Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-11-22
TO the Current N

TT is a platitude to state to the readers of
/ the New Review that tho only persons di-
i rectly interested in are medieval
elements; groups OF traders who wish 20 ex
plot the industrially less developed colonies
or countries; groups OF armament mongers
and prospective army contractors; the mill
,ary caste and their friends to whom
means economic and social advance; rulers,
adventurous statesmen, and diplomats TO
| whom war means glory, power and
place in history who by ex.
1 trcate themselves from an unpleasant s1tua.-
ton.
/ But all these constitute very small minor.
fly. The question is:
What induces the masses, even the so.
II ciaists, to become the dupes Of these de-
II structve elements?
/ For there can be no doubt that in the pre-
Il sent was the masses in Germany Austria Hun
/ gary France and possibly even in Russia went
| 10 war with amazing unanimity. This is gen.
| orally explained psychologically.
The writer VIII try TO substitute a kindred
/ but somewhat more physiological explanation.
! Organisms differ in their conduct from a
team engine or any other machine by pos
| tossing a greater number OF degrees of free.
| dom. Under ordinary circumstances swarm
| of certain small water crusaceans, in a jar
shows an apparently absolute freedom (strict-
| y speaking, limited number OF degrees OF
rreed6m) in their movements e., nobody
would be able to predict the direction in which
any of the individuals will move in the next
moment. They are as free" and incalculabIe
in their movements as human beings.
If we put into such jar, containing swarm
of these crustaceans, trace OF weak acid.
e. g., carhonated water, the picture changes
in few seconds. The whole mass of animals
is filed With one Will, all rush madly to the
side Of tile dish from where the light comes
If the position OF the dish in regard to the
window is changed, the masses will rush again
TO the window-side of the dish. We can now
predict precisely how each individual will act.
the machinc-character of their conduct is OBJ
vious.
What has the carbonated water done to
these animals? Has it destroyed their free.
ION of will"?
Not exactly, since they never possessed it,
but II has diminished the number OF their
degrees Of freedom, by making their sensitive.
ness to light preponderant, that all the
other agencies which are able to influence
their motions are annihilated. All the animals
can do now is to rush ito the front"--from
where the light comes
This theory of animal reaction and animal
WILL which the writer has developed under the
name OF theory of animal tropisms, applies
generally to the understanding of animal and
human conduct. The reactions of the animals
toward light liz the example mentioned above
are determined by the presence OF a definite
| chemical substance; but so are also the other
desires and actions Of animals and of human
beings.
/ These examples serve merely az an illustra
A ton to show that definite chemicals allow ami.
| mails to act only in one definite way, that they
may reduce them to one degree of freedom
Me- is perfectly mad for the moth or the crusta.
\ ceang to rush to the light; but with carbonated
h water the fresh water crustacean in question