20 JANUARY 1956, Page 7

A FRIEND of mine who has a friend who has

some connection With the Territorial Army has sent me a form which contains definitions to be applied to 'War.' This is a harmless enough document which reveals that 'limited war' is, in the opinion of the War Office, nothing other than 'any international armed Conflict short of global war.' Nor is it startling to learn that `Cold War is therefore defined as the continuing world-wide struggle between Communism and the Free World waged by all means short of international armed conflict.' But what I really admire is the subtlety of the requirements that the adjectives 'warm' and 'total' should in future be avoided as they lack precision, and that 'the adjective conventional should not be applied to war but only be related tp weapons. . . .' This means, I suppose, the official burial of the last lingering hope that war might yet be conducted again on sporting lines.