Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-08-18

freSeht war IL iiliSht eaSfly get ready
In secret for another war OF a nature
such AS most of us have scarcely con.
ceived For not merely would the char
| acter of warfare be changed, but the
| horrors of war would DO extremely In
sensiticd. In his now book. lin the
Fourth Year" (Which everybody oush,
| TO read). Mr.. II. G. Wells gives a few
| hints about a possible future war. He
| does not picture the next war as fully
as he might. and as he ought. but he
shows US enough to frighten tho souls
out OF us. He says that we think we
know the horrors of war. whereas the
truth Is that war has not yet begun to
be horrible. He sketches. for example
ap air raid which. instead OF lasting
for an hour. would last continuously
for week.
An sea traffic would be practically
stopped IN the next war. All frontiers
would be abolished, for the aeroplant
takes no notice OF frontiers. All the
advantages Of islands would be abol-
iished for the aeroplane takes no notice
or insularity. Can you fancy pitched
battle in which forty thousand aero
pianes were engaged over London!
Ana. what Is more, can you imagine a
war in which military control over
every man. woman and child would be
absolutely complete? We complain
about Dora" The defense OF the realm
act OF the next war would be forty
DO you like this vision1-a Wis,
which might well become a reality IN
dozen years from now? If YOU don't.
can you suggest any way OF prevent
ing the vision from becoming Il re-
atty? There Is only one way. ana
that way is to form an international
league OF free nations which has full
and real power to control ali M
tional ornaments. Either there will b.
such league. with full and real nowe:
over all armaments. or there Will D.
another war thousand times worse
than this war. Either there Will TO
such league. or civilization AS w"
know IL VIII come TO an end. and tn"
remnants OF mankind Will have %
begin civilization all over again. just
as they did after the great cataciysms
OF the past
LEAGUE CERTAIN TO COME,
IN OPINION OF AUTH aW
one OF these two things must occur.
There Is ultimately no third alterna-
tive. The decision rests with you.
1t doesn't rest with a handful OF en-
aitcd personages in the upper spheres
or government. 1t rests with you an 1
me. with the mass OF the plain peoptt =.
with each individual among US. If you
men OF forty are ready In twenty years
TO face the horrors and privations nj
war compared To which present hoc-
rors and privations are trifics. we'll
and good! III you men OF twenty are
ready at the age of forty to go form
and fight in an affair compared TO
which the present AFFAIR is picnic,
well and good! But II YOU aren't then
you have got to sit down and think
hard about complete international coh-
troll OF ornaments. For human ma
turc being what II is. nothing elsr
VIII avert another war. If this war
ends in Germany's defeat, If IL EMS
in our defeat. if II ends In draw.
the sequel for different reasons IN
each case. Will be the sa,Re-another
war. unless a world committee Is given
power and authority to control all
ornaments.
You may say n league of nations is
a dream. and complete international
control OF ornaments a dream like
wise. Very we'll. II you talk like that
you are voting for another war. BIT;
| say that no fine. common sense en-.
terprise was ever proposed without
most people pooh pooling 1t and posi-.
lively asserting that it could not be
done. An International league OF ma
tionS controlling ornaments is quite
possible. And II IS certain In the end
to come. If il comes soon. SO much tfe
better for you. II II is postponed. SO
much the worse for you. That Is all
The matter Is one which Will affect tho.
private, lives OF every one OF us from
the conclusion of peace EDWARDS.
admit tho intense difficulties of the
scheme, and I mean to deal with sone
of them next week