Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-06-07
/ W.ASTEFULNESS OF WAR.
Nilsola Tesla Considers 1t the Create
Obstacle to Human Progress.

Nilsola Tesla Considers 1t the Greatest
Obstacle to Human Progress.
In an article in the Century, Nikola
Tesla considers the various obstacles to
the progress of mankind.
However ignorance may have retarded
the onward movement Of Imam in time
past, 1t is certain that, nowadays,
negative forces have become of greater
Importance. Among these there is one
Of far greater moment than any other.
1t is called organized warfare. When
we consider the millions of individuals,
often the ablest in mind and body the
| flower of humanity, who are compelled
to life of inactivity and unproduct-
| ireness, the immense sums of money
| daily required for the maintenance of
| armies and war apparatus, representing
ever 30 much Of human energy, all
the effort uselessly spent in the pro-
duction of arms and implements Of de-
struction, the loss Of life and the fos.
| terinR of barEarous spirit, we are ap-
| palled at the inestimable loss to man
kind, which the existence of these de-
plorable conditions must involve. What
can we do to combat best this great
evil?
| Law and order absolutely require the
maintenance Of organized force. No
community can exist and prosper with
out rigid discipline. Every country
must be able to defend itself, should
the necessity arise. The conditions Of
today are not the result of yesterday,
and radical change cannot be effected
tomorrow. If the nations would at
once disarm, it is more than likely that
q state Of things worse than war itself
would follow. Universal peace is a
beautiful dream, but not at once realiza-
ble. We have seen recently TINT even
the noble effort Of the man invested
with the greatest worldly power has
been virtually without effect. And no
wonder, for the establishment of uni
versal peace is, for the time being, q
physical impossibility. War is mega
tive forcs, and cannot be turned in a
positive direction without passing
through the intermediate phases. 1t
is the problem of making wheel,
rotating one way, turn in the opposite
direction without slowing 1t down,
stopping it, and speeding it up again
the other way.
| II has been argued that the perfection
Of guns Of great destructive power will
stop warfare. So myself thought fol-
/ ohb uuo, uuo ooW poho'o Was "
be profound mistake. Such develop
ments will greatly modify, but not ar,
rest 1T. On the contrary. think that
every new arm that is invented, every
new departure that is made In this
direction, merely invites new talent and
skill, engages new effort, offers new
incentive, and 80 only gives fresh
impetus to fun Their development Thinl
of the discovery of gunpowder. Gar
We conceive of any more radical depart
uie than was effected by this innova.
tionH Let us imagine ourselves living
In that period; would we not have
thought then that warfare was at ar
end, when the armor of the knight be
came an object of ridioule, when bodily
strength and skill, meaning SO mGct
before, became of comparatively littlt
valueP Yet gunpowder did not stol
, warfare quite the opposite-it acted al
, o muet powerful incentive. Nor do
believe that warfare can ever be ar
. ested by any scientific or ideal devel
opment, SO long as similar conditions t,
, those now prevailing exist, because wa
has itself become science, and becaus,
! war involves some of the most sacret
sentiments of which man is capable
:. In fact, 1t is doubtful whether mel
who would not BIZ ready to fight for
high principle would be good for any
, thing at all. It is not the mind which
makes man, nor is it the body; it i
mind and body. Our virtues and on
!, failings are inseparable, like force an,
! matter. When they separate, man !
! no more.