Some War-time Lessons

Army camps, university laboratories and wartime offices provide Frederick P. Keppel with examples of a nation responding to the First World War. These three essays examine soldiers' conduct, the usefulness of scholarship and the lessons of national mobilization. Keppel writes from his position as Third Assistant Secretary of War, describing efforts to support morale through books, sport, music, theatre and help from nearby communities.

His account also follows scholars into urgent government work, where scientific ideas must survive tight schedules and the demands of production. Sound waves for detecting submarines, aircraft engines and the manufacture of field glasses become tests of cooperation between research and industry. Readers interested in military welfare or the public role of universities will find an official's argument that habits formed under wartime pressure could influence scientific work and public service in peace.