The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-10-23

are for war to the knife. The handful of Russian socialists clamor for peace, but the mass of the working men stand for war.
 Humanity Adapts Itself
 Europe's humanity has entirely adapted itself to the social and moral cataclysm of war. At first there was panicy un- certainty, Arrangement of traffic, horror at the casualty list general moral be- wilderment and instability. Today these things have disappeared. War has be- come so moral, so everyday, so unin- teresting that interest is again felt in
 trivial things. The German, Austrian and Russian press grows less warful, and more peace like every day. News papers print pages of advertisements of goods, frivolous feuilletons. gossip about social life. At the recent anniversary of the death of the poet, Pushkin, the Moscow press devoted two pages to the poet and only half page to the war. The warning states are reverting to so- cial and educational enterprises which the war temporarily disturbed Public buildings are being run up; there are new libraries. swimming baths. statues, plans for universities, controversies on scientific. art, social personal questions. Party politics are being revived. In the German Reichstag the demand for par liamentary administration is being re- peated; in Russia is revived the old lib-
 erationist and anti-bureaucratic move ment, and in England and France party politics are raising again their heads. These political controversies do not weaken the determination to pursue the war. The revived controbersies spring from the feeling that the war may last for years if not forever; and that such an everyday, tiresome and unsensational
 thing as war ought not to interfere with
 mans mobler more expressing activi- ties
 Vienna's best mad doctor," Swoboda, says that these facts make for the in- definite continuation of the war. SWo-
 boda is the scientist whose books on the
 periodicity of all human functions some years ago made a big stir He says
 that "the first shocks of horror derange-
 ment, revulsion which were felt in Au- gust 1914, operated in favor of a short
 war. The present growing apathy, the
 present feeling of content, the present admirable adaptation of social and moral life to the novelty of war-all these things tend to prolong the war. There Is no reason why a war which no longer acts
 as disturbing factor in daily life should come to an end.'
 Swoboda says he has observed person. ally that people have become inured to the war They lose the feeling of sensl- bility towards others pain In Austria, men and women help the wounded and take care of the war orphans with feel ings entirely different from their, first feelings a year ago. Then they felt hor- TOT and pity Now they go about their charitable work in cold, professional way. They realize that it Is necessary to care for the wounded because this is essential to the efficient carrying on of the war They work as works depart ment of the war ministry which Is sup plying soldiers with bullets and shells. When the first wounded were borne from Vienna's railroad depots, women shrieked and fainted. At the sight of wounded men unknown to them they suffered as much as if the wounded men were rela- tives. Now no one pays attention. "Ev- anywhere we see the same phenomena. It is not surprising, for we know that at Tarnow and Przemys. the civilian popu- lations lived happily under a ceaseless rain of shells. The nation has ceased to know what war suffering is.''
 This moral insensibility makes strong ly for the prolongation of the war What is happening in Austria happens every where. Europe will get still more used to the war: the adaptation process will be more and more complete, and long before the conflict can be terminated by one sides conclusive victory, war will have become so familiar feature that no one will want to end it. The reversion to the primeval fighting tribes condition will be complete, and If the war ever does end there will be some uncomfortable half hours while men and women are trying to accustom themselves to the un- familiar conditions of peace