in the international agreement and will make possible a considerable diminution of the military expenses, which now oppress the European nations at the expense of the solution of social questions, the necessity of which is felt by every state individually, threatening to provoke an internal war in the effort to avert one from without. “It is possible at least to assume a diminution of the enormous expenses which are needed in connection with the present business of war, which aims at the possibility of seizing the adversary’s possessions within twenty-four hours and giving a decisive battle a week after the declaration of war.”
What is needed is, that states should not be able to attack other states and in twenty-four hours to seize the possessions of others.
This practical idea was expressed by Maxime du Camp, and to this the conclusion of the article is reduced.
M. du Camp’s propositions are these:
“Military action cannot begin sooner than a month after the declaration of war.
“War cannot be begun … must …”
… and so forth.
But who will see to it that war cannot be begun? Who will see to it that men must do so-and-so? Who will compel the power to wait until the proper time? All the other powers need just as much to be moderated and placed within bounds and compelled. Who will do the compelling? and how?—Public opinion.—But if there is a public opinion which can compel a power to wait for a given time, the same public opinion can compel the power not to begin the war at all.