ESSAYS 665 



defeat, the lower classes quickly gain the upper hand in virtue of their vast 

 numbers. With the sense of power comes legitimate ambition, the desire further 

 to improve their lot, and to live in greater comfort and prosperity. Successful in 

 this, legitimate ambition develops into illegitimate, the predatory spirit, the will to 

 take by force the wealth of others. And the keener the sense of injustice in the 

 first instance, the more ferocious and passionate the fighting spirit when it is 

 aroused. When finally triumphant it develops into the spirit of arrogance and 

 revenge and is accompanied by unimaginable horrors. The ruthless extinction 

 of the upper classes is also deliberate and is largely the result of fear lest they 

 should regain the upper hand. 



It seems evident that the atrocities and wholesale destruction committed by 

 the Central Powers in the territories which they had over-run were due to exactly 

 similar sentiments. The opposition of the Belgians, for instance, and the entry 

 of the British nation, jeopardised the whole success of the German plans and 

 aroused the spirit of revenge. Hence the Belgians and British prisoners were the 

 first to suffer under atrocities inflicted by the enraged Germans. Desiring, 

 ultimately, to establish their own nationals in Belgium and portions of France, the 

 Germans adopted the policy of ruthless extermination whenever sufficient excuse 

 was forthcoming. A similar policy evidently actuated the Central Powers in 

 Serbia, Russia, Armenia, and the Caucasus. The fear of neutral States and, 

 ultimately, the fear of reprisals alone deterred. 



There is, evidently, a close analogy between international and civil war, both 

 being manifestations of identical sentiments and running similar courses. It is 

 not sufficient to consider merely how to put a termination to international war ; it 

 is equally necessary to study how to terminate civil war and all social evils which 

 are calculated to give rise to it. 



These sentiments which give rise to wars are not cold-blooded and easily con- 

 trolled. They are ruthless and, perhaps, uncontrollable. War is, indeed, a 

 " passionate drama." 



When we consider how deeply rooted are these sentiments in human nature, 

 the motive power, the very springs of action, it is, of course, evident that they can 

 never be eradicated. If such a thing were possible, would not human activity 

 cease? Remove the instinct of self-preservation, the spirit of competition, of 

 emulation, of legitimate ambition, would not all progress cease ? It may, however, 

 be possible to control illegitimate ambition and revenge. 



But it is only a sense of absolute security as between nations, the eradication 

 of ambition, the existence of comfort and prosperity amongst all sorts and condi- 

 tions of men, which can give immunity from war. The mere limitation, or even 

 abolition, of armaments can have but little effect; for, in the future, the most 

 appalling and destructive war can be waged by means of mercantile aircraft and 

 poisonous gas bombs, which latter can be constructed with ease, secrecy, and 

 rapidity by any nation which has hostile designs on its neighbour or is moved by 

 the spirit of revenge. Besides, " the moral is to the material as three is to one " ; 

 that is, the spirit is three times more powerful than numbers. It was the un- 

 quenchable spirit of the old " Contemptibles " which enabled them to stand up to 

 double their numbers in 1914. Thus, you might have two nations with armies 

 identical in numbers, armament, etc., yet one, possessing the fighting spirit, might 

 be double or three times as powerful as the other. 



It is the fighting spirit, the " will for war," which must be eradicated or 

 controlled. 



(To be continued) 



