The Pacific commercial advertiser., 1900-12-14
THE % NATURE OF WAR.


is treated by part of the public. as
out of place and exceptional
to the general history of wars; and af
ter every battle is fought or campaign
executed, there is a volley of indigna-
ton over incidents of murder arson or
pillage which, it is urged, a humane
commander might have prevented or
should have punished. Thus tens of
thousands of people now condemn the
burning of farms and the execution of
farmers in South Africa, just as tens
of thousands of others inveighed
against the ruthless march of Sherman
to the sea and Lees burning of Union
towns in his advance to Gettysburg. 1t
is as if these things could be escaped
or avoided in war; as If they were not
the very essence and spirit of war it
self.
The plain. business of the soldier is to
smash people who get in the way ana
il is not his fault but that OF the sys-
-, Of ,epalized murder which employs
ar,f;as him, that sometimes ~
anu are found in the way Win 'ne
n,itv II is his trade aiso ~ and
that which may give he
VIC" to the enemy, "a
coN'i houses and wheat neius -
pu, o.tla. and. as custom dic'a'
hiii' ,;r,roant of a hostile peoP'e
iiiipos of subduing them 'he -
o"e saizes all articles Oh
,bicb he finds along tne mo .',sa
s"'" .i,,,os he does not need 10
,,s sherman on his way FROM z>''''l
o. ..,a Goa but il the necessary
-, is no law of war to deter nm
~ ~yor,d which institutes Wal an
.ains armies and ennobles ol
80 rewards successful generals - -
,",a,,s for the barbarities OF "nicn -
.a,,,a,ipes complains. Having uhioose
~ beast which IL has taken eare
.,,at nurnose. the world has no rish'
- mortified if the beast raVaseo
-, its kind. That is its mission III
,,atnra,s economy That is wna'
hrute of militarism is kept ioi- ~
long as he has free range just 50 ione
win eravs heads of innocent men SUI
A., in the sun and the breasts OF cnii-
dren he crushed under the soof aho lhe
lives of mothers be sacrificed. Ffhal i
war the world over: it was war IN oio
Testament tines it was war In CUBA
ara CHINA and the Philippines; anu
var wherever it is, answers I" the
W
SYNONYM of hell.
If the worst is true in what Is toio
of South African and Chinese reprisaie'
tho blame does not lie upon the com
,panders in the field. They are there 10
make war and they are doing II accoru-
ing to their lights and what they are
told is their duty: and when they re-
lturn among those who denounce their
.atrocities' they will be applauded ana
nronoted Butler is to be LORD; hitch-
apar Of Khartoum IS Lord aireauy'
Roberts is to be Duke; the GeneralS
/ in China are to be promoted. BACK Oh
them are wasted fields and neW-maoe
graves and streaming eyes pelote
them are the cheers of their compatrl-
OTIS the salutations of fair women, the
spIendor of marble statues, the prlght
mage of history Is there any induce-
mont for them to make war any miider
,l,on IL is? Is not the general att tude
of humanity in their favor? Even
C~ristianitv is invoked to urge upon
the,, the Justice of the cause they are
about 10 eenouse: and when they nave
finished their task and made. host of
widows and orphans and tented the
land with graves. they are welcomed
home in Cathedrals, while pulpits give
thanks to God that they have been sue
cessful. What matters it in the pres
ence of all this adulation that people,
in moments of stricken conscience de-
clare that war is the work of the Devil
and his imps? When the bugle sounds
and the drum beats they will toss their
caps in air again and make themselves
, hoarse with cheering.
/ The people themselves are to blame
for the barbarities of war by being re-
Irresponsible for war itself. Ii they
were ready for universal peace they
would ordain IL. But they are not
ready and every generation that comes
on the worlds stage demands its war
as a hereditary right. Strange to say
the enlightened nations cause the most
bloodshed. Great Britain is always
/ fighting somewhere. and the United
states. in 12i years. has had five great
wars not inclusive of the ones in the
Philippines and China and innumerable
minor combats with its Indian wards
/ besides
4