Dr. Aubrey Strahan — Geology at the Seat of War. 69 



toleration in this country, but have been regarded as a luxury, to be 

 abandoned first among luxuries in time of stress. I venture to hope, 

 however, that it will not be so necessary in the future as it has been 

 in the past to expend energy in urging the claims of science. In the 

 foundation of the Imperial Trust for (Scientific Research we may 

 recognize that at least one good result has arisen from the calamity 

 of war. 



The Germans have been active in their application of geology at 

 the Front, but that they have been more active than ourselves must 

 not be assumed from the fact that I speak more freely of their 

 proceedings than of our own. The amount of German literature 

 which has reached me since the outbreak of the War is limited, but it 

 suffices to show that a number of treatises on War Geology has been 

 published, and from one of these I extract some significant passages. 

 One author, writing in December, 1915, remarks that first and 

 foremost they (the Germans) have really begun, in different parts 

 of the Front, to make geologists a part of the Army organization. 

 A staff of geologists has been created and placed under the direction 

 of a Professor of the University of Greifswald for one of the divisions 

 of the Western Front, and an extension of duties arranged for when 

 their present task is finished. Among the subjects mentioned as 

 requiring geological advice are the laying of field railways, the 

 provision of water in co-operation with bacteriologists, the examination 

 of marsh-lands, the finding of road-metal, and the guarding against 

 landslides, which may be bi'ought about by gunfire. Hints are given, 

 too, that much greater use has been made of geological maps for 

 military purposes than can be made known now. In fact, I gather 

 from this author, who is himself a professor of palaeontology, that 

 a sufficient and intelligent use of geologists would go far to win the 

 War. He admits, however, that an individual geologist may not be 

 infallible, and he acknowledges that in attack or retreat the first line 

 cannot wait for the geologist's advice. He proceeds to recommend 

 that full advantage should be taken now of examining the innumerable 

 artificial openings which have been made, and gaining such a knowledge 

 of the ground of our neighbours as may be desirable for military 

 purposes. "For," he continues, "the peace will not be an everlasting- 

 peace. Who can hope for that ? We, whose country has so often 

 been invaded, must therefore prepare to defend ourselves, and as the 

 new battles may very likely be fought on the ground on which our 

 ai'mies are now fighting, our descendants would be justified in 

 reproaching us if we were so short-sighted as not to avail ourselves 

 of the present favourable opportunity of examining the geological 

 character of the field of battle." I invite your attention to the fact 

 that preparation for another war is suggested while the present war 

 is at its height, and that protection against further invasion of 

 Germany is to be obtained by studying the geology of the 

 territories of her neighbours. 



In connexion with the operations on the Western Front a com- 

 parison of the geology with that of the South of England acquires 

 a special interest. The severance of England from the Continent is, 

 geologically speaking, a recent geographical incident. That the 



