scientific people of whom
they are totally ignorant. Lloyd George has never heard of
Ramsey--and so on, and the hash and muddle and quackery on our
technical side is appalling. It all means boys' lives in Flanders and
horrible waste and suffering. Well, anyhow if we've got only obscure
and cramped and underpaid scientific men we have a bench of fine fat
bishops and no end of tremendous lawyers. One of the best ideas for
the Ypres position came from Robert Mond but the execution was too
difficult for our officers to attempt. So we've got a row of wounded
and mangled men that would reach from Beaconsfield to Great
Marlow--just to show we don't take stock in these damned scientific
people.

Yours ever,

H.G.

No one however mad could have called Gilbert a pro-German: it was
perhaps the only accusation the _New Witness_ escaped. But while he
largely agreed with Shaw's analysis of the Englishman as a natural
Anarchist and grumbler, while he believed in the voluntary principle
and disliked conscription, his general outlook was as different from
Shaw's as were the pamphlets they both wrote.

In a book addressed to a German professor G.K. frankly confessed the
real _Crimes of England_, for which she was now making reparation.

To any Englishman living in the native atmosphere the suggestion that
England had been preparing an aggression against Germany seemed more
than faintly ludicrous. We were not engaged in plotting in Europe--on
the contrary we were far too careless of Europe. And the funds of the
Liberal Party (which was in power) actually depended chiefly on
Quaker Millionaires who were noted pacifists and at whose bidding
national honour was jeopardised by our delay in declaring our support
of France. We were not prepared for war and probably only the shock
of the invasion of Belgium made certain our stand with France.

. . . It may seem an idle contradiction to say that our strength in
this war came from not being prepared. But there is a truth that
cannot be otherwise expressed. The strongest thing in sane anger is
surprise. If we had time to think we might have thought better--that
is worse. Everything that could be instinctive managed to be strong;
the instant fury of contempt with which the better spirit in our
rulers flung back the Prussian bribe; the instant solidarity of all
parties; above all, the brilliant instinct by which the Irish leader