utopia of usurers and other essays-第13部分

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division　of　Bucks　which　the　candidate　is　contesting；　centre　of　the
important　and　vital　trade　on　which　it　has　thriven；　a　savage　struggle　about
justice　has　been　raging　for　months　past　between　the　poor　and　rich；　as　real
as　the　French　Revolution。　　The　man　offering　himself　at　Wycombe　as
representative　of　the　Wycombe　division　simply　says　nothing　about　it　at　all。
It　is　as　if　a　man　at　the　crisis　of　the　French　Terror　had　offered　himself
as　a　deputy　for　the　town　of　Paris；　and　had　said　nothing　about　the　Monarchy；
nothing　about　the　Republic；　nothing　about　the　massacres；　nothing　about
the　war；　but　had　explained　with　great　clearness　his　views　on　the
suppression　of　the　Jansenists；　the　literary　style　of　Racine；　the
suitability　of　Turenae　for　the　post　of　commander…in…chief；　and　the
religious　reflections　of　Madame　de　Maintenon。　　For；　at　their　best；　the
candidate's　topics　are　not　topical。　　Home　Rule　is　a　very　good　thing；　and
modern　education　is　a　very　bad　thing；　but　neither　of　them　are　things　that
anybody　is　talking　about　in　High　Wycombe。　　This　is　the　first　and　simplest
way　of　missing　the　point：　deliberately　to　avoid　and　ignore　it。


The　Candid　Candidate

It　would　be　an　amusing　experiment；　by　the　way；　to　go　to　the　point　instead
of　avoiding　it。　　What　fun　it　would　be　to　stand　as　a　strict　Party
candidate；　but　issue　a　perfectly　frank　and　cynical　Election　Address。　　Mr。
Mosley's　address　begins；　〃Gentlemen；Sir　Alfred　Cripps　having　been　chosen
for　a　high　judicial　position　and　a　seat　in　the　House　of　Lords；　a
by…election　now　becomes　necessary；　and　the　electors　of　South　Bucks　are
charged　with　the　responsible　duty　of　electing；　etc。；　etc。〃　　But　suppose
there　were　another　candidate　whose　election　address　opened　in　a　plain；
manly　style；　like　this：　〃Gentlemen；In　the　sincere　hope　of　being　myself
chosen　for　a　high　judicial　position　or　a　seat　in　the　House　of　Lords；　or
considerably　increasing　my　private　fortune　by　some　Government　appointment；
or；　at　least；　inside　information　about　the　financial　prospects；　I　have
decided　that　it　is　worth　my　while　to　disburse　large　sums　of　money　to　you
on　various　pretexts；　and；　with　even　more　reluctance　to　endure　the　bad
speaking　and　bad　ventilation　of　the　Commons'　House　of　Parliament；　so　help
me　God。　　I　have　very　pronounced　convictions　on　various　political　questions；
but　I　will　not　trouble　my　fellow…citizens　with　them；　since　I　have　quite
made　up　my　mind　to　abandon　any　or　all　of　them　if　requested　to　do　so　by　the
upper　classes。　　The　electors　are　therefore　charged　with　the　entirely
irresponsible　duty　of　electing　a　Member；　or；　in　other　words；　I　ask　my
neighbours　round　about　this　part；　who　know　I　am　not　a　bad　chap　in　many
ways；　to　do　me　a　good　turn　in　my　business；　just　as　I　might　ask　them　to
change　a　sovereign。　　My　election　will　have　no　conceivable　kind　of　effect
on　anything　or　anybody　except　myself；　so　I　ask；　as　man　to　man；　the
Electors　of　the　Southern　or　Wycombe　Division　of　the　County　of　Buckingham
to　accept　a　ride　in　one　of　my　motor…cars；　and　poll　early　to　please　a
palGod　Save　the　King。〃　　I　do　not　know　whether　you　or　I　would　be　elected
if　we　presented　ourselves　with　an　election　address　of　that　kind；　but　we
should　have　had　our　fun　and　（comparatively　speaking）　saved　our　souls；　and
I　have　a　strong　suspicion　that　we　should　be　elected　or　rejected　on　a
mechanical　majority　like　anybody　else；　nobody　having　dreamed　of　reading　an
election　address　any　more　than　an　advertisement　of　a　hair　restorer。


Tyranny　and　Head…Dress

But　there　is　another　and　more　subtle　way　in　which　we　may　miss　the　point；
and　that　is；　not　by　keeping　a　dead　silence　about　it；　but　by　being　just
witty　enough　to　state　it　wrong。　　Thus；　some　of　the　Liberal　official　papers
have　almost　screwed　up　their　courage　to　the　sticking…point　about　the
bestial　coup　d'etat　in　South　Africa。　　They　have　screwed　up　their　courage
to　the　sticking…point；　and　it　has　stuck。　　It　cannot　get　any　further；
because　it　has　missed　the　main　point。　　The　modern　Liberals　make　their
feeble　attempts　to　attack　the　introduction　of　slavery　into　South　Africa　by
the　Dutch　and　the　Jews；　by　a　very　typical　evasion　of　the　vital　fact。　　The
vital　fact　is　simply　slavery。　　Most　of　these　Dutchmen　have　always　felt
like　slave…owners。　　Most　of　these　Jews　have　always　felt　like　slaves。　　Now
that　they　are　on　top；　they　have　a　particular　and　curious　kind　of　impudence；
which　is　only　known　among　slaves。　　But　the　Liberal　journalists　will　do
their　best　to　suggest　that　the　South　African　wrong　consisted　in　what　they
call　Martial　Law。　　That　is；　that　there　is　something　specially　wicked　about
men　doing　an　act　of　cruelty　in　khaki　or　in　vermilion；　but　not　if　it　is
done　in　dark　blue　with　pewter　buttons。　　The　tyrant　who　wears　a　busby　or　a
forage　cap　is　abominable；　the　tyrant　who　wears　a　horsehair　wig　is
excusable。　　To　be　judged　by　soldiers　is　hell；　but　to　be　judged　by　lawyers
is　paradise。

Now　the　point　must　not　be　missed　in　this　way。　　What　is　wrong　with　the
tyranny　in　Africa　is　not　that　it　is　run　by　soldiers。　　It　would　be　quite　as
bad；　or　worse；　if　it　were　run　by　policemen。　　What　is　wrong　is　that；　for
the　first　time　since　Pagan　times；　private　men　are　being　forced　to　work　for
a　private　man。　　Men　are　being　punished　by　imprisonment　or　exile　for
refusing　to　accept　a　job。　　The　fact　that　Botha　can　ride　on　a　horse；　or
fire　off　a　gun；　makes　him　better　rather　than　worse　than　any　man　like
Sidney　Webb　or　Philip　Snowden；　who　attempt　the　same　slavery　by　much　less
manly　methods。　　The　Liberal　Party　will　try　to　divert　the　whole　discussion
to　one　about　what　they　call　militarism。　　But　the　very　terms　of　modern
politics　contradict　it。　　For　when　we　talk　of　real　rebels　against　the
present　system　we　call　them　Militants。　　And　there　will　be　none　in　the
Servile　State。



THE　SERVILE　STATE　AGAIN

I　read　the　other　day；　in　a　quotation　from　a　German　newspaper；　the　highly
characteristic　remark　that　Germany　having　annexed　Belgium　would　soon
re…establish　its　commerce　and　prosperity；　and　that；　in　particular；
arrangements　were　already　being　made　for　introducing　into　the　new　province
the　German　laws　for　the　protection　of　workmen。

I　am　quite　content　with　that　paragraph　for　the　purpose　of　any　controversy
about　what　is　called　German　atrocity。　　If　men　I　know　had　not　told　me　they
had　themselves　seen　the　bayoneting　of　a　baby；　if　the　most　respectable
refugees　did　not　bring　with　them　stories　of　burning　cottagesyes；　and　of
burning　cottagers　as　well；　if　doctors　did　not　report　what　they　do　report
of　the　condition　of　girls　in　the　hospitals；　if　there　were　no　facts；　if
there　were　no　photographs；　that　one　phrase　I　have　quoted　would　be　quite
sufficient　to　satisfy　me　that　the　Prussians　are　tyrants；　tyrants　in　a
peculiar　and　almost　insane　sense　which　makes　them　pre…eminent　among　the
evil　princes　of　the　earth。　　The　first　and　most　striking　feature　is　a
stupidity　that　rises　into　a　sort　of　ghastly　innocence。　　The　protection　of
workmen！　　Some　workmen；　perhaps；　might　have　a　fancy　for　being　protected
from　shrapnel；　some　might　be　glad　to　put　up　an　umbrella　that　would　ward
off　things　dropping　from　the　gentle　Zeppelin　in　heaven　upon　the　place
beneath。　　Some　of　these　discontented　proletarians　have　taken　the　same　view
as　Vandervelde　their　leader；　and　are　now　energetically　engaged　in
protecting　themselves　along　the　line　of　the　Yser；　I　am　glad　to　say　not
altogether　without　success。　　It　is　probable　that　nearly　all　of　the　Belgian
workers　would；　on　the　whole；　prefer　to　be　protected　against　bombs；　sabres；
burning　cities；　starvation；　torture；　and　the　treason　of　wicked　kings。　　In
short；　it　is　probableit　is　at　least　possible；　impious　as　is　the
ideathat　they　would　prefer　to　be　protected　against　Germans　and　all　they
represent。　　But　if　a　Belgian　workman　is　told　that　he　is　not　to　be
protected　against　Germans；　but　actually　to　be　protected　by　Germans；　I
think　he　may　be　excused　for　staring。　　His　first　impulse；　I　imagine；　will
be　to　ask；　〃Against　whom？　　Are　there　any　worse　people　to　come　along？〃

But　apart　from　the　hellish　irony　of　this　humanitarian　idea；　the　question
it　raises　is　really　one　of　solid　importance　for　people　whose　politics　are
more　or　less　like　ours。　　There　is　a　very　urgent　point　in　that　question；
〃Against　whom　would　the　Belgian　workmen　be　protected　by　the　German　laws？〃
And　if　we　pursue　it；　we　shall　be　enabled　to　analyse　something　of　that
poisonvery　largely　a　Prussian　poisonwhich　has　long　been　working　in　our
own　commonwealth；　to　the　enslavement　of　the　weak　and　the　secret
strengthening　of　the　strong。　　For　the　Prussian　armies　are；　pre…eminently；
the　advance　guard　of　the　Servile　State。　　I　say　this　scientifically；　and
quite　apart　from　passion　or　even　from　preference。　　I　have　no　illusions
about　either　Belgium　or　England。　　Both　have　been　stained　with　the　soot　of
Capitalism　and　blinded　with　the　smoke　of　mere　Colonial　ambition；　both　have
been　caught　at　a　disadvantage　in　such　modern　dirt　and　disorder；　both　have
come　out　much　better　than　I　should　have　expected　countries　so　modem　and　so
industrial　to　do。　　But　in　England　and　Belgium　there　is　Capitalism　mixed　up
with　a　great　many　other　things；　strong　things　and　things　that　pursue　other
aims；　Clericalism；　for　instance；　and　militant　Socialism　in　Belgium；　Trades
Unionism　and　sport　and　the　remains　of　real　aristocracy　in　England。　　But
Prussia　is　Capitalism；　that　is；　a　gradually　solidifying　slavery；　and　that
majestic　unity　with　which　she　moves；　dragging　all　the　dumb　Germanies　after
her；　is　due　to　the　fact　that　her　Servile　State　is　complete；　while　ours　is
incomplete。　　There　are　not　mutinies；　there　are　not　even　mockeries；　the
voice　of　national　self…criticism　has　been　extinguished　forever。　　For　this
people　is　already　permanently　cloven　into　a　higher　and　a　lower　class：　in
its　industry　as　much　as　its　army。　　Its　employers　are；　in　the　strictest　and
most　sinister　sense；　captains　of　industry。　　Its　proletariat　is；　in　the
truest　and　most　pitiable　sense；　an　army　of　labour。　　In　that　atmosphere
masters　bear　upon　them　the　signs　that　they　are　more　than　men；　and　to
insult　an　officer　is　death。

If　anyone　ask　how　this　extreme　and　unmistakable　subordination　of　the
employed　to　the　employers　is　brought　about；　we　all　know　the　answer。　　It　is
brought　about　by　hunger　a