Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, JUNE 14, 1915. THE WAR AND THE FUTURE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 14 June 1915, Page 4

Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, JUNE 14, 1915. THE WAR AND THE FUTURE.

IT is astonishing .how .widely the -brutal Jiemhardd teaching ".that war- is a . biological necessity of the first importance, a regulative element in the life of m<ankiind," which cannot be dispensed* with since, ''without it an unhealthy development will follow, which excludes every t advancement of the race, and therefore jail real civilization," has been accepted' in Germany. In an interesting examin'af lib'u of war iii -its biological aspect, iaj cinded among the "Papers for war 1 Time," 'issued by the Oxford University Press, Professor J. .Arthur- Thomson, of "Aberdeen-TJnivajsity; the author of.several - '•publica.'cte-iis? .'dealing with. zoology,, biology - and kindred, subjects, expresses the vfew that a'vohmiary army raised in a. •Crisis includes a 'disproportionately large ■ number -of those .whom the-'nation can least afford .to lose. If Great Britain,: he observes, has to raise an army of three millions audi a-quarter, that would be about half the male population between

' 18: tand- 45 years of age, and it- would mean—not as if every second; mail were chosen by lot—that a larger proportion of the more'patriotic an-cli courageous would be mobilised. In this way he •argues that it; seems almost' certain that ; wiftr -works-' precisely in the wrong- direc-|lfcion".-in its bearing upon the heritable welfare of the race. Professor Thomson expresses the conclusion that biologically regarded, war is a reversion of that mode of the struggle for existence in which rats excel —namely, internecine competition, and that of the many forms which tliei struggle for existence'assumes war :is> the crudest «uid-- ; most .primitive.. War thus revealed is far-, from being in accordance with Nature's .message to man, and fr-Om ,a' biological ppint of .view, he holds, must be regarded with anxiety owing to the radical impoverishment which it seems bound to bring about. As : , possible counter-actions,, lie A suggests that wo may perhaps look for a more markedt disapproval of selfish forms of- cplebacy and a stronger encouragement of chivalrous marriages, and he admits further that a freshened enthusiasm may spring rip lor fitness' and a high standard; of health. Professor Thomson hopes that some clearer -understanding of what selection means may lead ; us to scrutinise -the retrenchments which the 'costliness' of war will necessitate.'' It is for the nation to recognise that the "Costs of this great tragedy are not to- be m.&asured simpiy on the red batt'efields ofi,Europe, but in the years yet to-come.

-One of ' Saturday's cables reported that 'the Italian, vanguard, having crossed, the Isonzo river, .tlie.Austrian.; tenure of Goyitza (or Gorz) is uncertain. The eastern adivance. of the Italians has rapid, for the country -was .favourable, and the; resistance weak.; The Italian movement has been along two railway lines——one running through Cormons to to Govizia, : the, other: from Cerviguano to■ Montfalcone In the centre the .main road was .parallel with the' railways to Gradisca, ,on the- right- bank of the Isonza. The main defence in .this region is along the Isonza river, and if the Italians are able to get- their main forces across, further advance should, be rapid.

It is perfectly clear that the German navy as acting in conformity with the general scheme ofaggression despite the fact that it is maintaining the defensive. Germany could not. risk her battleships in a naval conflict without' reasonable chances of "success, for defmt would : mean loss of command of . the Baltic, which would immediately pass to Russia, and the whole of the coasts of East, and West Prussia, Mcckletnburg, Pom crania, and the Baltic side of Schileswig-Holstein would he open to attack and military disaster would soon follow the naval loss.

The iron barrier 'which guards _ Germany on both frontier's is still intact. The enemy possesses all the advantages which modern warfare confers upon a. defensive scheme. It is his hope that the Allies will 'dash their millions against his fortified : posit-idhs and waste theft strength. But there are opportunities for the Allies, andi the attack will be carried out upon a scheme that will tfive good chances of success It has been repeatedly pointed, out that up the valley of "the Lys an 4 the. valley of the Meuse the. most formidable attacks are expected to be made'-

Quite early iii. tlio war the Italians despatched a small naval expedition and occupied the excellent harbour of Valona, on • the .•■.*>!•- Albania, -opposite to the Strait of Otrarito, which is' the bottle-neck of the' Adriatic. The forethought that- .dictated'. the occupation of "Valoua is now manifest It enables

the Italian navy to cork") nv the Austrian -warships securely the, Adrid/tic, where, apart froin bombarding the Italian co-xst towiis-, t-liey can do very little harm-. The Austrian. navy l is thereby precluded from carrying outthe chief function of a fleet, which <is to secure the -use of all the sea- routes for its own forces, andi to deny, them to the forces of the enemy/

. 'Hie average time necessary to build and put afloat an under-water ship of a •displacement of 700 to IGCO tons has hitherto been about twelve months in British yards, when the staff are experienced in the work, and plans arc settled. In Germany, under stress of war and want, it may be that the work has beetn accelerated, somewhat,- but the naval authorities fail to see' how their submarine establishment . could be jVery materially increased tinder ten months, and therefore, Germany not increase her submarine fieeit . so quickly as many people believe to be possible.