286 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



of one's own country for the purpose of remedying abuses is absolutely 

 justifiable except in one case — when that criticism helps the hand of our own 

 country's enemies. In this case the critic, however strong his convictions 

 may be, is bound by duty to keep silence ; and when numbers of persons 

 have so lost their sense of patriotism as to break this rule we cannot help 

 feeling that there is danger ahead for the whole country. The world exists 

 to-day, and advances, in a state of conflict. That is a law of nature, of 

 evolution, of human society. The great virtues which we commend — courage, 

 truth, loyalty — were built up by ages of conflict ; and the nation that does 

 not possess them to-day will inevitably sink. 



Nothing disgusted the masses of the British public so much during the 

 war as the efforts of pro-Germans and pretended pacificists to help our 

 enemies in that great conflict ; and now that a similar conflict is being waged 

 by this country against the most monstrous criminal conspiracy against it 

 ever devised, the same class of people come forward to abuse their countrymen 

 and to attempt to justify their countrymen's enemies. Is it going to be the 

 quality of Britons that we shall always be our enemies' friends and our 

 friends' enemies ? The most recent case was that of a vile letter written by 

 a number of clerical people to the Prime Minister, insinuating that the Crown 

 forces in Ireland had been guilty of crimes similar to those which they are 

 trying to suppress. But, in our opinion, tlais insinuation is quite eclipsed by 

 a general proposition which these same ministers of so-called religion advance 

 in their letter, namely, that : " We cannot regard the cruel and detestable 

 outrages which have given rise to the whole reprisals' policy, authorised and 

 unauthorised alike, as a mere outbreak of wanton criminality in the ordinary 

 sense." In other words, these ministers of religion would have us believe 

 that anyone who tliinks he has got a political grievance is entitled to murder 

 other people. The whole country abhors this attitude, and would like to see 

 those who advocate it soundly punished, and Mr. Lloyd George punished 

 these no-gentlemen, at least in words. " Wlaat amazes me," he says, " is 

 that a body of responsible men, eminent leaders of the Church, should state 

 publicly that Sinn Fein has some kind of justification for murdering innocent 

 men in cold blood because its novel and extravagant ideals have been denied." 

 So far from a political object being an excuse for any crime, it is, in fact, 

 just the opposite. We may perhaps excuse a wronged man murdering 

 him who has wronged him, or even a starving tramp murdering somebody 

 in order to obtain a little money ; but when some rascal assassinates another 

 person merely for a difference of opinion surely his crime is the worst that 

 can ever be committed. 



Persons who commit such crimes have become the curse of the whole 

 world. We cannot forget how the great war was precipitated by the similar 

 crime at Sarajevo. That persons who are really little higher than lunatics 

 should have the power to push all humanity into turmoil is amazing, and is 

 due, as the vast majority of people now believe, to the laxity with which 

 such fools or villains are dealt with under the pretext that their crimes are 

 political. We should like to see legislation introduced making it a criminal 

 action even to suggest force for the settlement of political questions ; and, 

 indeed, even to suggest that the use of such force is in any way excusable. 

 Every civilised nation should adopt similar legislation, and begin to control 

 the minute proportion of the population, consisting of madmen, who do 

 such actions. We quite agree with the Prime Minister that this letter of 

 " religionists " is " subversive alike of order and government, morality, and 

 the Christian religion." 



How to Encourage Science (R.R.) 



On July 20 Mr. Frank Briant, J. P., Member for North Lambeth, asked 

 Mr. Arthur Balfour, Lord President of the Council, the following question : 



