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my memory and stamp such horror into me as to reduce me to a mere
useless； gibbering； stop…the…war…at…any…price pacifist。 Years
ago my mind was once darkened very badly for some weeks with a
kind of fear and distrust of life through a sudden unexpected
encounter one tranquil evening with a drowned body。 But in this
journey in Italy and France； although I have had glimpses of much
death and seen many wounded men； I have had no really horrible
impressions at all。 That side of the business has； I think； been
overwritten。 The thing that haunts me most is the impression of
a prevalent relapse into extreme untidiness； of a universal
discomfort； of fields； and of ruined houses treated
disregardfully。。。。 But that is not what concerns us now in this
discussion。 What concerns us now is the fact that this war is
producing spectacular effects so tremendous and incidents so
strange； so remarkable； so vivid； that the mind forgets both
causes and consequences and simply sits down to stare。
For example； there is this business of the Zeppelin raids in
England。 It is a supremely silly business； it is the most
conclusive demonstration of the intellectual inferiority of the
German to the Western European that is should ever have happened。
There was the clearest /a priori/ case against the gas…bag。
I remember the discussions ten or twelve years ago in which it
was established to the satisfaction of every reasonable man that
ultimately the 〃heavier than air〃 machine （as we called it then）
must fly better than the gas…bag； and still more conclusively
that no gas…bag was conceivable that could hope to fight and
defeat aeroplanes。 Nevertheless the German； with that dull faith
of his in mere 〃Will；〃 persisted along his line。 He knew
instinctively that he could not produce aviators to meet the
Western European； all his social instincts made him cling to the
idea of a great motherly； almost sow…like bag of wind above him。
At an enormous waste of resources Germany has produced these
futile monsters； that drift in the darkness over England
promiscuously dropping bombs on fields and houses。 They are now
meeting the fate that was demonstrably certain ten years ago。 If
they found us unready for them it is merely that we were unable
to imagine so idiotic an enterprise would ever be seriously
sustained and persisted in。 We did not believe in the
probability of Zeppelin raids any more than we believed that
Germany would force the world into war。 It was a thing too silly
to be believed。 But they cameto their certain fate。 In the
month after I returned from France and Italy； no less than four
of these fatuities were exploded and destroyed within thirty
miles of my Essex home。。。。 There in chosen phrases you have the
truth about these things。 But now mark the perversion of thought
due to spectacular effect。
I find over the Essex countryside； which has been for more than a
year and a half a highway for Zeppelins； a new and curious
admiration for them that has arisen out of these very disasters。
Previously they were regarded with dislike and a sort of
distrust； as one might regard a sneaking neighbour who left his
footsteps in one's garden at night。 But the Zeppelins of
Billericay and Potter's Bar areheroic things。 （The Cuffley one
came down too quickly； and the fourth one which came down for its
crew to surrender is despised。） I have heard people describe the
two former with eyes shining with enthusiasm。
〃First；〃 they say； 〃you saw a little round red glow that spread。
Then you saw the whole Zeppelin glowing。 Oh； it was
/beautiful！/ Then it began to turn over and come down； and
it flames and pieces began to break away。 And then down it came；
leaving flaming pieces all up the sky。 At last it was a pillar
of fire eight thousand feet high。。。。 Everyone said； 'Ooooo！' And
then someone pointed out the little aeroplane lit up by the flare
such a leetle thing up there in the night！ It is the greatest
thing I have ever seen。 Oh！ the most wonderfulmost wonderful！〃
There is a feeling that the Germans really must after all be a
splendid people to provide such magnificent pyrotechnics。
Some people in London the other day were pretending to be shocked
by an American who boasted that he had been in 〃two /bully/
bombardments；〃 but he was only saying what everyone feels more or
less。 We are at a spectacle thatas a spectacleour
grandchildren will envy。 I understand now better the story of
the man who stared at the sparks raining up from his own house as
it burnt in the night and whispered 〃/Lovely！ Lovely！/〃
The spectacular side of the war is really an enormous distraction
from thought。 And against thought there also fights the native
indolence of the human mind。 The human mind； it seems； was
originally developed to think about the individual； it thinks
reluctantly about the species。 It takes refuge from that sort of
thing if it possibly can。 And so the second great preventive of
clear thinking is the tranquillising platitude。
The human mind is an instrument very easily fatigued。 Only a few
exceptions go on thinking restlesslyto the extreme exasperation
of their neighbours。 The normal mind craves for decisions； even
wrong or false decisions rather than none。 It clutches at
comforting falsehoods。 It loves to be told； 〃/There/； don't
you worry。 That'll be all right。 That's /settled。/〃 This
war has come as an almost overwhelming challenge to mankind。 To
some of us it seems as it if were the Sphynx proffering the
alternative of its riddle or death。 Yet the very urgency of this
challenge to think seems to paralyse the critical intelligence of
very many people altogether。 They will say； 〃This war is going
to produce enormous changes in everything。〃 They will then
subside mentally with a feeling of having covered the whole
ground in a thoroughly safe manner。 Or they will adopt an air of
critical aloofness。 They will say； 〃How is it possible to
foretell what may happen in this tremendous sea of change？〃 And
then； with an air of superior modesty； they will go on doing
whatever they feel inclined to do。 Many others； a degree less
simple in their methods； will take some entirely partial aspect；
arrive at some guesswork decision upon that； and then behave as
though that met every question we have to face。 Or they will
make a sort of admonitory forecast that is conditional upon the
good behaviour of other people。 〃Unless the Trade Unions are
more reasonable；〃 they will say。 Or； 〃Unless the shipping
interest is grappled with and controlled。〃 Or； 〃Unless England
wakes up。〃 And with that they seem to wash their hands of further
responsibility for the future。
One delightful form of put…off is the sage remark； 〃Let us finish
the war first； and then let us ask what is going to happen after
it。〃 One likes to think of the beautiful blank day after the
signing of the peace when these wise minds swing round to pick up
their deferred problems。。。。
I submit that a man has not done his duty by himself as a
rational creature unless he has formed an idea of what is going
on； as one complicated process； until he has formed an idea
suff