Calendar: 1927-1928 Page 488

OX THE USES OF THE STUDY OF WAK ill We require then surer basis for the love of peace than is provided by dread of the sufferings of war Still doubt not that there are some to-day who like their forbears in the years which followed Waterloo would regard the establishment of chair of Military Studies in this great university as promoting militarism and as tending to mislead youth The answer to such is easy History teaches if we will learn from it that the neglect of the study of war not by professionals but by citizens has been direct cause of war It was commonly said after the war that autocratic systems of government had been one of the chief contributory causes to its outbreak and that when democracy was everywhere triumphant such wars would cease But the records of the past show that demo- cracy cannot establish claim to abhorrence even of offensive war It was popular enthusiasm for Jenkins and his ear which forced Walpole into an ill-considered and ill-conducted war with Spain and dotted the countryside with Porto-Bello inns It was in 1854 great wave not of jingoism which was of later birth but of liberal indigna- tion which swept an unwilling Queen and reluctant Premier utterly unprepared into war with Russia In another great democracy it was again wave of popular indigna- tion which in 1898 forced more than hesitating President almost equally unprepared into war with Spain Democracy ignorant of war is as apt to be danger to peace as are the ambitions of autocratic rulers If war is the concern of the whole people those who can guide public opinion must know war for the valour of ignorance is not only as dangerous as is militarism it is an even less certain founda- tion upon which to build those moral quantities which we know are of cardinal importance if war comes It can think be shown that neglect of the study of war by those who have devoted themselves to examination of the causes of other social evils and to other aspects of political science contributed to the creation of that condition of Europe which brought about the World War The one military philosopher of eminence who has yet appeared is von Clausewitz He wrote much about war which is of great value His reputation as military prophet became established and his influence amongst the military thinkers of Europe was supreme Through them his doctrine directly or indirectly influenced states- men and other leaders of public opinion Yet his fundamental principle was false War he declared is the continuation of policy doubt whether von Clausewitz intended that statement to be interpreted as it was interpreted by his more ardent disciples who took it to mean that the function of the statesman was to decide upon the foreign policy which was best for the national interest to carry that policy through if possible by peaceful mean- but if peaceful means did not produce the desired results then to have ready sufficient force to ensure their attainment and to use that force L'laiisewitz Vom Kriege