NOTES 33i 



of his principle cannot be turned by argument, and the boredom 

 inflicted by his dulness stupefies his opponents like the trench- 

 gas of the Germans. 



We must always distinguish between intellectual principles 

 and what are called moral principles. The former are not moral, 

 because they assume an inspiration of reason which they do not 

 possess. The intellectual principle is by its very nature the 

 opposite of an intellectual theorem — which, even when it is 

 wrong, must be based upon a careful analysis of arguments for 

 and against. But when a man has intellectual principle he 

 really pretends that he has performed an intellectual integration 

 by intuition, and we dispute his pretence. On the other hand a 

 moral principle is not a principle at all, but an ordinance laid 

 down by the evolution of millions of years and always justifiable 

 by the closest reasoning. For instance, that we should do to 

 others as we would they should do to us is a moral principle 

 sanctioned by evolution and by the closest argument ; but it is 

 disregarded by the militarist. But, on the other hand, the 

 hypothesis that we should avoid all war under any circumstances 

 is an intellectual principle which will not bear discussion, and is 

 merely a pretended inspiration out of the inane. Perhaps the 

 most crushing refutation of the latter fad was recently delivered 

 by Mr. Garrison, the American Secretary of State for War. He 

 is reported to have ridiculed the argument of the pacifists that 

 if a nation was prepared for war it was more likely to be 

 involved in war. Mr. Garrison concluded, " Evil preys upon 

 virtue, the unjust upon the just, and the covetous upon those 

 whose possessions they covet " — words which may be applied 

 to many of the current irrationalisms of feeble people. 



The British Science Guild 



There has been much discussion in the papers during the 

 past six months as to the advisability of Great Britain making 

 more use of her men of science during the war, especially as 

 the war necessitates the maximum output of scientific inven- 

 tion. Of all societies the British Science Guild has been the 

 most active, not only in endeavouring to obtain more adequate 

 remuneration and a better status for scientific workers them- 

 selves, but in striving to foster the manufacture of British 

 scientific instruments in place of the German-made goods which 

 held the market up to the outbreak of war. 



