Militarization of Europe 217 



their resources for the renewal of the struggle as 

 soon as they could recuperate their losses. The 

 philosophy of force and the spirit of militarism 

 have been immensely strengthened by the censor- 

 ship of the press and the concentration on the work 

 of destruction in all the belligerent countries, and 

 this definite militarization of the minds of the 

 people, if the war is continued long enough, will 

 greatly strengthen the forces of reaction. The pro- 

 cess which is going on may be judged from the fol- 

 owing statement in the London Morning Post ' less 

 than three months after the beginning of the war : 



The absurd talk about this war being a war against 

 militarism has now subsided. . . . There has been in 

 the recent past a horrid disease of internationalism. 

 . . . Militarism, said to be so bad a thing in itself, 

 has become the sole business of the nation. . . . 

 Democracy may still exist, but it is no longer in 

 evidence. . . . 



If this is an indication of the condition in Eng- 

 land, — the most democratic of all the countries 

 engaged in the war, — the effect of the process of 

 militarization and of the suppression of the freedom 

 of the press and of speech in the other countries 

 can readily be imagined. Nor can it be assumed 

 that the effects of this condition will be only tempo- 

 rary, and that after the war everything will be 

 restored as if by magic. A process of militariza- 

 tion of public opinion cannot be carried on day 



'Leading article, October 20, 1914. 



