, or that he is indifferent to a study of the great events of ancient times and their bearing upon the events of more recent periods. He does not considerit to his purpose to discuss the French Revolution, the Napoleonic j wars, nor that "fratricidal episode" m the history of America, the Civil War, although these are comparative- | lv modern. ■ Neither does he care to "hark back" to the "barbaric ages" J for precedents as to the necessity fee j war, but launches out on a deep cri- ! ticism of the late South African |War, j and a grandiloquent defence of Socia- i [lism, as if these were the all-absor fating topics of the century. It is all very well to talk about the South African War and the hardships and miseries attendant thereon or consequent thereto ; but no matter what our feelings were prior to that gigantic struggle the thing is now over and I we must . accept the inevitable. So j far as that, is concerned I think it is about time we should bury the hatchet. ! I have no doubt, Sir, but there are j many persons of "Korokoro's" way of thinking, but I should lake to know what he means by the "barbaric ages." Surely he does not mean to say" that those were barbaric times that gave rise to such distinguished philosophers, mathematicians, scientists, poets, statesmen, orators, writers, architects, sculptors, etc., as Socrates, Plato, Demosthenes, Solon, . Lycurgus , Aristotle , Euclid , Archimedes, Confucius, Josephus, Horace, Cicero, Virgil, and others whose works have shed lustre on their own and other countries. Or, coming down to a later period, Copernicus, Gallileo, Michael Angelo,* Columbus, Shakespeare, Newton, Milton, Scotus,. Bacon, Burke, Sheridan, Fox, Pitt, Burns, Goldsmith, Dr ; Johnson, 0'Connell. Bossuet, La Place, Herchell,' , Moore, Shiel, Davis, Campbell, Byron, Webster, Clay. Calhoun, and other notable personages who have left their mark on the pages of the world's history, and whose writings and speeches will be read and admired by people for the beau" ty and sublimity of their style and diction long after "Korokoro" and Socialism, are buried m oblivion ! But, , perhaps, ' 'Korokoro, ' ' before inditing his epistle, was ruminating over the scenes of the rise and fall of those, great nations of antiquity— the Chinese Empire, the Macedonian Empire, the Roman Empire, the Kingdoms of Greece, and Egypt, countries that have left such marvellous works behind them ? If so, then, I think, he was all at sea, as the following remarks will fully demonstrate. Behold those inimitable works— w^rks certainly not of "barbarick" hands—: the Pyramids and Sphinxes of Egypt, '

the Great Wall oJd .China, the Colossus of Rhodes., .the Wails and Leaning Gardens of Babylon, the Hanging (Tower of Pisa, some of which have , stood the storms and tempests oj some forty, or fifty centuries. What genius of these so-called modern times could erect such giant structures ? Then, if we turn ,to the West the' same evidences of civilization strike us m the unsurpassed works to be met with m Peru, Mexico, the United States, and aven m Ireland, of a pre-historic age ! Surely these are evidences of a civilization not to be met with m barbaric countries. When we turn our gaze on the Round Towers of Ireland— the date of whose foundation is lost m the dim past, are we not struck with admiration at the genius that conceived, designed and executed . these monuments of Ireland's ancient glory? Most certainly. So with the Mound Builders of America. What then became of those ages inaptly called barbaric ? To my mind they have no existence. Are we not indebted to the ancients for the foundation of our much belauded civilization ? It has been well said that there is nothing new under the sun. And we might reverse the position and say- with equal propriety there is nothing old under the sun. Did not the ancients anticipate many of our modern inventions? Why then condemn and despise ancient history? And it seems to me that if "Korokoro, ' ' while ruralizing and rusticating m the vicinity of Petone,. would only take up some. good authority on ancient history and devote a few hours daily to its study he would find it much to -his advantage. His asso- ■ ciation with the great men of the past might have a tendency to soften his asperity, to make him more broad-minded, more impartial, and m many ways increase his general knowledge. ! As to the assertion ythat Socialism does not m any way interfere with religion, it is only necessary to re* mind "Korokoro" that the address of Mr Hogg on the occasion m question was a denunciation of Bishop • Wallis's remarks before the Naval Cadets. And, if that is not sufficiently convincing, I would call his attention to a Socialist criticism of Dr. Redwood's pastoral letter m "The People," the Socialist organ, of the 20th of April last, from which he will see that Socialists do sometimes make what he considers a "tactical blunder," and that m this case somebody has blundered. In the criticism here referred to the author goes back to the dark ages and rakes up charges against the church that 1 , have been, long since trepudiated, .and to which no liberal-minded Protestant historian or divine now gives any credence. It is generally admitted by all impartial writers that such charges are baseless, and ate only the emanation of bigotry and malice. I may now ask "Korokoro" what good have Socialists ever done for mankind ? What good did they do for France under the name of Communists. whatever. They did, on the contrary, a lot of mischief ; so much so that the French people rose m their might against them, overthrew the Commune, and established the Republic, as, more congen-

ial to the aspirations of the people and ;bg the benefit of, this nation, Wha* good- & G thejr doing m. Australia, ok wherever they are located?! Recent scenes m Melbourne and elsewhere answer the question. The individual members may mean good, but the organisation is powerless to achieve any good results. Trusting "Korokoro" will brush up his history of those barbaric ages, persons, places and things .for /which he seems to have such a horror. — I am, etc., THIGGINTU.. Wellington, 'July 8, 1906.