SCIENCE IN WAR

Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 76, 26 September 1941, Page 5

SCIENCE IN WAR

LONDON CONFERENCE

FOUNDATIONS FOR A BETTER

WORLD

SPEECH BY MR. EDEN

(Rec. 12.20 p.m.) RUGBY, Sept. 25,

The Foreign Secretary, Mr. Eden, and other1 Cabinet Ministers, foreign Ambassadors, and representatives of the Empire attended a lunch in London to welcome world-famous scientists who are attending a conference which opens tomorrow.

Mr. Eden said that in the last two Or three generations science had played a dominant part in man's struggle for existence and progress. Lately, in the hands of evil men, science had been used to destroy all that was good, in order to dominate and enslave. When the Hitler regime was analysed, a detestable feature was seen to be the creed of a master race and subject races. That creed must be overthrown. In years gone by the Germans used to complain that they were being economically encircled. Mr. Eden said there was never any truth in that as far as he knew, but it was known today that Germany was intellectually encircled. They had driven forth, their best men, and by tha.t one action the Germans had expressed themselves more clearly than they had done by any other single action.

He recalled that there was an inscription in Heidelburg University which used to read, "To the living Spirit," That had been replaced by "To the German Spirit."

Mr. Eden said that to every man who had any /sense of feeling and any appreciation of what human suffering could mean war must be1 .abhorrent. It was an odious interlude to man's efforts to create greater happiness for himself and his children. '■

We had had to call upon science for war, but we should need scientists even more for the cause for which we should be v/orking—peace. We would then have another kind of struggle, and it would not be an easier struggle.

Yesterday at Sfc James's Palace a conference had been held of all the Allied nations, and he would like to think it was not a mere coincidence that the scientists' conference was opening tomorrow. In each place they were trying to do the same thing —to lay the foundations of a better world.

The notable gathering included the scientists Sir James Jeans and Sir William Bragg. Dr. Negrin, formerly Premier of Republican Spain, was also there, and sat beside Mr. H. G. Wells. The Empire was represented by the High Commissioners for Australia, South Africa, and India, while the foreign diplomatists included M Maisky and Mr. Winant.—B.O.W.