Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-06
Continued from Third Page)

Continued from Third Page1
will probably be even more backward
and unintelligent than they are. Given
war on the basis of Back to 1903,
and all may be we'll with England.
There is nowadays, however, much
more danger than there ever was be-
fore that some strange new outcast
country, Soviet Russia, for example,
with German science to help her--or
ever with her own sedulously Stin1u-
lated science-will refuse to play the
recognized soldiers game according to
the rules. and resort directly to
chemists. biologists and engineers for
some entirely unchivalrous way of de-
stroying military force. Suppose this
eccentric outcaSt to concentrate on
that. 1t would need to have a good
supply of aviators and airplanes, but
. no man has ever yet discovered how
TO prevent the instantaneous CONVEX
sion of civil airplane into military
one: and also it would have TO have
access to great chemical works. But
given these things and men to operate
them that enemy need not have 10000
soldiers in uniform. It could hold up
the huge tank rush by few simple
eXpedients of the type | have glanced
at above, and 1t could set about locat-
ing, chasing and annihilating every
sort of general headquarters and po-
litical and directive center of the or
thodox military people-with gas and
germs. < +
The idea would he to tarnsh. sIf-
focate, blister and burn the gentle.
men in gold lace. and their political as
soclates behind them. to the pitch of
entire disorganization There would
be no necessity to poster the genera |
enemy population. except in regions of
chemical industrialsm. That eminent
lair archeologist. Mr.. o. g. s. Craw-
Nford, can teach any ground soldier who
cares to learn how difficult how al
most impossible it would he 10 conceal
the layout Of vital military centers
from an acute air observer Still less
easy would il he to conceal plants for
the accumulation and distribution of
munitions In little while front line
trenches would be telephoning to deaf
ears. and the tanks Of the great Of.
tenslNe. until their petrol was all used
up. would he wandering back like
sheep without shepherd.
That sort Of thing. a defensive trench
and tank trap system and an air and
gas offensive against vital Spots is
the really cotemporary form of war
tf We must have war That is the
best way of achieving disaster for the
other side. 1t is, from first TO last. a
job for technicians and artisans. There
is no more use for drlled tro0ps in II
than there is for the Greek phalanx.
The military experts. as a class. loathe
ana deteSt the now methods and will
do everything they can to SGT nm =
fimSy barrier Of treaties against their
use. for the simple reason that they
abolish the military class The whole
world owes debt Of gratitude to the
American Senate for thwarting their
endeavors. y x
II may seem paradoxical a. first. but
II is not nearly as paradoxical as it
n sounds. 10 say that the evolution Of
Hwar is aholishing the soldier altogeth.
er. Suppose we drop considering
whether war Is out of date or whether
It pays, and assume that II is still a
current concern. 1t does not follow
In the least that We still want soldiers
~ wage il. | am inclined TO think
that on most scores we do not II
we were not So profoundly obsessed
by tradition and roma nee ! think we
should come 10 see that now, even for
the diredU purposes of war. for the
defense OF state from intruders. for
the destruction OF peoples and iostitu
lions that have aroused our sHnimosity
10 the murder pitch and for the i'm.
position Of some national or imperial
VIII on reCalcitranr nopuIat tons ali
these handsome individuals running
about or galloping about in tabs and
buttons and gold lace are of no earthly
use at all. We keep them because
we are creatures of habit and wont
, We endure them because we have
still to realize how unnecessary they
are. But the soldier in uniform is as
out of date today as the man In
arrnor was IN 1900