NA TURE 



437 



THURSDAY, JULY 27, 1916. 



THE NATIONAL AWAKENING. 



\\THEN the events of the early days of the 

 * * South African war made men reflect upon 

 the consequences of a conflict with a strong Euro- 

 pean Power, the nation was partly awakened from 

 its sleep in the Garden of Ease. There were de- 

 mands for the reorganisation of our forces for 

 peace and war, and an incipient feeling prevailed 

 that the plan of depending upon rule-of-thumb 

 methods and knowledge acquired from endless 

 mistakes — many of them painful — ^was not com- 

 pletely satisfactory. Over-prosperity was respon- 

 sible for the lethargy into which we had fallen, 

 and we began to learn in the school of adversity 

 that modern struggles require strenuous prepara- 

 tion for success. With the end of the war, how- 

 ever, the stimulus subsided, and the nation again 

 closed its eyes to the marvellous progress which 

 other countries were making. 



We have now been at war for nearly two years 

 with the chief of these countries ; and the con- 

 sequent dislocation of trade and commerce has 

 forced attention upon the ramifications of its influ- 

 ence throughout our Empire. It is realised now 

 more than ever before that the development of our 

 natural resources, and the profitable employment 

 of our discoveries, have been left largely to the 

 initiative of an alien people, and that there must 

 be an Imperial Renaissance if we are to be inde- 

 pendent of such enterprise in the future. We 

 entered into the war in defence of international 

 right against an aggressive military Power : we 

 liave to sec that, when success has been achieved 

 by our arms, the nation is fully prepared for the 

 economic struggle to follow. 



The recent activities of many national interests 

 show that the need for a new Imperial policy is 

 widely understood. Political parties have united 

 to present an undivided front to the enemy ; and 

 whatever opposition exists to them has for its 

 object the effective prosecution of the war and the 

 promotion of industrial progress afterwards. We 

 hope that the electorate wiU never again be de- 

 luded by the platitudes of the party politician of 

 the pre-war era, and that the line of cleavage will 

 be between obscurantism and progressive develop- 

 ment. Commerce, industry,, and education have 

 ranged themselves with science to fight inactivity 

 and inefficiency. Educational associations are 

 endeavouring to produce reformed curricula and 

 connecting links between school and university; 

 trade associations and chambers of commerce 

 NO. 2439, VOL. 97] 



are asking for the creation of departments of State 

 which will promote the development of industry 

 and research and co-ordinate their efforts ; engi- 

 neers, chemical manufacturers, and other produc- 

 tive bodies have organised themselves for the 

 advancement of their particular interests; and 

 scientific societies have formed a joint committee 

 to deal with matters of national importance- All 

 these bodies are separate organisations, though 

 their aims are the same. It is obviously desirable 

 that, while retaining thei'- individual characteris- 

 tics, they should, to give them political strength, 

 come together in a single body like the British 

 Science Guild, which represents the interests of 

 education, commerce, and industry, as well as of 

 science. 



Without a unifying policy there is little possi- 

 bility that a sufficient body of opinion will be 

 created to carry into effect the reforms which are 

 being advocated. A series of articles on "The 

 Elements of Reconstruction," which began in the 

 Times of July 17, traces the outlines of an econo- 

 mic principle by which "those who are attacking 

 the problem of the industrial reorganisation of 

 the Empire and those who are working for educa- 

 tional reconstruction " may be made to join hands. 

 The State has already assumed full powers of 

 reorganisation towards the scientific foundations 

 of industries concerned with the provision of muni- 

 tions of war : it should be induced to carry on the 

 same policy after the war, and thus enable the 

 nation to meet the competition of advancing 

 rivals. In business the dominating influence is 

 individual interest, and it will not be necessary- to 

 urge the advantages of education and science 

 when the community as a whole really believes 

 that they can be made creators of wealth. These 

 agents must be brought into close connection with 

 economic life if they are to have a decisive voice in 

 national affairs. This does not mean that 

 teachers and men of science should necessarily 

 seek seats in Parliament, but they should asso- 

 ciate themselves with any organisation which 

 endeavours to secure supporters for measures 

 designed to increase national efficiency by means 

 of educational and scientific work. 



The action of the State when it comes in con- 

 tact with business must be determined by econo- 

 mic values and represent the action of the com- 

 munity as a whole in the conduct of modern busi- 

 ness. The only way in which the community can 

 advance as a whole is by an increase of the total 

 production or an improvement in the quality of 

 what can be distributed. To secure either of 

 these things knowledge mus't be kept progressive ; 

 and, if wisdcm is to control the State, provision 



Z 



