Calendar: 1927-1928 Page 492

OX THE USES OF THE STUDY OF WAR vii The crown of peace is not to be won without dust It will not be won by reliance upon memories of bitter experience unless experi- ence is backed by systematic study There are already signs that the fear and abhorrence of war are beginning to pass and that generation which knew not Joseph will need some more solid ground for just opinion than the sorrows of the bereaved the tales of veterans or the visits of the tax-collector We shall not obtain peace by the mere signing of covenants and pacts if we neglect to study calmly the import of our pledges and to be ready to meet them should they mature nor shall we promote peace if we rely upon an emotional dread of the terrible nor by shout- ing slogans such as No more War Lack of study makes us peculiarly susceptible to the slogan-a device for compressing the maximum of error into the minimum of space have cited examples from ancient and modern times and would take one more example from recent events The problem of Egypt is difficult and com- plicated and is still with us It has frequently been discussed in public and will be discussed again Every time it is discussed some organ or other proclaims that The Suez Canal is the vital artery of the British Empire have even observed that this statement which is presented as the major factor of the problem has crept from the Press into the mouths of statesmen Now it asserts if it asserts any- thing that the severance of the Suez Canal would be fatal to the British Empire Yet one may recall the fact that the British Empire enjoyed long and not unprofitable life before the Suez Canal was dug and that during the war it became necessary owing to the activities of hostile submarines to forbid the use not only of the Canal but of the Mediterranean to all traffic which could proceed by another route and yet the British Empire survived The Suez Canal is an invaluable trade route in time of peace but might easily again become almost useless for trade purposes in time of war It would be very dangerous to us if an enemy could secure the use of the Canal and at the same time deny it to us but that would mean that he would have both to defeat our fleet in the Mediterranean and at least neutralise Aden and Perim at one end Malta and Gibraltar at the other Egypt is becoming of increasing importance as centre of air traffic but of diminishing importance as channel of sea com- munication in time of war The danger of attempting to resolve such problems in phrase is evident There are then two main uses of the study of war The first which most concerns the citizen is to promote peace by promoting an understanding of the realities of war and of the problems which may lead to war The second which most concerns the professional but also does or should concern the citizen is to ensure that war if it comes is waged in the best possible way Of the first have said as much as time permits What part has great university to play in the second The study of war is necessarily based upon history It is true that