WHY I BELIEVE IN WAR
[To the Editor of TILE SPECTATOR.]
SIR,—Three correspondents have shown up the fallacies which Major Yeats-Brown mistakes for facts (one which was not pointed out is that he alone understands the Creator's design). May I be allowed to strike at one of the weak places in his argument ?
He believes in war because his god, who used to be Buddha, but is now the Hebrew Jah-veh, ordains it ; and because it promotes useful changes. How can he explain, then, the general agreement that wars have been foolish and unnecessary ?
Without quoting " old Caspar," I refer him to Lord Salis- bury's admission that in the Crimean War we " put our money on the wrong horse " ; to Mr. Lloyd George's statement that no one wanted the War of 1914, but that we " stumbled and staggered " into it ; to the exact fulfilment of Walpole's prophecy on the outbreak of war in 1789 (" they are ringing the bells now ; they will be wringing their hands before long "). Outside this country, and by a great many within it, the opinion is held that the South African War was a hideous blunder and miscalculation on the part of Milner and Chamberlain. Outside the United States, and by a good number of Americans, the Civil War is regarded as a disaster that might have been avoided.
Both sides invariably condemn war as a " wickedness " committed or provoked by the other side. We say the Napoleonic Wars were due to criminal ambition, the French say that they were fought in defence of outworn monarchies which had better have disappeared at that epoch than have lingered on to the years 1917-18. Germans and French alike deplore the war of 1870-71 (which helped to cause that of 1914-18), but the French say it was all the fault of Bismarck, while the Germans blame Louis Napoleon.
If Jah-veh does ordain wars, this can only confirm the impression one gets from the Old Testament—that his lack of foresight (not to speak of political acumen) is as manifest as his fondness for blood. If Major Yeats-Brown could say : " Look at the valuable results that have followed wars and the general admission that, however horrible, they have been worth while," his reliance on Jah-veh might be intellig- ible. But, of course, he can't.—I am, Sir, &e.,
London. HAMILTON FYFE. [Owing to pressure on our space, we have been compelled to hold over several letters on this subject.—En. The Spectator.]
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