onel asked me about my experiences in the
South African War. He was reminded of it because a lieutenant belonging
to the South-West African Defence Corps happened to call upon him at
the practice-camp. I could only say that I had brought away with me
from the Transvaal an unspeakable abhorrence of war.

"Of war in general?" asked Falkenhein.

"Yes, indeed," I answered; and then it suddenly struck me what a
preposterous reply this was for an officer to make. I qualified the
assertion by saying I had assisted at the most unfortunate period of
the Boer War, during the panic that followed Cronje's capture, and
had got to know only the seamy side of warfare: demolished farms,
trampled-down fields, no real steady fighting, scarcely any skirmishing
even, but just one continual rout.

The colonel listened to my torrent of words in silence. Then at
last--"Good God!" he said, "a thoughtful man _must_ detest war--all
war. But it does not do to be sentimental. Sentimentality in this
matter is synonymous with stupidity." He spoke of this for a long
time, then about other topics, and finally wound up by saying: "There
are many such enigmas in this world that must remain unsolved for
the present, and with which men are yet forced to deal in a
practical manner, even at the risk of making mistakes. So that we just
have to choose a sensible middle course. We must be neither too
superficial nor too profound. And above all, we must not think too
much!" Unfortunately, I am not the man for such compromises.

_June 16th._

The colonel lunched with me in the canteen, sitting on benches in the
middle of the wood; our fare being bread, sausage, and some excellent
lager-beer. Close by were several one-year volunteers, and two or three
non-commissioned officers with them. They looked uncomfortable, for
they are forbidden to be on familiar terms with the non-commissioned
officers. The colonel, however, did not mind it much.

"I believe," he said, "that it cannot always be avoided." Then he spoke
of the one-year volunteer system, which in his opinion is a two-edged
sword. It furnishes most efficient reserve-officers,--it has that
advantage, certainly. But the drawbacks are as follows:

It is apt to demoralise the non-commissioned officers. True, bribery is
strictly forbidden; but that is a mere empty form, a prohibition which
is daily infringed, such infringement being purposely overlooke