The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, MAY 10, 1902. BRUTALITY IN RUSSIA.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 412, 10 May 1902, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, MAY 10, 1902. BRUTALITY IN RUSSIA.

Our cablegrams this morning are not likely to be read without a shudder at the awful brutality of the Russian officials, and a feeling of deep pity for the famishing peasants. It is hard to believe that such things could Uappen in. a country that claims to* be Christianised, but after all there is no denying that the Russians are still largely barbarians. A short time ago Lite Press of the Continent was making out that Great Britain’s kindly methods of conducting warfare were very brutal, but we will probably not hear of any sympathy outside of Great Britain for the murdered peasants. . Seventy-six peasants were shot down, artillery being used to mo-.v them ofl with. In addition to those killed two hundred were wounded. Three hundred were knouted and of that number thirty-five lost tfieir lives through the brutality of the treatment. There is little wonder assassinations are rife in Russia, when such terrible deeds- are perpetrated in the name of the law. The other day ,we read of troops being executed, for 'the reason that they would not shoot down women and children. There was a slight sense of pleasure in reading such " a report, for it showed that the Russians were not all such brutes as would be judged from the fiendish conduct pi some of the officials, who apparently hav.e no regard for the value of human Ine, nor an atom of heart in dealing wita famishing people, A day will surelv come when a nation tliat is guilty of such wholesale murder will oe punished. Perhaps the iamishing peasants stiouW UQt have gone so far

as they did, but who can blame starving people for rising in revolt when the leaders treat their suffering with such callousness ? In their deep des pair there was nothing more likely than that they would try and preserve life by helping themselves to Jie fouu that was denied to them. It wa c clearly the first duty of the Russia;. Government to have made a big effort to save the lives of the starving peasants. Instead of some humane effort being made things were allowed to drift, and the peasants in their hunger madness, did what anv other people so situated would have done, took food from the granaries. The brutal way in which they have been treated is a lasting disgrace ;o Russia.