The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-08-16
By Viscount Esher,
Member of the Imperial Defence
 Committee of England.

(In Lecture at the sorbonne, ParIs) MTY object is to examine eco
 MI homie factors of recent
 '~ growth in the international situation, which, if true. are entirely subversive of statecraft hitherto conceived and understood
 The doctrine I am here to ask you to examine is expressed in the words Of our greatest living English states man who led the Conservative Party in our country for many years Here they are:
 Aggressive warfare between civil fzed nations, undertaken for the pur- pose Of making the aggressor hap pier, wealth1er, more prosperous, is futile and silly. Without dogmatiz- ing on what war has done for the de- velopment of mankdnd-a subject of profound interest-under modern conditions of industry and finance civilized nations and most of all Great Powers have interests so inti- mately bound together that the vio- lent disruption of friendly relations must produce disaster to all con- cerned, which no indemnities, no gains in territory, triumphal arches can ever compensate"
 Stated thus you realize the nov. city of the theme. It will require mind young and supple to seize its allurements and possibilities. But ask you to examine it mpartially and not to accept old or new facts as incontestable.
 Treitschke-that modern Machiaveli-has said that
 Tn an iron age, to make peace your steadfast aim Is not only dream, but blind resistance to the supreme law of life that the strong must overcome the weak. It is futile to attempt to evade stern facts, it nurses selfshness. intrigue material greed, coarse egotism.
 War is the greatest school of duty, and to preach against it is not only foolish but i'm moral. Frederick the Great is right that war opens the most fruitful field for all the virtues; for steadfastness. compassion for the lofty sou the noble Heart, for Charity"
 This is the tragic dogma of Real Politik."
 For many minds in these days such senti- ments possess a real value. and are not mere phrases That is their importance. Yet the sophism of Frederick the Great could equally well justify slaves or the combats of the gladia- torial arena.
 war and brave spirit" says another modern writer, General von Bernhardi, have done more great things than love of your neighbor. Not your sympathies, but your stout-hearted prowess is what saves the unfortunate"
 Is not this curious invocation in the twenti eth century of the spirit of the Middle Ages? What value remains to the thoughts and writ ings of Bayle, of Rousseau of Montesquieu? Wel common sense in the long run weighs down the scales. and these illustrious French writers of compelling books forestalled the thesis that am to-day presenting to you
 They pointed out the immoderate exhaustion of war and of its incessant and long prepara- tion.
 They pressed the evil consequences entailed by war upon the vast masses of the people of tte nations engaged. And, above all, they en- deavored to show that when war ends, after infinite devastation, ruin and universal ex- haustion of wealth and energy, comes peace that plain reason would have suggested from the first.
 New discoveries in science, in pathology, in chemistry, have altered completely the habits and relations of civilized mankind. The word discovery" however, implies that all along certain secrets were concealed in the fold of Natures garment
 In economies in the psychology of races, in the customary way of facing the worlds reali ties in international relations, we are con- fronted by other phenomena, not inherent and discoverable by Lord Lister Madame Curie, but new born, the result of Pevolution credtfice
 Amid so much variation, so much radical change, Is 1t not going too far to suggest that ti5 ,ly sterious political instinct which hitherto has pushed nations into conflict may, under totally novel conditions, end by pushing them into agreement or compromlse?
 Indeed, can we be sure to-day that the po- ltieal instinct of the democracies, just awaken ing into life the fruit of thirty years of edu- cation, is not wholly different from the political instinct of which General Bernhardi is the exponent?
 Is aggressive war necessary to ameliorate the lot of people? Is conquest advantageous? These two questions need categorical answer. If the answer is in the affirmative, that means to say that human wisdom is the appeal to blood and iron.
 If blood and iron alone settle the question. then a people of forty millions facing others ot from a hundred to hundred and fifty millions a stationary people facing progressive one, is doomed.
 But the question needs at least examination
 Happily there are other factors which count and which are indestructible and powerful
 One is the all-powerfu influence of truth when