THE NEXT WAR

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 76, Issue 108, 10 May 1933, Page 6

THE NEXT WAR

HAT will be the character of the next war? What weapons will be used—and just what will be their effect? These are reasonable questions prompted by the condition of affairs in Germany, by the adamant attitude of France, and by the general deterioration of conditions in Europe. So disturbing are’ these questionings that the Inter-Parlia-mentary Union has organised an enquiry and published the results in book form under the title of “What Would be the Character of a New War?” The above, and similar questions, have been answered by such authorities as General Fuller, Major Lefebure, Nicolas Politis, Sir Norman Angell, General Requiii, and Dr. Gertrud Woker. Dr. Woker’s contribution is possibly the most appalling picture of what may be in store for the world if warfare breaks out again. After describing the effects of the different forms of chemical and bacteriological warfare that may be expected, Dr. Woker asserts: —“The best proof that in future wars the bacteriological weapon will be used both alone and in conjunction with poison gas, is the fact that various countries are preparing for bacteriological warfare. ... It is obvious that this strange form of research, which is a serious menace to humanity as a whole, is being carried far beyond what could be considered the needs of defence by all the States engaged in preparations for bacteriological warfare. It is far from being limited to the study of means for protecting the civilian population against an attack of this kind by bacteria, inoculation, or police regulations against disease. On the contrary, these defensive measures mean the mass culture of the most virulent type of bacteria for spreading disease amongst men and animals, the study of means of using them for producing disease on a large scale in an enemy country, and the possibilities of rendering the protective measures in enemy countries ineffective. This form of armament preparation means paving the way for broadcasting diseases by modern scientific methods.” The contest is being removed from the iron foundry, and from the engineer’s shop into the bacteriologist’s laboratory. The results will be that the individual will be unable to defend himself against this new form of attack; he will be unable, also, to exercise that quality of courage which for so long has been the main justification for warfare in the case of the apologist for belligerency. The worst feature of this activity, however, lies in the fact that whereas it is a tradition of the scientific investigator in the bacteriological and medical field to publish freely, and without hope of reward, the results of his investigations, now the worker in this field of scientific warfare will work covertly to serve base ends. Co-operation in the cause of humanity is attacked. It may be destroyed altogether. The outlook is perplexing as well as appalling. This new development indicates that mankind cannot be saved from itself by science alone. Science in the last century, it was hoped, would usher in a new era. It has: but these new developments indicate that science can be used to serve inhuman ends, and that to teach men to be capable of scientific thought and accomplishment is not to make them better men. Capability is one thing; it is a very desirable attribute for the individual and for the race to possess, but it is not of itself enough. The laws which govern the universe, and which are the laws of life, must be, and shall be obeyed, or the race shall perish. A new turn might be given to the ancient saying, “The meek shall inherit the earth.”