Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-06
A Defense of HOrribleness in War

Drill, uniform, salutes and the seq
regation of soldiers from most human
interests and all mental stimuli in bar
racks and camps have always been
so deeply impressed upon our minds
as the proper way of war that 1t is
only nowadays that this question be
comes debatable. Few of us realize
how much of the old soldering is
already superseded. Flags have long
since disappeared from the modern
battlefield. Today they wave chiefly
! for public occasions, at political meet
ings and in the advertisement Of goods
! not otherwise attractive Military
bands leave their instruments at
! home, or take them only as far as
the base, and the common soldier is
| deprived of all his conspicuous regi.
mental characters and clapped into a
severely practical outfit directly fight
ing begins.
But we still think that the disci-
pines and recognizable uniforms de-
manded by the mass lighting of de
parted conditions are somehow i'm.
perative if war Is to continue We
have not yet made full allowance for
the fact that, while victory in the
past was generally conceded to rigid
ity. obstinacy and blind obedience,
IL II IbN Hlptt anu llIpIE Tie reward
of f1exibility, knowledge. invention and
a witty use of modern resources. It
| is the country that has the courage
to scrap its army most completely
which NAV come nearest winning in
the next great war, IL human foolish
ness does contrive another great war
and A final delirium.
But while the abandonment of an
army as the instrument of warfare
and handing over the business of de.
fensive and offensive killing as a
special service to chemists. biologists
and engineers would probably in
crease the military efficiency of a
country very greatly. it would also
greatly diminish its disposition for
war. The men of science and organ
izng ability would be much more
likely to regard war as tiresome
distraction than as a great and glori-
ous opportunity. The needs and am
billions of the uniform, Wearing
classes would cease TO be a power i.i
the land beca use they would cease to
he in the land. They would have
dropped out altogether in favor of
the Haldanes and Hartleys and prac.
| tiQal people of thai kind who would
probably prefer to work in labora-
tory overalls.
To mo II seems almost certain that
neither the War of 1870 nor the
great war would have occurred IL
France and Germany had remained
republics after 1S4S. France sue.
cumhed 10 Napoleon III, who was
nothing if not Napoleonic. Germany
after 1870 set ont to he a great mod
ern state and she found herself
! fatally entanEled with a dynasty
whose chief interest in life was to
exhibit itself in helligerent costumes
/ and attitudes Each Of these coun-
/ tries. wheh il revert ed to monarchy,
! broke out into a vivid rash Of uni
| forms, and after that the disease
/ had 10 run It's course. German mill
/ tarism was not a necessity to ex-
/ pandinG Germany: II was a rever-
/ sion that wrecked an expan ding Ger
many. Germany today Is mich more
! likely 10 take greater place in a
! united Europe than she ever has be-
! fore, because Of the wholesome sur
| gerry that has been done upon her.
/ She has had her Hohenzollerns re,
/ moved. Her state Of health will be
! displayed and judged by the disap-
| pearance of uniforms from her com,
| pleXion
Several European countries, in
! spite Of the monstrous futile victories
and ineffective defeats of the great
/ war. are still gravelv infected by
! these Anticipated armies and their
| traditions and sentimentalities But
| in view of what has been advanced
/ in this article, 1t is quite possible
/ that the free advancement Of bel.
! ligerent science may be the true way
! to achieve the peace of mankind. The
! improvement of war may be synony.
NOUS with the ending of war.
/ Copyright. 1927. By the New York Times
Co. Translation rights reserved.1