The Dominion. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1916. A BATTLE OF BRAINS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2907, 20 October 1916, Page 4

The Dominion. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1916. A BATTLE OF BRAINS

The qonquest of the world by German science has been the dream of the German people for years past. They have boasted of their scientific supremacy so loudly, and ,• so constantly that their belief in the superiority of the German brain has become so firmly fixed that it will probably persist until it' has been shattered oy irretrievable disaster. They have laid claim to'the intellectual leadership of the world with such epiphatic confidencc that bcI fore the war began other nations I were inclined to concede to German scientists, philosophers, and eap- : tains os industry the right to speak t with magisterial authority. As soon as hostilities commenced, tho Germans , declared that tho war would resol.vo itself largely _ into a battle of brains, and that in such a conflict German science could not fail to win victory for the Central Powers. In the early stages of the struggle many Britishers were haunted by tho .fear that the Germans were in possession of some marvellous scientific secrets which would give them a tremendous advantage oyer their opponents. From time to time rumours we're circulated of coming surprises in the shapo o£'new methods and weapons of offence _and defence, but it soon became evident to those in the best position to form an accurate judgment that the scientific- forces and resources of the Allies wore quite equal, if'not superior, to those of our enemies; The'initial advantage of Germany did not consist in superiority, of brain, but in readiness to strike at once with concentrated power, and without being hampered by any moral scruples. As-the struggle has progressed it has "been made increasingly evident that in science and invention the Allies have been more 'than a match for the Central Powers. The won-der-working of British scientists and inventors will form one of the most romantic chapters in the history of this altogether wonderful war. Our scientists do not brag I and boast. They arc not accustomcd to make extravagant claims. Selfadvertisement is distasteful to them. But no nation in the world possesses such a store of scientific talent of the highest order as is to bo found within the British Empire. And it was all placed willingly and unreservedly at the disposal of the Government for the service of tho Empire. A deeply interesting account of the triumphs of British science and invention in' connection with tho present struggle is given by Mil Edward Weight in The Great War. Me. Weight presents an array of .facts that not only shatters Germany's arrogant claim to scientific supremacy, but which should fill us with pride and confidence in our race. In their utilisation of science for fighting purposes, our enemies have had to depend very largely on , discoveries made by „ British brains. The Germans "were clevor pickBrains rather than original thinkers, and even their intense activity in 'developing the ideas they picked up was due rather to the fact that they were energetically working up for a great war "than to any naturally sustained alertness of intellect." They certainly have shown ingenuity in, debasing some of the noblest discoveries of scientists of other nations to the, foulest uses. Referring to their efforts to exterminate their enemies by spreading the germs of cholera and other dread diseases, Mr. Wright tells us that the very instrument of research which Pastetje, Lister, MetOhnikofk, and Almroth Wright dcvoloped for the cure of human weakness and suffering was perverted into tho most ghastly of all weapons of general slaughter by tho bacteriologists of Germany and Austria-Hungary. The poisonous chlorine gas, the "use of whichcaused so much exultation in Germany until tho German troops were given a few effective doses of it, is ii British invention, and our scientists and manufacturers were in a position to supply our troops with unlimited quantities of it long before _ the tender-hearted British authorities wore able to persuade themselves_ to allow it to be used. The materialistic philosophy of Germany has freed her from all moral restraints, and enabled her to resort to bestial savagery without

compunction. But that is no evidence of scientific genius. She has handled the most diabolical weapons that science can devise for the destruction of mankind , with all tho callousness of a beast of prey. But she did not discover or invent these weapons. She merely perverted their/ use to the' basest ends.

Our enemies can claim the infamous distinction of outstripping us in naval and military devilry, but an examination of the facts proves conclusively that we can beat them decisively whon it comes to a test of'capacity-for applying science and invention to warfare, without violation of the laws and customs of civilised nations. Me. Wright is able to give chapter a,nd verse in support of his' assertion that if wo put together "all the modern warlike inventions of the Anglo-Celtic races and compare them with tho war machinery of the Central Empires, we shall find that the Germanic races occupy the sccond or third place in the intellectual field of warfare. Prior to the outbreak of ,the war. Britain's defence measures were principally directed to the maintenance of sea power, and it has now been proved that she has constructed the most powerful and perfect naval machine that the world has ever seen. .This machine is a scientific achievement of unparalleled greatness, and it is handled by a vast host of highlytrained scientific specialists. The Navy is a testimony to British brain capacity which none can dispute. Gunpowder was invented, by an Englishman, and in nearly every great war British inventors have' been able to spring some ordnance surprise upon the enemy. In tho present struggle wc have been steadily improving the effectiveness of our artillery.; Mr. Wright declares that what wo have done with our illimitable ' resources, . our science in steel, and our fertilising collaboration with our brilliant French and Belgian Allies forms a story of high technical interest which cannot yet be told—but itexcels tho supremest efforts of our enemies. Though Germany has had the use of many of our steel inventions, yet wo are told. that when hostilities began Sheffield still held some secrets of steel manufacture likely to tell on the problem of tho duration of the, war, and our big guns and those of the French excel in effectiveness the. destructive capacity of the boasted giant guns of the enemy. British chemists nave done splendid service in working, out processes for new high explosives, one of which is said to be 'more powerful than anything else in use, and the fact that Germany has a monopoly in certain coal-tar antiseptics was not allowed to hinder the work of our army doctors.. Sir Almroth Wright discovered a new antiseptic even more effective than the German brand. Britain was in tho fortunate position of being able to command- tho services of the greatest living authority on germ diseases in Sir AlmrothWright, and he and other distinguished medical and surgical experts have devoted all their powers of mind and'body to the task of safeguarding ,the health and' strength of our fighting men. In a newspaper article it is impossible to cover more than a fraction of the evidence available on the subject, but the proofs are overwhelming that in the battle of the brains and in the application of scientific knowledge to warfare, 'Britain and her Allies have excelled the Germans in spite of their brag and bluster.