utopia of usurers and other essays-第11部分

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his　soldiers　（looking　at　them　and　not　falling　off　his　horse）　a　speech
which　brought　their　national　passions　to　boiling　point；　and　might　well
have　seemed　blood…thirsty　in　quieter　times。　　It　ended　with　the　celebrated
declaration　that　it　was　a　fine　day。〃

Or　we　might　have　the　much　greater　excitement　of　reading　something　like
this：〃The　Astronomer　Royal；　having　realised　that　the　earth　would
certainly　be　smashed　to　pieces　by　a　comet　unless　his　requests　in
connection　with　wireless　telegraphy　were　seriously　considered；　gave　an
address　at　the　Royal　Society　which；　under　other　circumstances；　would　have
seemed　unduly　dogmatic　and　emotional　and　deficient　in　scientific
agnosticism。　　This　address　（which　he　delivered　without　any　attempt　to
stand　on　his　head）　included　a　fierce　and　even　ferocious　declaration　that
it　is　generally　easier　to　see　the　stars　by　night　than　by　day。〃

Now；　I　cannot　see；　on　my　conscience　and　reason；　that　any　one　of　my
imaginary　paragraphs　is　more　ridiculous　than　the　real　one。　　Nobody　can
believe　that　Mr。　Asquith　regards　these　belated　and　careful　compromises
about　Home　Rule　as　〃the　biggest　battle　of　his　career。〃　　It　is　only　justice
to　him　to　say　that　he　has　had　bigger　battles　than　that。　　Nobody　can
believe　that　any　body　of　men；　bodily　present；　either　thundered　or　thrilled
at　a　man　merely　saying　that　he　would　like　to　know　whether　his　proposals
were　accepted。　　No；　it　would　be　far　better　for　Parliament　if　its　doors
were　shut　again；　and　reporters　were　excluded。　　In　that　case；　the　outer
public　did　hear　genuine　rumours　of　almost　gigantic　eloquence；　such　as　that
which　has　perpetuated　Pitt's　reply　against　the　charge　of　youth；　or　Fox's
bludgeoning　of　the　idea　of　war　as　a　compromise。　　It　would　be　much　better
to　follow　the　old　fashion　and　let　in　no　reporters　at　all　than　to　follow
the　new　fashion　and　select　the　stupidest　reporters　you　can　find。


Their　Load　of　Lies

Now；　why　do　people　in　Fleet…street　talk　such　tosh？　　People　in　Fleet…street
are　not　fools。　　Most　of　them　have　realised　reality　through　work；　some
through　starvation；　some　through　damnation；　or　something　damnably　like　it。
I　think　it　is　simply　and　seriously　true　that　they　are　tired　of　their　job。
As　the　general　said　in　M。　Rostand's　play；　〃la　fatigue！〃

I　do　really　believe　that　this　is　one　of　the　ways　in　which　God　（don't　get
flurried；　Nature　if　you　like）　is　unexpectedly　avenged　on　things　infamous
and　unreasonable。　　And　this　method　is　that　men's　moral　and　even　physical
tenacity　actually　give　out　under　such　a　load　of　lies。　　They　go　on　writing
their　leading　articles　and　their　Parliamentary　reports。　　They　go　on　doing
it　as　a　convict　goes　on　picking　oakum。　　But　the　point　is　not　that　we　are
bored　with　their　articles；　the　point　is　that　they　are。　　The　work　is　done
worse　because　it　is　done　weakly　and　without　human　enthusiasm。　　And　it　is
done　weakly　because　of　the　truth　we　have　told　so　many　times　in　this　book：
that　it　is　not　done　for　monarchy；　for　which　men　will　die；　or　for　democracy；
for　which　men　will　die；　or　even　for　aristocracy；　for　which　many　men　have
died。　　It　is　done　for　a　thing　called　Capitalism：　which　stands　out　quite
clearly　in　history　in　many　curious　ways。　　But　the　most　curious　thing　about
it　is　that　no　man　has　loved　it；　and　no　man　died　for　it。



THE　AMNESTY　FOR　AGGRESSION

If　there　is　to　rise　out　of　all　this　red　ruin　something　like　a　republic　of
justice；　it　is　essential　that　our　views　should　be　real　views；　that　is；
glimpses　of　lives　and　landscapes　outside　ourselves。　　It　is　essential　that
they　should　not　be　mere　opium　visions　that　begin　and　end　in　smokeand　so
often　in　cannon　smoke。　　I　make　no　apology；　therefore；　for　returning　to　the
purely　practical　and　realistic　point　I　urged　last　week：　the　fact　that　we
shall　lose　everything　we　might　have　gained　if　we　lose　the　idea　that　the
responsible　person　is　responsible。

For　instance；　it　is　almost　specially　so　with　the　one　or　two　things　in
which　the　British　Government；　or　the　British　public；　really　are　behaving
badly。　　The　first；　and　worst　of　them；　is　the　non…extension　of　the
Moratorium；　or　truce　of　debtor　and　creditor；　to　the　very　world　where　there
are　the　poorest　debtors　and　thc　cruellest　creditors。　　This　is　infamous：
and　should　be；　if　possible；　more　infamous　to　those　who　think　the　war　right
than　to　those　who　think　it　wrong。　　Everyone　knows　that　the　people　who　can
least　pay　their　debts　are　the　people　who　are　always　trying　to。　　Among　the
poor　a　payment　may　be　as　rash　as　a　speculation。　　Among　the　rich　a
bankruptcy　may　be　as　safe　as　a　bank。　　Considering　the　class　from　which
private　soldiers　are　taken；　there　is　an　atrocious　meanness　in　the　idea　of
buying　their　blood　abroad；　while　we　sell　their　sticks　at　home。　　The
English　language；　by　the　way；　is　full　of　delicate　paradoxes。　　We　talk　of
the　private　soldiers　because　they　are　really　public　soldiers；　and　we　talk
of　the　public　schools　because　they　are　really　private　schools。　　Anyhow；
the　wrong　is　of　the　sort　that　ought　to　be　resisted；　as　much　in　war　as　in
peace。


Ought　to　Be　Hammered

But　as　long　as　we　speak　of　it　as　a　cloudy　conclusion；　come　to　by　an
anonymous　club　called　Parliament；　or　a　masked　tribunal　called　the　Cabinet；
we　shall　never　get　such　a　wrong　righted。　　Somebody　is　officially
responsible　for　the　unfairness；　and　that　somebody　ought　to　be　hammered。
The　other　example；　less　important　but　more　ludicrous；　is　the　silly　boycott
of　Germans　in　England；　extending　even　to　German　music。　　I　do　not　believe
for　a　moment　that　the　English　people　feel　any　such　insane　fastidiousness。
Are　the　English　artists　who　practise　the　particularly　English　art　of
water…colour　to　be　forbidden　to　use　Prussian　blue？　　Are　all　old　ladies　to
shoot　their　Pomeranian　dogs？　　But　though　England　would　laugh　at　this；　she
will　get　the　credit　of　it；　and　will　continue：　until　we　ask　who　the　actual
persons　are　who　feel　sure　that　we　should　shudder　at　a　ballad　of　the　Rhine。
It　is　certain　that　we　should　find　they　are　capitalists。　　It　is　very
probable　that　we　should　find　they　are　foreigners。

Some　days　ago　the　Official　Council　of　the　Independent　Labour　Party；　or　the
Independent　Council　of　the　Official　Labour　Party；　or　the　Independent　and
Official　Council　of　the　Labour　Party　（I　have　got　quite　nervous　about　these
names　and　distinctions；　but　they　all　seem　to　say　the　same　thing）　began
their　manifesto　by　saying　it　would　be　difficult　to　assign　the　degrees　of
responsibility　which　each　nation　had　for　the　outbreak　of　the　war。
Afterwards；　a　writer　in　the　〃Christian　Commonwealth；〃　lamenting　war　in　the
name　of　Labour；　but　in　the　language　of　my　own　romantic　middle…class；　said
that　all　the　nations　must　share　the　responsibility　for　this　great　calamity
of　war。　　Now　exactly　as　long　as　we　go　on　talking　like　that　we　shall　have
war　after　war；　and　calamity　after　calamity；　until　the　crack　of　doom。　　It
simply　amounts　to　a　promise　of　pardon　to　any　person　who　will　start　a
quarrel。　　It　is　an　amnesty　for　assassins。　　The　moment　any　man　assaults　any
other　man　he　makes　all　the　other　men　as　bad　as　himself。　　He　has　only　to
stab；　and　to　vanish　in　a　fog　of　forgetfulness。　　The　real　eagles　of　iron；
the　predatory　Empires；　will　be　delighted　with　this　doctrine。　　They　will
applaud　the　Labour　Concert　or　Committee；　or　whatever　it　is　called。　　They
will　willingly　take　all　the　crime；　with　only　a　quarter　of　the　conscience：
they　will　be　as　ready　to　share　the　memory　as　they　are　to　share　the　spoil。
The　Powers　will　divide　responsibility　as　calmly　as　they　divided　Poland。


The　Whole　Loathsome　Load

But　I　still　stubbornly　and　meekly　submit　my　point：　that　you　cannot　end　war
without　asking　who　began　it。　　If　you　think　somebody　else；　not　Germany；
began　it；　then　blame　that　somebody　else：　do　not　blame　everybody　and　nobody。
Perhaps　you　think　that　a　small　sovereign　people；　fresh　from　two
triumphant　wars；　ought　to　discrown　itself　before　sunrise；　because　the
nephew　of　a　neighbouring　Emperor　has　been　shot　by　his　own　subjects。　　Very
well。　　Then　blame　Servia；　and；　to　the　extent　of　your　influence；　you　may　be
preventing　small　kingdoms　being　obstinate　or　even　princes　being　shot。
Perhaps　you　think　the　whole　thing　was　a　huge　conspiracy　of　Russia；　with
France　as　a　dupe　and　Servia　as　a　pretext。　　Very　well。　　Then　blame　Russia；
and；　to　the　extent　of　your　influence；　you　may　be　preventing　great　Empires
from　making　racial　excuses　for　a　raid。　　Perhaps　you　think　France　wrong
for　feeling　what　you　call　〃revenge；〃　and　I　should　call　recovery　of　stolen
goods。　　Perhaps　you　blame　Belgium　for　being　sentimental　about　her　frontier；
or　England　for　being　sentimental　about　her　word。　　If　so；　blame　them；　or
whichever　of　them　you　think　is　to　blame。　　Or　again；　it　is　barely　possible
that　you　may　think；　as　I　do；　that　the　whole　loathsome　load　has　been　laid
upon　us　by　the　monarchy　which　I　have　not　named；　still　less　wasted　time　in
abusing。　　But　if　there　be　in　Europe　a　military　State　which　has　not　the
religion　of　Russia；　yet　has　helped　Russia　to　tyrannise　over　the　Poles；
that　State　cares　not　for　religion；　but　for　tyranny。　　If　there　be　a　State
in　Europe　which　has　not　the　religion　of　the　Austrians；　but　has　helped
Austria　to　bully　the　Servians；　that　State　cares　not　for　belief；　but　for
bullying。　　If　there　be　in　Europe　any　people　or　principality　which　respects
neither　republics　nor　religions；　to　which　the　political　ideal　of　Paris　is
as　much　a　myth　as　the　mystical　ideal　of　Moscow；　then　blame　that：　and　do
more　than　blame。　　In　the　healthy　and　highly　theological　words　of　Robert
Blatchford；　drive　it　back　to　the　Hell　from　which　it　came。


Crying　Over　Spilt　Blood

But　whatever　you　do；　do　not　blame　everybody　for　what　was　certainly　done　by
somebody。　　It　may　be　it　is　no　good　crying　over　spilt　blood；　any　more　than
over　spilt　milk。　　But　we　do　not　find　the　culprit　any　more　by　spilling　the
milk　over　everybody；　or　by　daubing　everybody　with　blood。　　Still　less　do　we
improve　matters　by　watering　the　milk　with　our　tears；　nor　the　blood　either。
To　say　that　everybody　is　responsible　means　that　nobody　is　responsible。
If　in　the　future　we　see　Russia　annexing　Rutland　（as　part　of　the　old
Kingdom　of　Muscovy）；　if　we　see　Bavaria　taking　a　sudden　fancy　to　the　Bank
of　England；　or　the　King　of　the　Cannibal　Islands　suddenly　d