"THE GREAT ILLUSION."

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 647, 28 February 1914, Page 7

"THE GREAT ILLUSION."

+ THE BOOK OF THE CENTURY. By '"Selwin," in the "Westralian Worker." At the present time a powerful peace propaganda is being pushed on in iJu European world. One of the ,-.*r<:atsst factors making for success bun been the publication of "The ■ ireat Illusion." The author, Norman Angell's powerful arguments show that war between civilised European nations must result in economic loss to the vanquished. The international credit system, by which modern trade is conducted, is so delirate and complex that the interruption which results from war spells ruin to thousands, both in the counti'le.s of the combatants and also in which have trade relations v-. ith them. These doctrines are at i.ho present time receiving verification in the Turko-Italian war, the 'ipr-hci of which will be that Tripoli will cost the Italians more in hard cash than if they had bought it acre by ai-re from the Turks. Besides the .".'.•.tu.il money spent in carrying on lO'lilities, and the lives usually sacrificed, the' _~onomic loss which will result from thousands of Italian re-servist-j being drawn from their occupations will be felt in Italy for many years to come. From the light j;iven to the world by Mr. Angell's great book the consensus of European public opinion is that Italy is making a very bad bargain. The much-discussed Moroccan question has also been an European eyeo\;cnar. It is generally conceded that the rise in insurance and discount rates, which resulted from the electrical state of the diplomatic atmosphere had the effect of turning German commercial opinion against an ultimate appeal to arms. The German merchants and manufacturers found that the tightness -of credit, coupled with high insurance, so seriously hampered their operations that the prospect of the conditions under actual warfare was appalling. Public opinion accordingly veered round in favor of peace, and what promised to be a serious European conflict was closed. All these recent happenings have been a powerful vindication of the truth which is enunciated in the ''Great Illusion." That is that war between civilised nations is an anachronism. It is inhuman, degrading and —last argument of all, and one which appeals to a commercial and industrial world —it is unpayable. It no longer pays to go to war. Even the prospect of a large indemnity which occasionally dazzles the eyes of an ambitious people would prove, on realisation, to be but a dubious benefit to the receiver. This is a very revolutionary statement, but Mr. Angell contends that the influx of an enormous sum of money into a country must be followed by a corresponding rise in the price of goods and a lowering of the price of gold. Consequently, seeing that wages will not be likely to follow the rise in the price of the necessities of life, the lot oi the working classes will become harder. A fictitious prosperity may result! but the large influx of labour into the cities, where most of the money would be spent, would cause a rise in rents quite sufficient to absorb all the increased wages of the worker. As a matter of fact, strongly counter to accepted public opinion as these arguments are, they are supported by an eminent German author, Mas Nordau, in his last boo': "'Tin Malady of the Century," written mrny years a'j.c- Nordau assertu trab the formation of the German Social Democratic paity was brought alout by the reaction which followed the paying off by France of the huge indemnity extorted from that country at the close of the Franco-Prussian war. With the cessation of these payments a large number of Germans found their source of income gone. Unemploym.'nt, with its concomitant poverty, stalked through the land. The Germ,:;: worker was in a perilous condition, and to resist the wage reduction inking place on every hand, he formod thoee immense unions which wi:kl such an influence upon German political thought. But the price of goods which naturally ross high during the period of prosperity, had not suffered any very perceptible decrease the net result of 400 millions of indemnity to the German people being low wages and high cost of living. The people of Fiance, who paid all this money, have completely recovered their prosperity, and are to-day the richest individual nation in the world. These are the two main arguments which are exercising the minds of thinking men in all parts of the world*. Years ago we came to the conclusion that war" was cruel and 1 ratal, and upon these grounds worked for the maintenance of peace ; but now, r.s a final triumph, Mr. Norman A has shown that from an economic standpoint war does not pay. Surely now in a world ruled by menr/ changers these arguments will prevail, and we may look forward hoV-cfnlly to the time when the United States of Europe will become an established fact. And among civilised nations at least the sword shall be laid aside and European battles relegated to books of history ; thrilling to read, but sad, alas, to experience in actual fact. Many other truths dealing with the financial aspect of war are ventilated in this book. The arguments are somewhat too complex and lengthy to be dealt with in a short review, and can only be appreciated by a personal perusal. In th~ second portion of th'is work the avthor .has treated upon what he callu 'The Human nature of the Case," his object being to reply to 'l:oce critics who, unable to answer bi.; economic arguments, say that

human ssnthncai is tite moot powerful cause of conflict. They claim that a natural animosity exists between different nations ; that these pugnacious instincts force the men tc the battleiield, and that so long as human nature is what it is, there must be war. This human nature argument has been the last stronghold of many another lost cause. 'J. ha assertion that human nature cannot change is as old as the philosophers, yet it receives its denial almost every day. Mr. Angell has brought out a number of examples which prove that human character, instead of be:nj moulded on a rigid plan, res;ends, as every other living thing must, tc its environment. Central Enrorc SCO years ago was almost constantly a battleground, and as far bad; a" history can trace the faction lights ol petty chiefs made life anrl property insecure. Now the pol'icemnn, keeps his beat on what was once a battlefield, and towns where once it was unsafe to walk at day, unarmed, are now at night the pleasure grounds c,f happy revellers. Surely these things indicate a change. Rational tho.ght has led individuals to settle their personal differences without an appeal to physical violence. Why. ther,, should not rational thought lead nations to do the same ? By these facts we are obliged to admit that human nature has undergone a considerable change. Individual men are not so inclined to fight each other as in the past. In fact so rare has individual combat become, that the world pays Jack Johnson and Irs fellows small fortun.s to batter each other with their fists. What then would we pay to see a real live tournet, with lances and two-handed swords ? Individual pugnacity is almost extinct. It is not reasonable to believe that amongst nations eo closely situated, and allied socially, commercially and intellectually, .national •■ animosity must also decline, and ultimately become extinct ? It is quite possible that this will be the case, and as time rolls on the increasing intercourses between the commoners of the various nations will have the result that, even if in official circles war is declared, the people may declare for. and en'orce peace. Of course the author of this book and his disciples fully realise that the less civilised nations may in the future still continue their conflicts. But in the light of modern knowledge and the growth of humanism war between two countries such as England and Germany should be impossible.