4 JUNE 1910, Page 2

In the course of a striking address made last Saturday

to the Oxford University Officers' Training Corps, Sir Ian Hamilton declared that " where all was problematical, war at least was probable." The reason for this was that the whole world was based upon competitive institutions; and as examples might be given the examination system—" a peculiarly ferocious type of cut-throat competition "—and strikes—each of which "destroyed more people, notably women and children, than several honest fights with foot, artillery, and horse." Sir Ian Hamilton proceeded to show that history taught us the vanity of international peace propaganda, and especially of the "enervating doctrines" of disarmament. " It was the bleating of timid sheep which attracted the wolves from the forest."