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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 aggressive military
power as Germany； dominated by military people； would never
produce anything of the sort。 I thought that this war would be
fought out without Tanks and that then war would come to an end。
For of course it is mere stupidity that makes people doubt the
ultimate ending of war。 I have been so far justified in these
expectations of mine； that it is not from military sources that
these things have come。 They have been thrust upon the soldiers
from without。 But now that they are loose； now that they are in
war； we have to face their full possibilities； to use our
advantage in them and press on to the end of the war。 In support
of a photo…aero directed artillery； even our present Tanks can be
used to complete an invisible offensive。 We shall not so much
push as ram。 It is doubtful if the Germans can get anything of
the sort into action before six months are out。 We ought to get
the war on to German soil before the Tanks have grown to more
than three or four times their present size。 Then it will not
matter so much how much bigger they grow。 It will be the German
landscape that will suffer。
After one has seen the actual Tanks it is not very difficult to
close one's eyes and figure the sort of Tank that may be arguing
with Germany in a few months' time about the restoration of
Belgium and Serbia and France； the restoration of the sunken
tonnage； the penalties of the various Zeppelin and submarine
murders； the freedom of seas and land alike from piracy； the
evacuation of all Poland including Posen and Cracow； and the
guarantees for the future peace of Europe。 The machine will be
perhaps as big as a destroyer and more heavily armed and
equipped。 It will swim over and through the soil at a pace of
ten or twelve miles an hour。 In front of it will be corn； land；
neat woods； orchards； pasture； gardens； villages and towns。 It
will advance upon its belly with a swaying motion； devouring the
ground beneath it。 Behind it masses of soil and rock； lumps of
turf； splintered wood； bits of houses； occasional streaks of red；
will drop from its track； and it will leave a wake； six or seven
times as wide as a high road； from which all soil； all
cultivation； all semblance to cultivated or cultivatable land
will have disappeared。 It will not even be a track of soil。 It
will be a track of subsoil laid bare。 It will be a flayed strip
of nature。 In the course of its fighting the monster may have to
turnabout。 It will then halt and spin slowly round； grinding out
an arena of desolation with a diameter equal to its length。 If
it has to retreat and advance again these streaks and holes of
destruction will increase and multiply。 Behind the fighting line
these monsters will manoeuvre to and fro； destroying the
land for all ordinary agricultural purposes for ages to come。
The first imaginative account of the land ironclad that was ever
written concluded with the words； 〃They are the /reductio ad
absurdum/ of war。〃 They are； and it is to the engineers； the
ironmasters； the