19 SEPTEMBER 1914, Page 2

Friday's Times oontains a letter from Lord Cromer on "Germany

and Ourselves" which will give a double pleasure to thousands of readers. Its wise and vigorous terms are most useful and most timely in themselves, and they show how completely he is now restored to health :— "Let me add my firm oonviction that the fear, which seems to prevail in some quarters, that, as a result of the war, the external and internal policy of this country may be guided by what is termed the military party,' is a pure delusion, and merely affords additional proof that as in the early days of the French Revolution, politicians of a certain type allow themselves to become the prey of words and formulas. A 'military party,' in the obnoxious sense of the expression, means, I conceive, a body of men who hold that soldiers, rather than civilians, should be the guides of national policy, and generally that might should prevail overright. There is no such party in this country, and it is well nigh inconceivable that any such party should ever be created. The only military party ' in existence consists of those who, whether soldiers or civilians, think that reasonable preparation should be made for the contingency of war, who entertain a deep respect for the constitutional authorities of their native land, and who hold quite as strongly as those with whom they may at times differ as regards methods and systems that soldiers should be the servants and not the masters of the nation."

Lord Cromer goes on to point out bow absolutely necessary it is that "the military tyranny of Prussianized Germany should be overthrown." Lord Cromer's letter should be care- fully studied as a whole by all who desire that this war shall be the last war of this epoch and not the parent of new wars.