When one thinks of the marvellous scientific ingenuity and skill,
directed in a kind of diabolic concentration on the one purpose
of slaughter.

Of the huge guns, the 12.5's, weighing 40 tons apiece, and boxed
and rifled to the nicety of the thousandth part of an inch (I have
watched them being made at Sheffield).

Of the larger 15 in. guns, with range of 13 or 14 miles, so accurate
that the shells thrown at that distance will deviate hardly a couple
of yards to the right hand or the left of their line of fire (and in
the Jutland battle the firing opened at nearly 11 miles).

Of the still larger guns even now being constructed.

Of the shells themselves varying from a few pounds to nearly, a ton
in weight, and so delicately fashioned that the moment of their
explosion can be positively timed to the tenth part of a second:

When one thinks of the ingenuity put into aeroplanes and airships,
and almost entirely with a view to the destruction of life;

Of the automatic steering of submarine torpedoes by means of gyroscopes,
so that when deviated by any obstacle or accident from their set
course they will actually return of themselves to that course again;

Of the everlasting duel going on in any one country between armour
plates and projectiles but of course always between the armour
plates of one firm and the projectiles of another (since obviously
for any one firm to prove its own inferiority in either line would