Page:"The next war"; an appeal to common sense (IA thenextwarappeal01irwi).pdf/37

 life of every able-bodied young man; and its obvious end was not creation of wealth, but destruction.

But the nations in general could not let go, even had their statesmen desired to renounce “Financial Imperialism” and its buttress of great standing armies. If for no other reason, because Germany sat in the centre of Europe, unconverted to any theories which involved military disarmament; and England sat behind her sea walls, afraid of any theories which involved naval disarmament. But Germany was setting the pace. She had learned the “lesson” of the Franco-Prussian war—a “nation in arms,” an army methodically, scientifically prepared from its boots to its plan of campaign, eternally ready for that sudden stroke which catches the enemy unprepared. Scientific military preparation had laid the foundations for the prosperity and greatness of modern Germany. More scientific preparation—more prosperity and greatness! That German genius for organization, scarcely suspected before 1870, sprang into full blaze. And the army was organized into every German institution. The state schools educated the children to make them not only good citizens and efficient workers, but also good soldiers. With a skill and thoroughness which was the marvel of its time, Germany wove the army into the fabric of civilian life. Her state railways were laid down not only for commercial needs but also with a view to moving great bodies of troops