INERVIEW WITH VICEADMIRAL USBORNE MOORE.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 3, Issue 261, 31 December 1914, Page 4 (Supplement)

INERVIEW WITH VICEADMIRAL USBORNE MOORE.

"HE WAR, PSYCHIC SCIENCE, AND

THE "DIRECT VOICE."

Vice-Admiral Usborne Moore, 6ays -London "Light," is not only an authority on certain phases of psychic phenomena, he is a man with a wide experience <»f life gathered in many countries and with a long record of service ui ojk of ihe scientific branches of the Navy.

In "Light" of the l'Jth ult. we published an interview with eGneral Sir Alfred Turner under the title of "The War from a Soldier's Point of View," \nd it seemed appropriate, after that, to gather Admiral Moore's views on the same subject, as being these of an <,ld sailor. But when he kindly gave an interview to a representative of this j-aper it was not considered desirable Jo approach the crisis simply from the jiaval standpoint, but rather to gatln-r -tho Admiral's views on the general ls.sue. and, as in the case of other interviews already published, with due reference to the subjects with which "Light" is concerned. "I was at sea from the age of fourteen," said the Admiral in reply to a preliminary question. "I have been chiefly occupied in chart-making in the surveying branch of the Navy, and my work as a hydrographer was carried on in the Pacific, the Mediterranean, the Red Sea. Australia, China, and our oww British coasts. The Surveying Service in the Navy corresponds nearly to the Roval Engineering branch in the Army. It "includes astronomical work, sounding, and other more abstruse investigations." "That explains," said our representative, "the scientific attitude of mind shown in your book. 'The Cosmos and the Creeds.' " v "You can put it that way it you ■choose. I certainly have always had a keen interest in science; and 'The Cosmos and the Creeds' was the outcome of a good deal of thinking and research 1 had come to a crisis m my life, and gave up my old faith with a great dea •of regret. The poet of 'Night Thoughts' has told us that 'an undevout astronomer is mad.' But I was not undevout, and although I was not an astronomer in the strict sense, astronomy had taught me something. 1 preserved my faith in a Supreme Intelligence behind all phenomena. Moreover, I had read a <neaVdeal concerning the psychic or transcendental side of things 11ammarion's 'L'lnconnu,' I remember, made a great impression on my mind, as also did some of the publications of the bo•ciety for Psychical Research written before the death of Mr. F. W. H. Myers "When I wrote 'Glimpses of the .Next State' it was the result of about seven Years investigation of psychic phenomena, while 'The Voices' as you know, is devoted almost entirely to the phenomena of the 'Direct Voice' through Mrs Etta Wriedt. aou know, of conr*. that I have adopted the term 'Spiritist to describe mv position, and I have given mv reasons so folly that there is no nwd to «'o into the subject again beyona .saving That psychic phenomena belong to'the realm of science and arc facte in V,turo. Thev do not in themselves continue sufficient basis for religion. Ktiiffinn must rest on larger foundations '"•■ But you want my views on the present crisis, and, asTnnderstand it, with some reference to its spiritual aspecfor there is a spiritual aspect here and not merely a Spiritistic one. Some years iio-o 1 used to say that war was an unmitigated evil. I now know it is not so ; rather the contrary. Ihe Americuii Civil War consolidated the Inited States in a way that nothing else could have done. The Boer War was a great .benefit-to the Boers! Ill's war will probably settle the peace of Europe tor two hundred years. For thirty years Europe has been one vast armed camp. The burden weighed down every man, woman and child. I was lately reading a paper by Mr. Chas. E H. \\ann in the Worlds/ entitled 'Tho War from a Spiritualist point of View, and his views are very much my own. 1 believe the forces at work have been largely directed from the unseen s'de of life to end thU national rivalry in armaments, and to enable the enormous wealth wasted on such things to he devoted to the upliftment and freedom of tho masses. The war must go on until Germany ceases to exist as an empire and Bavaria and Saxonv are independent of Prussia. If Poland is aga'n establishment as a nation and about halt of Prussia is left intact bv the Russians, the cloud in the East, that is to say, •che fear of th<- predominance ol tSlavdom, will be dissipated. Kiel and Essen must be entirely destroyed. "As to the fearful suffering and destruction of life that this great struggle mtails. you know that my views coincide generally with those jf all who have realised something of the ti tie meaning of life and the relative unimportance of death as an incident in the existence of the sou'.

"When the great cataclysm has spent its fury things will gradua'lv but surely adjust"themselves on a higher and more humane basis. Nature always preserves ibo balance and even the proportion ot males to females in all the Ikiuine countries will lie restored live vci.\s after tho establishment of peace. "This restoration of the balance ot tho sexes after a war is a well-ascertain-ed scientific fact. So you will see, then, that without in any way wishing to miiiiuii.se the full horror s of the c.xperien'cs through which Europe is now : • iiug. I am an optimist. 'Another matter to winch I may a1i.;.:... i.;. : ... while we ai\. on lb ~,; inject, and veliich certainly lie'.oug to i-»'- s ; .irHual :i.|,Mt o! the <i ! !e.-.limi- is the i cmark- .!,|(. chaii:.re which has eon.e over tho i...,r1d ot late years en llie .-e.JU't ef death. It is no longer regaub-d with the same gloom and lienor ui.it it ii.-.cl to inspire. We have sen t■ i ■ cli.ing---tbat have taken place in fir.!:'.! ■•"•- loins—thero h k'BS of the sable pal.. I be -i-v><. the Komhro funeral plumes and the skull and cross-b'.ic .- e!cn;e>!t m which our forefathers ■' -iml siieli 11:01bidsafsfactioli. And in ii- war .ie l-'id ,mi- brave fellows :Toin:' b: !i!dieartedly into positions that 111. a:i e.1:.:'.-: n-.-tain death. Til v uiareli !«.: ■ I:;'.;' singing. They jest ab:.',i'. lce.-.dx.er .v. l.< ibar tear huge holes in til" ground ami -.bake (bo earth for miles with t'.'r ex-

p!i,<ii:ji. In Uu Navy it i> )■'•'''. ''''' -;ii!K>. Tim IniWP-l -mi .-ivor.- • : :• J ■■• jvd 1 ship show Hie I rod nnd having looki.-.l d<-a!'n in hj«; 1 !•••:■ ""- >'. r r : ',; ilicv show hut (in- IVnr !'.:-.t V:< v ■ .:•,' lii' d'-nii'il aimtlwr ojijiurtuuli.y'ii, ri.k their liv<s fir tli"ir rnniitr.v. AVitho'it ri'lh" t ; nji mi l he (<>iii-i"_':' of n;r KshWr.Z sinr»*tors. there is a ili--.ilnr.-t ohiiiiSo '•" olir attitude tim-iii-.ls (i :it''. Sii'i-i'i'mliKin. or, as [ prdfr t 0 c:i!l i l . Sjiii ItUm, lias ponuoul.Ml the ivi' ■'-. v>\ mind injirtvtly and d("'id; dlv i "h!< :•■<! • he atniovplicrf» of iiiurtnh'y. T!> ■/'.=)- ly k : i!K Ink |i st ni" -t of lr-- !<■■;'•• "=.'' Afl«-r ('i : siii ]i v.i I :i' • it s-v'Tiicd almost I :!■::■• an ;u" '■-• lii'..'X '" j-ai«- the 'i'i'.>t ; on of But the "' l)iiw Voi<-<-" has a far .rwitrr inipi.rlanoo than is '.;<-nrrallv ii'-x'kh'-'I to it., and 'hi. ino'iii-''! ; f tho Adn.ii-:i| fits nno "f (ho 1* xthiv-n authorities') h:<d am- sUf«»innnl to 'on'co on the* vexed ijiic-tion of lio.v voices ar<.

produced. "Nothing at present," replied the Admiral, "although I may uave something to say when the correspondence on the aubject in "Light" draws to a close. In the meantime I may mention that after many years' experience I have seen on theory which satisfactorily covers the problem it presents to me, and the alleged explanations which re*acii us from the other side havo any possible utility, since we cannot reduce them to scientific intelligibility." In reply to a final question concerning his views on the conditions of tho next life generally, Admiral Moors expressed the opinion that Swedenborg had given the most reliable and most exhaustive account of other-world states. No one had, so far, approached Swedenl.org as a historian of the world to come. He also said that it was impossible to reconcile some hundred things he had seen with actions of beings operating in only three dimensions. We were grai I .«* l tho privilege of communication wuli those who had gon e before us. and could not expect much more untd wo ourselves made the change called death.