STERN USES OF WAR

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2267, 29 September 1914, Page 8

STERN USES OF WAR

CURE FOR A SICK WORLD BRACER TO OUR NATIONAL FIBRE ...

[Br . Sylvius.]

: Was this- •' international conflict predestined ?'■ Had the civilised world sickened for -the strife ? Will it bo the salvation of the nations... engaged? These are. questions-which'-will a little" later on absorb the attentions of that type of historian, who, to a greater or less extent, believes'that all great evente having an effect on the destinies of nations are the creation of forces far removed from the international political arena. To those who look for' causes beneath the. surface arid the show'of current events; the assassination of the heir to the throne of Austria at Sarajevo was no more the cause of the present, war than the landing of Julius Caesar in England in tlie year So B.C. ilt, was preordained.'by forces which I have been at work for a quarter of a century past—the steady military aggression of a great Power, which sought sooner or later' to thrust itself forward as dictator to the whole world, and, whilst professing the utmost friendship to mankind .in general, and posing as iho greatest propagandist of peace, had for its ultimate goal the y smashing of the nation which had so long claimed to be mistress of the seas,, as well as of the greatest part of the earth habitable by ■ white people. - Only a few weeks ago Professor J. J.-'EinSlay, of'.. the Manchester University, in. lecturing in Wellington on the, subject of education," spoke, rather sorrowfully of ihe national outlook in Ensland. . Quite openly, he said, that we inrthe Dominions over the sea, who called England.-"home," were much more patriotic than were the people of the Old Country. . ' . . .

Sport a Fetish.. . 'Compulsory '.trainiriK! . What politician striving to get into Parliament 'would dare.'to';advocate'euclr a-'thins? in dear; old conservative England.? Who was going to miss a match between the Hotspur .and tho Blackhoath Wanderers to rim' about tho country with, a rifle,-.or. give.up a holiday in order to learn how to'shoot'-straight? Who, indeed?, Some sis or .seven years ago a'' highly laudable, attempt was made to galvanise %> masses of England intotaking an active interest in the- country's lack of.. military •'condition by an eaTnestMvnter, of ..talent and originality who fashioned .his ideas of the; possibility, of ; an. ijiyasiou in. a play entitled "An Englishman's'.'Home:" jln' this play it..was very forcibly set out that England—the .England "which held volunteering..in .contempt,..aud compulsory training-as an airy fable, the England, -tliat: .wanted..to..cut. down .tlio Standing Army to bare -bones, and \vliich. grudgingly ..kept lip. the' strengt-li of'tho Navy—had made a. fetish, .of' lepo'rt, and other things thaV wore'dis-: ■tracting- in : aj frivolous, ./sense. It is tommon. news-to Jiea.r s 6f 60,000 ,or ■70,000-. people, looking- at 22 men play football,/20.p00-to , see a. : ■-. black, 'man. 'pvnch'. a white man senseless,; a.-'quartei of a million to -see a. boat-race on- tlio Thames,' , and pay for-'.the. privilege. Compulsory, training' iitwhich before tho war was as far off ns over, was accepted with considerable doubt in Australia and: New Zealand, but since the system hr.s been given a swing- the young fellows, havo found that it-is'not at all an arduous or uninteresting form of improving one's phy-. and knowledge of armaments, and the prompt manner in which we in Now Zealnnd nave been enabled to mobilise 1 oiir Expeditionary. Force is, in a measure, good recomiriendation for the system'. After the war I have not the slightest doubt .tliat England willndopfc compulsory training-on some modified stale, so that she may- always have ni her disijosal a citizen army that knows ite- business.

- V/ar—the Purifier. . War is a terrible purifier. , Whilst it scourges the body politic', empties t!je exchequer, and sears a million hearts, it also remorselessly removes those rank growths which take root in. our social life in timos of prolonged peace. It was Imogen (in "Cymbeline") 1 --who said:. "Plenty and peace breed cowards: hardness ever of hardiness is mother." She might, have gone further, and said that 'peaces breeds an enervating softness which is tlie primum. mobile practices injurious to the character of a people. Tliere was a time when Lon-. Don—England—was considered conservative in its social pleasures. There have been occasions when the- soft luxurious lifo has been 1 most rudely interrupted by a stern appeal to arms. A notflble instance, was the rise and victory of Cromwell's "Roundheads! , over the Cavaliers, who had languished too long in my boudoir to hear the growl.of an outraged people* and who, when put to the test, wore found to be quite' brave enough, but the "sterner stuff" of- Cromwell's iron, men was tooniu'ch.for them in the conflict. It was England's clmfening. Of recent years travellers tell tho tale that Paris is-dull after London—dull Jn the sense that there are more social distrnctirjns, going to a greater length of frivolity; than are to bo found on fho Continent. It is only a few months since tho cables announced that fho niilhor-Hf-bad had to suppress tho all-night clubs in London,' Tlie ten den cy towards the outrages in public entertainments is written on the wall—or printed in the English Press.. Nowadays, it is not tho distinguished scientist, man of letters, or soldier who gets the most Detention from Press and public. No, indeed! It is the most daring; exponent of the latest dance, or the star 1 actress who appears in the play which most nearly approaches tho border-linn, of indecency. Censors havo had to bo established at Home to subedit animated pictures, on account jbo' salacious character of ninny, of the.'pictures that were.bo-ing'exhibited. Only a few years ago sober-minded playgoers with n genuine love for legitimate.comic opera were alarmed at the lengths gone to in lighter musical comedy, but the latter has now given way to 'the revue, which in many instances in London and on the-'Continent, snaps lingers at common decency. The manner in which we have seen the "tango" danced in New Zealand does not even reflect the manner in which this dance may be and is performed in less conservative communities. The general trend hinted at is' also well sustained by Ihe fashion leaders of the day,' as well as by tho modern novelist, who often is permitted to go the extreme limit without receiving a chock from the censor.

Sound at Core. It may be that the present war will purge England and the countries engaged in tliie mighty conflict of tlio demoralising tendencies of the past decade, and bring them upstanding to faco the world with a stronger, clearer, and cleaner regard to thoir position in the world ns civilising leaders. At core the heart of the nation is sound. . Tho mug. nincent bearing of the British troops atthe front has proved that time after time. How they have stuck to their work, doggedly and uncomplainingly, in the water-filled treiiches\ilong the Aisne telis a tale tliat will add a golden'page to the history of British arms. And tho morale- of our troops is repeatedly said

to be excellent. This moane victory in the end. A first-class authority in tho person of Napoleon said: "In war threefourths aro matters of moral' ascendancy; the balance of the actual" forces engaged only counts for tho remaining fourth."