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[Here again, no modern strategist but will approve the words of

the old Chinese general. Moltke's greatest triumph, the

capitulation of the huge French army at Sedan, was won

practically without bloodshed.]

3. Thus the highest form of generalship is to baulk the enemy's

plans;

[Perhaps the word "balk" falls short of expressing the full force

of the Chinese word, which implies not an attitude of defence,

whereby one might be content to foil the enemy's stratagems one

after another, but an active policy of counter-attack. Ho Shih

puts this very clearly in his note: "When the enemy has made a

plan of attack against us, we must anticipate him by delivering

our own attack first."]

the next best is to prevent the junction of the enemy's forces;

[Isolating him from his allies. We must not forget that Sun Tzŭ,

in speaking of hostilities, always has in mind the numerous

states or principalities into which the China of his day was

split up.]