182 The Evolution of Arms and Arr/ior. 



climbed up from the feet into the forehead, and from 

 weapons that scratch and tear into weapons that think and 

 plan. It is brains to-day, behind the cannon, that are the 

 world's real battle-fields ; ideas that are battering down 

 strong-holds which shot and shell, armored ship and gap- 

 ing mortar have knocked at in vain ; ink that is solving 

 questions of State that blood has only confused. And 

 the process is bound to go on, till nations shall wage all 

 their wars with logic and reason, diplomacy everywhere 

 take the place of generalship, battles with powder and 

 armies be as vulgar as those with teeth and fists are to-day, 

 and civilized countries as little think of going about the 

 world armed with forts, and showing off frigates, as civil- 

 ized individuals do now of going about society with bowie- 

 knives stuck in their belts and revolvers gleaming from 

 their pockets. And this is what every citizen can help 

 along ; is what every soldier should rejoice in, as he does 

 now in the introduction of every finer and more effective 

 weapon ; is what the great poet of England, who sang so 

 grandly the Charge of the Light Brigade, has also sung as 

 the charge of all the ages, 



"Move upward, working out the beast, 

 And let the ape and tiger die." 



With it will come the world's real struggle to see which 

 are its fittest nations to survive ; a war more thrilling and 

 with more chance for real heroism, generalshij), and glory, 

 than any ever waged with outer weapons and garments 

 rolled in blood; and in it the great military nations of 

 Europe are preparing to fail, through precisely the same 

 causes that overthrew the monsters of the geologic ages 

 and that have meant failure in all time. Their vitality 

 and food-substance are going too largely to the outside 

 shell. Internal social organization is being neglected. 

 They are not keeping up with tlie world's changing intel- 

 lectual climate. And, continually rivalling each other in 

 the size and strengtli of their armaments, they will drop 

 down at last in the fight liketlie Iguanodon and Glyi)todon, 

 overcome simply by tlicir own enormous weight, leaving 

 the great scientific, industrial and thought-using man- 

 nations to examine tlieir bones, organize over them tlie new 

 civilization, in which ''the war-drum throbs no longer," 

 and hold the future. 



