The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-11-24

we argue, is found in the first three years of the
present war No doubt. The first three years of the
war prove so many things that this may well be
among them; don t you think so?
Without detracting from the damning ease which
OSWALD and / make out against England it does
occur to me, poke my material for new
book that the proof Of pudding is in the eating
so the proof of a nation at is in the fighting.
Indisputable as the bankruptcy of much British
leadership has been, indisputabe it that Gem
era COUGH lost tens of thousands of prisoners hun
dreds of guns and vast stores of ammunition, 1t Is
equally indisputable that the Australians who died
like flies at the Dardanellcs died like men, that the
Tommies who were shot by their own guns at Neuve
Chapelle went forward like heroes, that the under
sized and undernourshcd and uninteectual Lon
doners from Whitechapel who fell in Flanders gave
up their immortal souls like freemen and English
men and kinsmen of the Lion Heart.
And if it comes TO question as to the blame for
this war as distinguished from the question as to
the blame for the British conduct of this war the
latter being that with which Joan and Peter is al
most wholly concerned should like to point ont
now, on behalf of myself and the readers of my
next book, that perhaps am not entirely blamccss-
Perhaps bear an infintesmal portion of the terri
bic responsibility which l have showed some un-
willingness to place entirely and clearly Ger
many.
For after ALL it is Science that made this war and
that wages it it is the ldoatry of Science that has
transformed the German nation by transforming
the German nature. 1t was the proofs of what
Science could do that convinced Prussia of her
power, that made her confident that with this
weapon she could ovcrstride the earth. | had
part in setting up that worship of Science. have
been not only of its prophets but high priest
in its temple.
And l am all the more dismayed, therefore, when
find myself as in Joan and Peter still kneeling at
the shrine. What is the cure for war? ask. PETAH
tells that energies must have other out
let. We must explore the poles and dig through the
earth to China. He himself will 60 back to Cam
bridge and get medical degree; and if he is good
enough he IL do something the border line be-
tween biology and chemistry. Joan will build
model houses. And the really curious thing is that
the pair of them seem disposed to run the unSpeak-
able risks of trying TO educate still another genera
ton, generation which, should it have to fight
with a conquering horde from Mars, might
blame PETER and JOAN severely for the sacrifices u-
vOved Just as they blame the old VictOrianS for the
sacrifice of 19l419l9I
Mr.. HowELLs: In heaven S name, what is this
TRADE?
Mr. BRowNELI.: Mr. WELLS is merely writing his
next book, that s all.
GAS it is impossible to stop Mr. WELLS the court
adjourns without day.
THE FICTION OF THE FUTURE
u HE trend of literature after the is
hard to determine as the ultimate effects
of the war;" HENRY LEVERAGE, author of Wits
pering Wires, aelling lis. "This much
seems logical There will be a horde of scientific
romances written which, perhaps will find ready
buyers.
"WEILs sounded the note in his War Of the
Worlds. The Martians used tanks but little
larger than those employed on the western front.
TENNYsON predicted aerial navies.' COMM DOYLE