NATURE'S INSURGENT SON 47 



19. MAN'S DELAY : ITS CAUSE AND REMEDY. 



Even the slight and rapid review just given of Man's 

 position, face to face with Nature, enables us to see what 

 a tremendous step he has taken, what desperate conditions 

 he has created by the wonderful exercise of his will; how 

 much he has done and can do to control the order of 

 Nature, and how urgent it is, beyond all that words can 

 say, for him to apply his whole strength and capacity to 

 gaining further control, so that he may accomplish his 

 destiny and escape from misery. 



It is obvious enough that Man is, at present, doing 

 very little in this direction ; so little that one seeks for 

 an explanation of his apathy, his seeming paralysis. 



The explanation is that the masses of the people, in 

 civilized as well as uncivilized countries, are not yet 

 aware of the situation. When knowledge on this matter 

 reaches, as it inevitably will in time, to the general 

 population, it is certain that the democracy will demand 

 that those who expend the resources of the community, 

 and as government officials undertake the organization of 

 the national defence and other great public services for 

 the common good, shall put into practice the power of 

 Nature-control which has been gained by mankind, and 

 shall exert every sinew to obtain more. To effect this, 

 the democracy will demand that those who carry on 

 public affairs shall not be persons solely acquainted with 

 the elegant fancies and stories of past ages, but shall be 

 trained in the acquisition of natural knowledge and 

 keenly active in the skilful application of Nature-control 

 to the development of the well-being of the community. 



It would not be necessary to wait for this pressure 

 from below were the well-to-do class which in most 



