THE LOGIC OF WAR.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 14205, 6 February 1915, Page 4

THE LOGIC OF WAR.

Writing in the "Nineteenth Century" on General yon Bernhardi's views on the moral logic of war, Mr W. 11. Malloclc makes an exhaustive analysis of these views, and then remarks that the best criticism of them is to be found in the events which have so rapidly followed. The present war has shown that force is an inexpuugable element, in the shaping of human affairs, and that in insisting on this fact General yon Bernhardi is correct. It has emphasised his admissions that the triumph of mere force requires to be justified by some principle' external to itself; but it has also,,shown by the light of burning towns and villages how unsuccessful both General yon Bernhardi and his countrymen have been in their attempt to discover what that principle is. The relation of force to morality is not by any means simple, but we have to thank Bernhardi and the war for teaching us the lesson that, though the doctrine of mer<? miuht as the arbiter of right is monstrous, it is idle to prattle about right if there is no might to defend it.