Is the War a Lawful One P

Manawatu Herald, 20 February 1904, Page 3

Is the War a Lawful One P

VIEWS VOICED FROM THE PULPIT. In a sermon on the war last Sunday evening an Auckland minister (Rev. Gray Dixon, of St. David’s Church, Khjber Pass) said the ques-, tions naturally arose as to whether the present war was a lawful one, and as to whether the Japanese were right in taking up arms against the Russians. Firstly, he would answer that he believed that the war was a lawful one, and secondly, that the Japanese only were in the right. Christianity had long since wanted to open the doors of the East. How were they to do it ? It could only be done by the efforts of an Eastern nation converted to the views of modern Christianity. Japan was that nation. She was civilised and Christianity was making mar vellous strides there. There they

had Christians in their Houses of Parliament, in their CoUfts, in their schools, and everywhere. The Japanese, he believed, had been preserved by the Most High God to awaken the Far East. She had already done much in China, and even more in Corea, but her civilisation had been stopped by the barbaric, the cruel, and the persecuting Russians. The Turks were not in it with them; If Russia had a free hand there it would mean that she would raise her hand against the missions that were doing such good work, and so put to naught all the labours of Christianity ia the past. A dmiEal Togo was a Christian, and he (the preacher) was proud to know that it was he who had struck the first blow in the East. In conclusion, be asked them all to pray for victory for Japan.