The times., 1899-10-08
7. Wnr ImnorsibIe.

Technical, Economical. and Political Re
lauons." the subtitle being Is War Now
Impossible?" Il is really nothing less
than encyclopedia in its completeness. and
in many respects unique. 1t is said TO have
given the Tsar OF Russia the idea for his
famous Peace Rescript.
The book was originally published two
years ago. in Russian. the author being
a well-known banker of Warsaw. Editions
in German and French were subsequently
brought out. and a part Of 1.-THE sixth
volume. in which the others are 10 some
extent summarized-has now been trans
lated into English and published with
preface by w. T. Stead in which CONVEX
satiOn between the latter and M. Bloch is
reported. This preface is not the least
interesting thing in the volume, and IN 1t
most OF the important points in the War
saw economists argument are recapltulat-
ed and discussed.
There have been various speculaiioas on
the possibility and impossibility OF future
wars and last spring dozens OF books were
published prophesying in one way or an
other. a great general war, involving All
the European nations and sometimes ASA
as well. Such a cataclysm certainly seems,
10 the casual observer. 10 be within the
bounds OF probability, and the conflict be-
tween the Slag and the Saxon has been
impending in the consciousness of all Eu-
rope for some decades. Nevertheless, IL
has been stated with positiveness by many
economists that there viii never be an
other great war, and peaceful people nave
argued that the whole military system
ought to be abolished on humanitarian
and ethical grounds. But no one had come
out with arguments for the abolition of
war. based on hard. dry facts and -sterea
ND by all kinds OF reasons, until Nj. Bloch
entered the field. He takes no high ethi
cal ground; he iBdulges in no heroics; he
simply states his belief that, in the nature
OF things. warfare viii gradually become
an impossibility so far as civilized nations
are concerned, while eventually OF course,
il viii cease between great powers and un-
sophisticated though brave lesser tribes.
OF course, since the publication OF this
work, we have had the Spanish-American
war, and there has been the war between
Turkey and Greece. But these the Polish
economist does not dignity with the name
OF war al all He classes them with the
little difficulties" in which England is
nearly always engaged in India or in Afrt-
ca, as mere frontier brawls. 'trumpery
expeditions against semi -barbarous peo-
pies"
The war OF the future, which he believes
has become impossible, is that Armaged-
don which has been prophesied by the pes
simists and prepared for by the military
experts, for nearly a hundred years. Re
garding this he says, in the conversation
with Mr. Stead reported in the preface:
War has practically become impossible for
the minor states. IL Is as impossible Tor
Denmark or for Belgium to make war today
as i would be for you OF for me 10 assert
the right Of private war which fore
fathers possessed. We cannot do IL At
least, could only ny to DO il, ana then
be summary SUPPRESSED ana punished ilr our
fcmerity. That Is the position OF the minor
states For them il practically forbidden
by their stronger neighbors. They are IN the
position Of the descendants Of the feu6al lords
whose night Of lesging war has vanished,
owing to the growth OF strong central
power, whose interests and authority are in
compatible with the exercise OF what used to
be 81 one time an almost universal Hght.
Hence, when we discuss the question
Of future war We always deal with 1t as
war between great powers That is TO say,
primarily, the long-taiked-of, constantly post
Ponec war between France and Germany for the
lost provinces: and secondly, thai ether war,
the Thought Of which has gradually replaced
thar q 10 singie-handed duel between France
and Gtruanv viz 8 war between the TTi-
Piice and the Franco Russian alliance IL Is
that war which constantly preoccgpies the
minds of Statesmen and soyeEeigns IN Europe,
and IL is that war waieh, maintain, has be-
come absolutely impossible. The very
development that has taken place IN the mechan.
ism uf war has rendered impracticzbIC
operation The dimensions of modern armAnents
and the organization ci society lave rendered
its prosecution an economic impossibility, and,
finally, il any attempt were made TO demon
str1te the inaccuracy q my assertions hr put
ting the matter 10 test Z great scale, We
should find the inevitable result in s castas
tTophe which would destroy all existing po-
htlcal organizations Thus q great war can
not be made, and any attempt 70 make II
would result IL suicide
This is q bold statement, and Il Is nc
wonder that its presentation, IN a form
which may be generally accepted or at any
rate discussed, has caused something OF {
sensation 10 Europe. Practically all The
meat Of the book IS in this conversation
which introduces II; but the remaining
pages are devoted TO yoiuminous proofs O
the arguments there set forth. with dia-
grams and tables OF statistics which eanno
fan TO prove interesting even 10 the anna
teuT in military affairs. As 10 the accu
racy OF these details, collected and arrangei
by q person not himself a soldier or pre-
tending 10 be military expert the bool
Ezs given 10 the Minister OF War for ex
animation by a-eoHncll OF experts, and the
returned a. with the report that while ii
dealing with 50 many questions Il was ina
possible &c avoid some mistakes, the
though IL most desirable that the boo
Ehouid be placed II the hands Of all stat
officers, and would prove most useful
One q NJ Bloch's convictions Is that III
bayouet Is practically out OF date He doc
not believe that tn the wars Of the futuT
TIE cOmbatzntE VIII be able 10 get With
loo yards Of the enemy. let alone one yari
and that This viii tend To less destructio
o. human life, because there Is no kind
battle 70 deadly that In which bod.
OF men are face 70 face with cold steel
settle The issue. He says that there
nothing 81 modern warfare like the slaugl
ter which cuce took place IN conflicts b.
tween the Romans and barbarianE. or b.
tween bzrbsrcus tribes The paradox
the case is that wars have become le
deadly b. becoming more deadly: that !
the invention Of machines which kin
large scale and al q distance, strateg
nSt hand-to-hand fighting. has become q
important thing. and a battle is not risk
until Il r. planned for. Mr.. Stead al IN
point quoted an opiaion OF Kipling,
the effect that when q machine was~inven
ed which would siay 80 per cent OF L
comhaiants whenever there was a battl
then war would cease. To this NJ Bic
replied that that idea was practically co
rect but that until mankind had tried q
periments with these deadly weapons the
would be terrible bIoodshed In this CO
neciioD be says:
Fer instance AZ Omdurnasn the destruction
ficted upon the f0rces 81 the khslifa oai
VERY near the 81 per cent standard Of RI
yard kspiing That one experience was fiTr
ably sufficient cgpn for the derishes III
vii never again face the IRE q niodaTu rif
Tie experience which ihey have learned Is 2.
idlF isecomiag ccaeralized throughout the ar
ics % t'hristeldofa- . Al first there y
be increased Slaughter slaughter