New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-09
MIR. WeIls's Rediscovery of Religion

H. G. Wells says little that has not been
said before. and many times in the series
Of articles published m "The New Re
public OH "The Religious Revival" The
chief interest in Mr.. Wellss rediscoyery
is not the contribution he makes to the
discussion of religious problems, but what
he reveals of the present mental state of
Mr. Wells. The author of "The New
Machiavelli' and "Mr. Britling' may be
neither a theologian nor metaphyscian,
but he is one of the psychic barometers of
contemporary Europe. Enthusiastically his
recent writings show one of the effects of
the war on the mind Of our age.
AS to the faith-content Of this ere
vival," Mr.. Wells is rather vague. 1t
would seem to have little in common with
the professed pietism, or ritual of getting
religion" commonly associated with ira
ditional revival movements, like that, for
instance, of the Rev. Billy Sunday. 1t is
so far removed from everything doctrinal
or ecclesiastical that it is doubtful if our
theoogians would even call it Christian.
1t is hardly more than an instructive
awareness of a nameless Presence, strug-
Cling and suffering with man in his battle
for his ideals; nothing that can be de-
fined at all, but falling back upon what
Bergson would call an intuitive belief
in the worlds moral intent when reason
has exhausted itself in the effort to I'M
ravel the paradox of this war; new con-
lsecration to the old dream Of better and
happier humanity. One has the convic
ton that Abraham Lincoln, bearing the
burden Of our Civil War, fell back upon
the support of higher Power in some
thing the same unconventional manner
So also does Roman ROLAND in that great
novel written shortly before the war in
which he seems to have anticipated the
coming crisis, Jean Christophe."
In how far is Wellss search for solu-
ton of the problem of living representa-
tive of the tendency of these times? Be
ginning with the romance Of scientific ra-
ltionalism, in his earlier books; working his
way through the problems of sex and So
Icialism; then with touch Of Thackerayan
cynicism turning to cast half friendly
Iglances back to conservatism again set
ting out in that magnificent search for a
universal and compelling ideal Of social
order. and finally in the midst Of wars
mockery Of our humanitarian enthusiasms
calling upon that which is higher than
man and deeper than reasons not Wells
the typical modern?
The question which the war presents to
the thoughtful mind of to-day lies square
across the path of all our modern hopes
and ideals. The important thing is not
whether Wells has discovered the correct
answer. but the fact that he has been led
to reexaminstion of the fundamental
things. Is not this the great gain of war
that it forces men to think about the
deepest things?
America as yet has hardly felt the need
mere thing Of newspapers. higher prices
and diplomatic CORES pondence. With its
peace and prosperity, its calculating COM
mercialism, its easy optimism, self-satis-
faction and illusion of security, America
is fast becoming the Pollyanna of the hu-
man family. While the moral will of de-
mocracy in Europe is wrestling with the
issues of life and death, beating back the
gray food of destruction from the banks
of the Somme, the moral enthusiasts Of
American democracy are occupied with
such questions as, "Shsll women social