There is an ancient story concerning a grave debate indulged in by a
group of English philosophers during the Stuart period over the
question why a fish does not weigh anything when in the water. At
length it occurred to one of them to weigh a vessel of water with a
fish in it, and again with the fish removed. As a result of this
simple test the philosophers were forced to seek a new subject upon
which to exercise their wits. At the present time it seems to be
generally assumed that with the invention of new implements of warfare
and of improvements upon old ones the horrors of war have steadily
increased; in particular, that the present war is far more horrible to
those who participate in it than any of its predecessors in the
history of the human race have been. Such a belief as this entails
obvious consequences affecting not only the peace of mind of our
people but, in the last analysis, the success of the cause to which
our nation is committed. For if it is indeed true that our young
manhood is going to certain death under circumstances more awful than
the pages of military history have hitherto ever recorded, our
willingness as individuals to send our loved ones to meet such a fate
must be seriously shaken by the prospect; while, collectively, the
will of the nation to persist in the war upon which we have embarked
will be similarly affected. In a word, such an impression gravely
threatens the morale of the nation, including both those who go to war
and those who send them forth. That our Teutonic foemen have not been
unmindful of this is amply evidenced by the new and hellish
connotation which in recent years they have succeeded in attaching to
the word _shrecklichkeit_. To German _shrecklichkeit_ we will pay our
respects presently. Meanwhile we desire to deal with the question
whether under the influence of modern science and invention the
conduct of warfare has in fact become increasingly horrible.