The General Strike Against War.

But if the problem of unemployment among our own people becomes acute, we shall have to fall back on the Minority Report proposals or else run the risk of a revolt against the war.  We have already counted on the chances of that revolt hampering Germany, just as Germany counted on the chances of its hampering Russia, The notion that the working classes can stop a war by a general international strike is never mentioned during the first rally to the national flag at the outbreak of a war; but it is there all the time, ready to break out again if the supplies of food and glory run short.  Its gravity lies in its impracticability.  If it were practicable, every sane man would advocate it.  As it is, it might easily mean that British troops would be coercing British strikers at home when they should be fighting Potsdam abroad, thus producing a disastrous and detestable division of popular feeling in the face of the enemy.

The Disarmament Delusion.

Objections to the Western Pacifist settlement will come from several quarters, including the Pacifist quarters.  Some of the best disposed parties will stumble over the old delusion of disarmament.  They think it is the gun that matters.  They are wrong:  the gun matters very much when war breaks out; but what makes both war and the gun is the man behind them.  And if that man really means the peace of the world to be kept, he will take care to have a gun to keep it with.  The League of Peace must have a first-rate armament, or the League of War will very soon make mincemeat of it.  The notion that the men of evil intent are to have all the weapons will not work.  Theoretically, all our armaments should be pooled.  But as we, the British Empire, will most certainly not pool our defenses with anyone, and as we have not the very smallest intention of disarming, and will go on building gun for gun and ship for ship in step with even our dearest friends if we see the least risk of our being left in a position of inferiority, we cannot with any countenance demand that other Powers shall do what we will not do ourselves.  Our business is not to disable ourselves or anyone else, but to organize a balance of military power against war, whether made by ourselves or any other Power; and this can be done only by a combination of armed and fanatical Pacifists of all nations, not by a crowd of non-combatants wielding deprecations, remonstrances, and Christmas cards.

America’s Example:  War at a Year’s Notice.

How far it will be possible to take these national armaments out of national control remains to be seen.  Already America, who is as deeply demoralized by Capitalism as we are, though much less tainted with Militarism now that Colonel Roosevelt has lost his front seat, has pledged herself to several European States not to go to war with them until the matter under dispute has been in the hands of an international tribunal