The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-15
Gigantic European Armies That Do Not Want to FIGHT

a vast commissioned hierarchy and thou
sands of pensioners: and it feeds mscel-
laneous outside interests: arms manufac-
turers, supply firms. inventors. and
others. All these interests. from generals
down to army bootmakers. see that mill
tarism is already fnreatered by the so
cialst propa ganda. and by the movement
TO replace standing armies with militia
forces of Swiss type But the threat from
socialism is nothing compared with the
threat which would come from a great
war. great war might overwhelm all
the interests. As the Austrian colonel
Holle, admits. at is a gamble to say
which side of the two European alliances
would win The defeated side would
have to face so(al revolution and IT.,
as is possible, neither side won. the argu-
men that armies serve no necessary use
would be tremendously strengthened.
Hence great war threatens to sweep
away the whole system of militarism.
And with militarism would go all the
interests; the organizations, ranks sal
aries. pensions. contracts. Why then risk
a war? In peace times the armies are
perfectly comfortable. At best war
would not improve their lot: at worst il
would sweep them away altogether
Herr Ronisch holds that "the modern
war office is the most pacific organiza-
tion in the modern state" He says that
IN Germany the one solidly pacifist in
stitution is the Prussian Ministry of War.
Between the Prussian Ministry of War
and the Carnegie Peace Palace at The
Hague there is no difference of spirit.
The officials IN both aim at the same
thlng' the maintenance Of the status quo
ne motto of both is quiet non movers
.eaNe wen alone. Prussias staff Of
fieers are not bold swash buclling men
VINO thirst for adventure, but grave, re-
spohslDle officials, with the psyche of
commercial clerks. except that CONNER
ciai clerks are often belicose and army
olllcers never are.' He says that this is
proved by the writings of army officers
atter they retire from the active list and
are Tree to use their pens For every
one such soldier-puh,icist who breaches
chauvinism, there areN20 no merely agl-
tate for the increase of the army; for
the increase of pay. and so on. In other
words they want to feed the great ma
chlne, but they are against making the
fnachine do it's work.
one more reason is given why armies
dont want to fight. This is the class
change which has taken place in late
years in the officers corps. The mod :
ern officer comes from an unmilitant
class. From all great European armies
the noble class with hereditary in
stincts of chivalry is vanishing and
it is being replaced by an Industrious
tame, unlellicose bourgeoise. The
French army is practically all bour-
Ceois. In. Prussia, where the noble tra-
dition is relatively strong, 63 per cent
of young men who enter the service
are bourgeois: and it is only in
guards regiments that mobiles predom
mate. The Austrian army has been
entirely democratized. Eighty per cent
OF officers are of non-noble rank. In
Russia the proportion Is the same
though a Russian on getting his com
mission becomes de facto a life noble
in all these armies the modern bour-
geois officer Is entirely different from,
the daredevil, fighting, drinking. amor
GUS blade of past generations BY par
entage he Is usually a son of mod
est official or professional man. By
temper he is studious and meticulous
He Is indifferently uniformed; he wears
mended gloves; and a threadbare
scrupulously brushed uniform overcoat
In Vienna he may be seen walking
down the street with a packet OF tea
or sugar hanging from a uniform but
ton. He has wife, who compared
with the wives of the prosperous busi-
ness man, is dowdy; and he often has
a large family. This Is true only of the
line officers: but they are the major.
ity. Such men do not thirst for war
They ant to live quiet, unenterpris.
ing. unan.bitious careers. and to retire
when they become battalion command.
ers with what they consider the decent
pension Of about $500 year.