Temporary

‘Tenente,’ Passini said. ‘We understand you let us 

talk. Listen. There is nothing as bad as war. We in 

the auto-ambulance cannot even realize at all how bad 

it is. When people realize how bad it is they cannot do 

anything to stop it because they go crazy. There are 

some people who never realize. There are people who are 

afraid of their officers. It is with them that war is made.’ 

S8 

A FAREWELL TO ARMS 

T know it is bad but we must finish it.’ 

Tt doesn’t finish. There is no finish to a war.’ 

‘Yes there is.’ 

Passini shook his head. 

‘War is not won by victory. What if we take San 

Gabriele? What if we take the Carso and Monfalcone 

and Trieste? Where are we then? Did you see all the 

far mountains to-day? Do you think we could take all 

them too? Only if the Austrians stop fighting. One 

side must stop fighting. Why don’t we stop fighting? 

If they come down into Italy they will get tired and go 

away. They have their own country. But no, instead 

there is a war.’ 

‘You’re an orator.’ 

‘We think. We read. We are not peasants. We are 

mechanics. But even the peasants know better than to 

believe in a war. Everybody hates this war.’ 

‘There is a class that controls a country that is stupid 

and does not realize anything and never can. That is 

why we have this war.’