The Dominion. MONDAY, AUGUST 24, 1914. SCIENCE AND WAR

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2236, 24 August 1914, Page 4

The Dominion. MONDAY, AUGUST 24, 1914. SCIENCE AND WAR

It is most regrettable that the visit of the British Association for the Advancement of Science to Australasia should have coincided with the opening of a great .war with the British Empire as one of the belligerents. Las't year, when the time and place of meeting were fixed, no one- dreamed that before twelve 'months had passed away the principal European Powers would be in the midst of the most tremendous struggle in the history of the world. Indeed, there were no indications when the visiting scientists left England that a devastating international storm was about to burst out, and some of them learnt- the news for the fti'st time whon they «<?t. foot cm Australian soil. The war naturally.

overshadows every other interest. It is a matter of life and death, and it was inevitable that the Science Congress could not receive the amount of public attention that its importance deserved. The greater part of tho New Zealand programme had to be abandoned. This Ikis becu a keen disappointment to many people, and the highly interesting character of tho few lectures which have been given in the Dominion has intensified their feelings of regret by enabling them to realise more adequately than they might otherwise have done tho intellectual feast of which the war has deprived them. Tho congress wisely decided not to abandon its official meetings in Melbourne and Sydney, though the social side of the visit was largely curtailed. In resolving to carry out the official programme; the scientists set a good example to tho rest of the community, for at a time like the present the best-thing to be done is for all of us to eo on with our ordinary work as_ far as circumstances ' w;ll permit. ' This is the surest way of preventing anything in the- nature of nysteria or panic, and of keeping the wheels of industry going round as regularly as is possible. The Congress appears to have done much good work, in spite of fcho distracting influences it has had to contend against, and the strikingly able presidential address of Professor Bateson deserved a great deal more notice than it lias received from the Press and public He dealt with the problems of he'redity and their bearing on national and social life in a jnanncr in every way worthy of the occasion and of his own distinguished place in the world tof thpught. Speaking at the luncheon tendered to the visiting scientists by the New South Wales Government, Professou Bateson made some interesting re> marks regarding the war. After de ploring the "awful carnage," he sair "the world must in future look to the cumulative body of scientific ana artistic truth to prevent these tragedies." Of course, we all hope that science and art will do all that Professor Bateson expects of them for the promotion of goodwill among nations, but past experience does not give much support; to tho idea that the golden age of universal peace is going to come in this way. Whal lias science done to prevent war 1 Fellowship in 'the search for truth may have done something; but during the last half-centurythe scientist and the inventor have displayed unparalleled activity in sharpening tho weapons of the combatants, and the dcadfiness of trie "awful carnage" which is now going on in Europe is very largely due ,to the application of tb,o results of scientific knowledge and research to the art of war. It is true that science has been one of tho principal factors in the building' ap of the material.structure of modern' ' civilisation,- ..with which the civilisations of bygone days pale into insignificance; but it has also provided marvellously efficient machines for smashing its own m'agnificent creation, weapons of destruction are just/ , as wonderful in their terrible effectiveness as the success of medical science in. the saving .at life and tho mechanical appliances which have played such a largo part in industry and .commerce. It. is ( possible that the , work : of the scientist and the inventor may eventually lead to the abolition of war by bringing the moans of destruction to such a fitate of perfection': that their use would result in eacb party to a conflict annihilating the other. It is conceivable that war may bo nude so terrible that no one but a maniac or a fiend would dare to'-indulge in it. But that timo js not yet, and in the meanwhile the desire to learn the. secrets of Nature which is common,to the intellectual leaders of all civilised countries, and which knows no barriers of race or nationality, will no doubt do something to _ remove feelings of distrust and bitterness among nations. . '