South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-11-20

tacle wildly just because he passed
all along the social gamut. and TO
find what it meant, as his natural
curiosity wanted, he had to think.
Conceived World League I'm 1911.
And this habit of asking himself
what was the meaning Of what he
saw going or grew and grew and led
him 10 wider and wider exploration
until from the light social satire of
The Wonderful Visit" ne achieved
"TonO- Bungay." Ann Veronica" and
The New Anchiavelli." that trio Of
novels with which our great-great-
grandchildren will be able 70 conjure
up a vivid picture Of the England
of Wells's time.
necessarily too, he delved this
way and that, popped into the flu
ture. pictured a better. more system
atized world, wrote Mankind in the
Making" Anticipation" and "A
Modern Utopia" He gave allegiance
for a time 70 the socialists and then
withdrew it 20 try and enlist all sorts
OF men in the cause of establishing a
world association Of nations. In
other words. he conceived a league
Of nations in 1911.
Thus, while realizing what had
happened in England since he had
been alive, he also foresaw what was
going 10 befall the world Three
years before the war he passed dnto
his second field, the second stage Of
his endeavor, in which he has shown
himself no parish pump loving Brit
isher.
Saw War, Yet IL Surprised Him.
The war, Of course, surprised him.
He had organized a happy kind Of
existence at Eaton Globe, DunmOw,
Essex, where he still lives as ten
ant of the Countess Of Warwick. His
piano player. his hockey cas- describ-
ed in "Mr. Drifting Sees 1t Through
his car. provided great fun. His
boys were growing up from the little
fellows with whom he had played
floor games" and little wars and
were at Oundle school. His wife,
who was Amy Catherine Robbins.
and herself an occasional short story
writer. typed his novels. and Arnold
Bennett read his proofs. All this
was disrupted by the notifications
of August. 1914.
Yet he had told the world that II
was coming. He had travelled a lit
tie. He had spent many summers
in France, near ROuen. visited Italy
and Switzerland. In 1906 he had
spent seven weeks in America and
written THE Future in America,
a book that has had it's prophecies,
as usual. borne out. In 1914 he took
a brief glimpse of Russia. only in
the spring OF 1914 he had published
THE World Set Free" a novel that
showed happening many Of the very
things that came about in the ensu-
ing five years. He had seen the fu-
ture Of the airplane, the doom of
the battleship and the importance Of
the submarine: he had anticipated
the advent Of the tank.
Became Champion Of Peace.
But the actuarities dismayed him.
He saw all that he cared for in
jeopardy. He. who had been preach
ing the need for order, saw the
world tumbling into chaos. Natur-
ally. he c11ampioned better interna-
tional understanding.
And the deso.ation which the war
spread made him turn 70 the need OF
religion. He wanted religion more
alive and helpful. and he wrote The
Soul OF a Bishop" THE Undying
Fire" and God, the Invisible King
Finally ne realized that the worlds
greatest want is education. He had
had trouble IN finding a suitable
school for his own boys. SO he
came 10 pen Joan and Peter and
chen 70 attempt the Outline Of His
tory"
Last year he went TO Moscow. He
saw what he calls The degradation
Of civilization" actually taking place.
He became Convinced that the prob
lem urgently facing all mankind to-
dav is the salvaging Of civilization
and thus he has named his latest
book.