122 The Special Sociological Errors 



mon in regard to active or dynamic war is also 

 almost universal in regard to latent or potential 

 wars, the condition of armed peace. In practi- 

 cally all the discussions of armament, the tendency 

 is to consider the problem of two parties — war — 

 in terms of one. For example : Winston Churchill, 

 as First Lord of the British Admiralty, has laid 

 down the following rule : 



The way to secure peace is to be so strong that 

 victory in the event of war is certain. 



When this "axiom" is stated in terms of two 

 nations, it amounts to saying that for two nations 

 to keep the peace, each must be stronger than the 

 other. This is, of course, a physical impossibility, 

 and the great war was brought about, in large 

 measure, by all the nations attempting to achieve 

 this physical impossibility — each nation trying 

 to secure peace by being stronger than all the 

 others. 



Another illustration of one-sided reasoning is 

 found in the argument that "preparedness" is 

 the cause of civilization. After the defeat of 

 1870 many of the French people claimed that if 

 France had been better prepared for war this 

 would not have taken place, and that the retarda- 

 tion of civilization which followed would not have 

 been produced. Therefore, preparation for war 

 is the cause of civilization. It is not necessary to 

 consider here whether peace can be secured by be- 



