war and the future-第25章
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up and go up hill。 You halt and begin to rotate。 Through the
open door； the green field； with its red walls； rows of worksheds
and forests of chimneys in the background； begins a steady
processional movement。 The group of engineers and officers and
naval men appears at the other side of the door and farther off。
Then comes a sprint down hill。 You descend and stretch your
legs。
About the field other Tanks are doing their stunts。 One is
struggling in an apoplectic way in the mud pit with a cheek half
buried。 It noses its way out and on with an air of animal
relief。
They are like jokes by Heath Robinson。 One forgets that these
things have already saved the lives of many hundreds of our
soldiers and smashed and defeated thousands of Germans。
Said one soldier to me： 〃In the old attacks you used to see the
British dead lying outside the machine…gun emplacements like
birds outside a butt with a good shot inside。 /Now/； these
things walk through。〃
3
I saw other things that day at X。 The Tank is only a beginning
in a new phase of warfare。 Of these other things I may only
write in the most general terms。
But though Tanks and their collaterals are being made upon a very
considerable scale in X； already I realised as I walked through
gigantic forges as high and marvellous as cathedrals； and from
workshed to workshed where gun carriages； ammunition carts and a
hundred such things were flowing into existence with the swelling
abundance of a river that flows out of a gorge； that as the
demand for the new developments grows clear and strong； the
resources of Britain are capable still of a tremendous response。
/If only we do not rob these great factories and works of their
men。/
Upon this question certain things need to be said very plainly。
The decisive factor in the sort of war we are now waging is
production and right use of mechanical material； victory in this
war depends now upon three things： the aeroplane； the gun； and
the Tank developments。 Theseand not crowds of menare the
prime necessity for a successful offensive。 Every man we draw
from munition making to the ranks brings our western condition
nearer to the military condition of Russia。 In these things we
may be easily misled by military 〃experts〃 We have to remember
that the military 〃expert〃 is a man who learnt his business
before 1914； and that the business of war has been absolutely
revolutionised since 1914； the military expert is a man trained
to think of war as essentially an affair of cavalry； infantry in
formation； and field guns； whereas cavalry is entirely obsolete；
infantry no longer fights in formation； and the methods of
gunnery have been entirely changed。 The military man I observe
still runs about the world in spurs； he travels in trains in
spurs； he walks in spurs； he thinks in terms of spurs。 He has
still to discover that it is about as ridiculous as if he were to
carry a crossbow。 I take it these spurs are only the outward and
visible sign of an inward obsolescence。 The disposition of the
military 〃expert〃 is still to think too little of machinery and
to demand too much of the men。 Behind our front at the time of
my visit there were； for example； many thousands of cavalry； men
tending horses； men engaged in transporting bulky fodder for
horses and the like。 These men were doing about as much in this
war as if they had been at Timbuctoo。 Every man who is taken
from munition making at X to spur…worshipping in khaki； is a dead
loss to the military efficiency of the country。 Every man that
is needed or is likely to be needed for the actual operations of
modern warfare can be got by combing out the cavalry； the brewing
and distilling industries； the theatres and music halls； and the
like unproductive occupations。 The under…staffing of munition
works； the diminution of their efficiency by the use of aged and
female labour； is the straight course to failure in this war。
In X； in the forges and machine shops； I saw already too large a
proportion of boys and grey heads。
War is a thing that changes very rapidly； and we have in the
Tanks only the first of a great series of offensive developments。
They are bound to be improved； at a great pace。 The method of
using them will change very rapidly。 Any added invention will
necessitate the scrapping of old types and the production of the
new patterns in quantity。 It is of supreme necessity to the
Allies if they are to win this war outright that the lead in
inventions and enterprise which the British have won over the
Germans in this matter should be retained。 It is our game now to
press the advantage for all it is worth。 We have to keep ahead
to win。 We cannot do so unless we have unstinted men and
unstinted material to produce each new development as its use is
realised。
Given that much； the Tank will enormously enhance the advantage
of the new offensive method on the French front； the method that
is of gun demolition after aerial photography； followed by an
advance； it is a huge addition to our prospect of decisive
victory。 What does it do？ It solves two problems。 The existing
Tank affords a means of advancing against machine…gun fire and of
destroying wire and machine guns without much risk of loss； so
soon as the big guns have done their duty by the enemy guns。 And
also behind the Tank itself； it is useless to conceal； lies the
possibility of bringing up big guns and big gun ammunition；
across nearly any sort of country； as fast as the advance can
press forward。 Hitherto every advance has paid a heavy toll to
the machine gun； and every advance has had to halt after a couple
of miles or so while the big guns （taking five or six days for
the job） toiled up to the new positions。
4
It is impossible to restrain a note of sharp urgency from what
one has to say about these developments。 The Tanks remove the
last technical difficulties in our way to decisive victory and a
permanent peace； they also afford a reason for straining every
nerve to bring about a decision and peace soon。 At the risk of
seeming an imaginative alarmist I would like to point out the
reasons these things disclose for hurrying this war to a decision
and doing our utmost to arrange the world's affairs so as to make
another war improbable。 Already these serio…comic Tanks；
weighing something over twenty tons or so； have gone slithering
around and sliding over dead and wounded men。 That is not an
incident for sensitive minds to dwell upon； but it is a mere
little child's play anticipation of what the big land ironclads
/that are bound to come if there is no world pacification/；
are going to do。
What lies behind the Tank depends upon this fact； there is no
definable upward limit of mass。 Upon that I would lay all the
stress possible； because everything turns upon that。
You cannot make a land ironclad so big and heavy but that you
cannot make a caterpillar track wide enough and strong enough to
carry it forward。 Tanks are quite possible that will carry
twenty…inch or twenty…five inch guns； besides minor armament。
Such Tanks may be undesirable； the production may exceed the
industrial resources of any empire to produce； but there is no
inherent impossibility in such things。 There are not even the
same limitations as to draught and docking accommodation that
sets bounds to the size of battleships。 It follows； therefore；
as a necessary deduction that if the world's affairs are so left
at the end of the war that the race of armaments continues； that
Tank will develop steadily into a tremendous instrument of
warfare； driven by engines of scores of thousands of horse…power；
tracking on a track scores of hundreds of yards wide and weighing
hundreds or thousands of tons。 Nothing but a world agreement not
to do so can prevent this logical development of the land
ironclad。 Such a structure will make wheel…ruts scores of feet
deep； it will plough up； devastate and destroy the country it
passes over altogether。
For my own part I never imagined the land ironclad idea would get
loose into war。 I thought that the military intelligence was
essentially unimaginative and that such an
