“Taranaki Central Press” SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1937. NEW STRIKING POWER IN WAR.

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 371, 27 February 1937, Page 4

“Taranaki Central Press” SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1937. NEW STRIKING POWER IN WAR.

Che vast rearmament of Europe in the air is based on the relatively new theory that the aeroplane is the new striking power. New wars are to be of few weeks’ duration. Vast fleets of planes are to soar into the skies with two main objectives the big cities with their industrial plants and the air fields of the enemy. Destrcying the air fields will prevent counter-attacks. Bombing the big cities not only will disorganise industry, but will strike such fear to the hearts of the civilian population that they will stampede the’r governments into suing for peace at any price.

J low the military minds over-simplified the problem so much that they felt air bombings would make the population break and run is a matter for wonder. After all, there is no real difference between the civilian population and the soldiers—except that the latter wear uniforms. The soldiers come from the people. If they survive a war they return to the pedpl'e- And the mental qualities that make up a good soldier certainly are not given only to children who will grow up to bear arms.

Certain military minds have been spreading theories that would tend to neutralise the dozens of books about the World War which have turned so many people to the earnest pursuit of peace. These theories might be outlined as follows, according to one authority: A war based on four years in the muck of the trenches was one thing. A war with only a few weeks of fighting before victory is something else. In this kind of war there is all the glamour of the older style military service, the intoxication of quick victory, very few losses. Such is the war of the future, we are told, thanks to the aeroplane which will frighten civilians into early peace.

Evidently another war might not be terminated in a few weeks but could drag on for years. The early glamour would soon turn into the bitterness that marked the World War. People aware of this possibi'litv may well ask their governments what assurances there are of quick and easy victory due to the aeroplane' There are going to be no simple victories. Why not, then, more vigorous efforts for peace and disarmament to keep that peace?