Among the extraordinary theories that were generally believed during the war none had a_ wider vogue than the idea that it was the war to end war. The intelligent and thoughtful portion of the community shared this illusion in common with the ignorant and credulous. The spectre of war was this time to be exorcised for ever. Many a soldier stoically enduring the misery of life_in the trenches solaced himself With the thought that by so doing his little son would be spared in future years any such experience.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.