e, surely never before in the history of the world
have women and children been forced forward in defense of a fighting
line! Yet undoubtedly war can be so conducted that foes mutually respect
each other; indeed, save for the cowardly abomination of floating mines,
this present war has been so conducted at sea. I suggest that the fair
procedure in case of invasion is for each civilian to choose whether to
be a combatant or not, and to incur the danger of an affirmative choice
in a sufficiently conspicuous and permanent manner. I am, Sir,
faithfully yours,

*OLIVER LODGE,* The University, Birmingham, Oct. 31.

*What the German Conscript Thinks*

*By Arnold Bennett.*

_Copyright_, 1914, _by The New York Times Company_.

Some hold that this is a war of Prussian militarism, and not a war of
the German people. This view has the merits of kindliness and
convenience. Others warn us not to be misled by such sentimentalists,
and assert that the heart of the German people is in the war. The point
is of importance to us, because the work of the conscript in the field
must be influenced by his private feelings. Notwithstanding all drill
and sergeantry, the German Army remains a collection of human
beings--and human beings more learned, if not better educated, than our
own race! It is not a mere fighting machine, despite the efforts of its
leaders to make it into one.

Among those who assert that the heart of the German people is in the war
are impartial and experienced observers who have carefully studied
Germany for many years. For myself, I give little value to their
evidence. To come at the truth by observation about a foreign country is
immensely, overpoweringly difficult. I am a professional observer: I
have lived in Paris and in the French provinces for nine years; I am
fairly familiar with French literature and very familiar with the French
language--and I honestly would not trust myself to write even a shilling
handbook about French character and life. Nearly all newspapers are
conservative; nearly all foreign correspondents adopt the official or
conventional point of view; and the pictures of foreign life which get
into the press are, as a rule--shall I say incomplete?

Even when the honest observer says, "These things I saw with my own eyes
and will vouch for," I am not convinced that he saw enough. An
intelligent foreigner with first-class introductions might go through
England and see with his own eyes t