WAR
are crammed every morning with the most thrilling news.
To the influence of the press must be attributed the fact
that, whereas during the Franco-Prussian War the suicide
rate declined only in the belligerent countries, during the
World War a considerable decline was registered even in
the neutral states. In 1870 about half the inhabitants of
Europe were unable to reac}, and newspapers were few and
expensive. JBy 1914 primary education had everywhere been
compulsory for more than a generation and the addiction to^
newspaper reading had spread to all classes of the popula-
tion. Thus even neutrals were able to enjoy, vicariously
and at second hand, the exciting experience of war.
Up to the end of the last war non-combatants, except in
countries actually subject to invasion, were not in great
physical danger. In any future war It is clear that they
will be exposed to risks almost, if not quite, as great as
those faced by the fighting men. This will certainly tend
to diminish the enthusiasm of non-combatants for war.
But if it turns out that the effects of air bombardment are
less frightful than most experts at present believe they will
be, this enthusiasm may not be extinguished altogether, at
any rate during the first months of a war. During the last
war, a fair proportion of the combatants actually enjoyed
some phases at least of the fighting. Th,e escape from the
dull and often stultifying routines of peace-time life was
welcomed, even though that escape was bought at the price
of physical hardship and the risk of death and mutilation.
It is possible that conditions in any future war will be so
appalling that even the most naturally adventurous and
combative human beings will soon come to hate and fear
the process of fighting. But until the next war actually
breaks out, nobody can have experience of the new
conditions of fighting. Meanwhile, all the governments
are actively engaged in making a subtle kkid of propa-
ganda that is directed against potential enemies, but not
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