The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 13, 1910 ATTACK AND DEFFENCE.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 13 September 1910, Page 2

The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 13, 1910 ATTACK AND DEFFENCE.

Twknty years ago, fifteen years ago, and ten years ago, people read and were told that tlie time of universal peace was in sight "becauso arms of offence 'bad 'been made so perfect, so powerful, and so deathly that civilised men would ref'uso to stand nip against them alter the first ensuing war had shown their extreme deadlines." Some halfdozen wars have been waged during tbe last two decades, including the internecine struggle under arms between the forces of Russia and Japan; but to-day the various nations are as ready and as prone ■to war as ever tlhey wore, and millions of men are drilled and ready to wage coiwbat whenever their ffjwiiiiuients or overlords declare the time fitting. Those who prophesied otherwise bad their eye:-, up.m one aspect only, and they failed to sco that the collective mind of man which had perfected the ivnp'O'ns would prove equally skilful in devising effective defences r.iiul safeguards. Thus it comes about that even the latest scientific exa tuple of offensive war methods—tlie utilisation of flying machines—has "bean "tried and found t wanting. , ' At the German military manoeuvres last week, tbo defenders of n position succeeded in crvptit ring s:n airship which had been put out of effective action by the elements; and, further, the occupants of another dirigible air monster were , hoodwinked by the erection of false guns and sham field works, whereby the actual field forces were enabled to establish themselves in a part of the field very far removed from the spot at which the air vessels were being caused to waste their time and atticks. .Suc'h occurrences go far to-. wnv'Jk showing that neither the inventiveness nor tbo ingenuity of i.inu has been tried., to its ultimata ond. The further moral to ■be deducted from tho c'ccu.rrences is t!iat air ships, while they may add a .few more mental as well as phy.'.'ical terrors to warfare, will by no liicnr.s make its pursuit impossible. The prudent nations still will endeavour to make peace permanent 'by preparing fully for war's eventualities, turning meanwhile a deaf ear to tho sophistries.of those who protest that preparation for war makes war unavoidable.