Evening star., 1940-06-03
Bonish Air War, Says Wells
Either Man Will Put an End to 1t. or 1t Will
End Mankind, Noted Writer Declares

sociations. Of things experienced
and the everyday life, which blind
us to remoter realities. The actual
fighting is now absorbing an in
creasing volume Of attention and
any line of thought that goes be-
yond strategy and tactics is de-
nounced by many people and de-
nounced with an eagerness for
which we have found an explana-
ton, as diversion of energy from
the real business in hand. It Is
nothing of the sort.
War without clearly stated war
aims is a sort of epilepsy. First
win the war;" people say. But we
won the war in 1918 and then
hardly any one had the remotest
idea what to do about it. This state
OF affairs seems likely to return
again in an exaggerated form If we
tolerate this sabotage of the end
by the means.
Armistice Terms Urged.
So now, while the outcome of the
war is still uncertain, it is neces-
sary not merely to discuss but to
define the terms of an armistice
and to have it ready, cut and dried,
for the inevitable phase of exhaus-
ton and reasonableness. 1t needs
to be something that will anticipate
and may defer indefinitely the
clumsy and elaborate procedure of
a peace conference.
We have taken as our type func-
ton the control of the air. 1t is
quite possible to state precisely at
the present time what powers would
be possessed by that control. It
would obviously monopolize air
armament, air routes, air controls,
aerodromes, the manufacture of
planes and airships, and it must re-
celve its authorization from the ex-
listing independent states of the
world. How far and with what va
riety Of methods it would receive
its authorization, directly or indi-
rectly, from the peoples of these
states raises multitude of consid-
eratlons too complicated and de-
Jailed TO discuss now. They do not
AFFECT the immediate imperative to
set about preparing for the armistice.
to famillarize peoples lamentations
Tor 1t and to rouse them from their
evasive fatalism as rapidly as DOS
sible now.
Air warfare has been made the
backbone of this discussion or
rather it makes itself the backbone
but 1t is by no means the onlv
universal interest with which the
terms OF a definite and hopeful
armistice should deal. We hear a
lot OF vague promises from our
leading statesmen about some iuster
treatment of the exploitation of
markets and the distribution of raw
produce, in the better davs ahead
That is like the world fit for
heroes" our soldiers and sailors were
promised in 1918 None of this need
remain vague. The more the out
look OF the peace ahead is defined
now, the better heart we shall have
to bring it about, and the less will
be the power of suspicion, distrust
and despair to prolong the war.
Stupid AimIessness Cited.
Are we to 60 through the bloody
business of this resuscitated war
again with the same stupid aimless-
ness? Shall we emerge once more
with tumble of flushed belligerents
all making unimplemented under
taklngs to disarm, without the faint
est intention of doing so? Shall
we have to face an economic storm
OF imitation, social disorganization
another general strike-on a world
scale this time-simply because we
will not face these coming events
while they are still controllable?
I do not think mankind can afford
that risk for second time. and
the only way Of escaping it that
can imagine is to 60 right ahead
with the drafting of what will be
practically world treaty of peace
now, treaty that can be brought
into immediate operation with the
signing of the armistice. The thing
is quite possible, and particularly
so as long as the United States re-
mains out of the actual war and in
contact with all the belligerents.
The only objection to it on the part
OF most publicists will be that it is
unprecedented and so quite i'm
proper.
(Copyright, 1910, by H. @. Wells. Trans-
lation Rights ReservedD