128 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



in British statesmen to believe that they would order the fleet 

 to go and surprise the enemy. As his political views were 

 pronouncedly opposed to those of the Government, he felt that 

 there was but little hope until after the next General Election. 

 Nevertheless, on thinking matters over, he refused entirely to 

 believe that a modern civilised nation would suddenly attack an 

 unsuspecting neighbour. 



He had but just arrived at this conclusion when the Austrians 

 suddenly, without warning, seized two Turkish provinces. 

 Shortly afterwards the Italians, again without warning, attacked 

 the Turks and seized Tripoli; and, while the Turks were still 

 at war with the Italians, they were, again without warning, 

 attacked by the allied Balkan States. So unsuspected had been 

 the existence of this alliance and so rapid the collapse of the 

 Turkish power, that the citizen was obliged, against his will, to 

 discard his previous conviction and admit to himself certain 

 fundamental truths : 



That wars are won by superior force, wisely employed. 



That superior force consists of superior numbers combined 

 with superior efficiency. 



That the first battle is all-important. 



That the best way to win it is to attack the enemy before he 

 is ready. 



That modern wars are, accordingly, won by peace pre- 

 paration. 



While, however, he admitted to himself that this was the 

 scientific method of conducting war, yet he refused to believe 

 that the great British nation would ever be guilty of such 

 methods. Such being the case, it became evident to him that 

 the nation would do wisely to organise and train every available 

 source of fighting strength, in the hope of successfully repelling 

 a sudden and unexpected attack. 



He had always belived that the Government would make the 

 necessary arrangements to assure the security of the nation ; 

 and, being of a tractable disposition, with plenty of work of his 

 own, he was entirely content that it should be so — always pro- 

 vided, of course, that he was not overtaxed. He recalled to 

 mind, however, that after the Boer War the Government had 

 disclaimed all responsibility for neglect to prepare for it ; and 

 had asserted that the defence of the country was the business of 

 the people themselves, that is, of the British citizen. Evidently, 



