utopia of usurers and other essays-第15部分

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I　should　find　a　great　many　distinctions　to　draw　in　such　a　matter。　　First；
I　should　say　that　taking　a　usurer's　money　by　proper　authority　is　not
robbery；　but　recovery　of　stolen　goods。　　Second；　I　should　say　that　even　if
there　were　no　such　thing　as　personal　property；　there　would　still　be　such　a
thing　as　personal　dignity；　and　different　modes　of　robbery　would　diminish
it　in　very　different　ways。　　Similarly；　there　is　a　truth；　but　only　a
half…truth；　in　the　saying　that　all　modern　Powers　alike　rely　on　the
Capitalist　and　make　war　on　the　lines　of　Capitalism。　　It　is　true；　and　it　is
disgraceful。　　But　it　is　_not_　equally　true　and　equally　disgraceful。　　It　is
not　true　that　Montenegro　is　as　much　ruled　by　financiers　as　Prussia；　just
as　it　is　not　true　that　as　many　men　in　the　Kaiserstrasse；　in　Berlin；　wear
long　knives　in　their　belts　as　wear　them　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the　Black
Mountain。　　It　is　not　true　that　every　peasant　from　one　of　the　old　Russian
communes　is　the　immediate　servant　of　a　rich　man；　as　is　every　employee　of
Mr。　　Rockefeller。　　It　is　as　false　as　the　statement　that　no　poor　people　in
America　can　read　or　write。　　There　is　an　element　of　Capitalism　in　all
modern　countries；　as　there　is　an　element　of　illiteracy　in　all　modern
countries。　　There　are　some　who　think　that　the　number　of　our
fellow…citizens　who　can　sign　their　names　ought　to　comfort　us　for　the
extreme　fewness　of　those　who　have　anything　in　the　bank　to　sign　it　for；　but
I　am　not　one　of　these。

In　any　case；　the　position　of　Krupp　has　certain　interesting　aspects。　　When
we　talk　of　Army　contractors　as　among　the　base　but　active　actualities　of
war；　we　commonly　mean　that　while　the　contractor　benefits　by　the　war；　the
war；　on　the　whole；　rather　suffers　by　the　contractor。　　We　regard　this
unsoldierly　middleman　with　disgust；　or　great　anger；　or　contemptuous
acquiescence；　or　commercial　dread　and　silence；　according　to　our　personal
position　and　character。　　But　we　nowhere　think　of　him　as　having　anything　to
do　with　fighting　in　the　final　sense。　　Those　worthy　and　wealthy　persons　who
employ　women's　labour　at　a　few　shillings　a　week　do　not　do　it　to　obtain　the
best　clothes　for　the　soldiers；　but　to　make　a　sufficient　profit　on　the
worst。　　The　only　argument　is　whether　such　clothes　are　just　good　enough　for
the　soldiers；　or　are　too　bad　for　anybody　or　anything。　　We　tolerate　the
contractor；　or　we　do　not　tolerate　him；　but　no　one　admires　him　especially；
and　certainly　no　one　gives　him　any　credit　for　any　success　in　the　war。
Confessedly　or　unconfessedly　we　knock　his　profits；　not　only　off　what　goes
to　the　taxpayer；　but　what　goes　to　the　soldier。　　We　know　the　Army　will　not
fight　any　better；　at　least；　because　the　clothes　they　wear　were　stitched　by
wretched　women　who　could　hardly　see；　or　because　their　boots　were　made　by
harassed　helots；　who　never　had　time　to　think。　　In　war…time　it　is　very
widely　confessed　that　Capitalism　is　not　a　good　way　of　ruling　a　patriotic
or　self…respecting　people；　and　all　sorts　of　other　things；　from　strict
State　organisation　to　quite　casual　personal　charity；　are　hastily
substituted　for　it。　　It　is　recognised　that　the　〃great　employer；〃　nine
times　out　of　ten；　is　no　more　than　the　schoolboy　or　the　page　who　pilfers
tarts　and　sweets　from　the　dishes　as　they　go　up　and　down。　　How　angry　one　is
with　him　depends　on　temperament；　on　the　stage　of　the　dinneralso　on　the
number　of　tarts。

Now　here　comes　in　the　real　and　sinister　significance　of　Krupps。　　There　are
many　capitalists　in　Europe　as　rich；　as　vulgar；　as　selfish；　as　rootedly
opposed　to　any　fellowship　of　the　fortunate　and　unfortunate。　　But　there　is
no　other　capitalist　who　claims；　or　can　pretend　to　claim；　that　he　has　very
appreciably　_helped_　the　activities　of　his　people　in　war。　　I　will　suppose
that　Lipton　did　not　deserve　the　very　severe　criticisms　made　on　his　firm　by
Mr。　Justice　Darling；　but；　however　blameless　he　was；　nobody　can　suppose
that　British　soldiers　would　charge　better　with　the　bayonet　because　they
had　some　particular　kind　of　groceries　inside　them。　　But　Krupp　can　make　a
plausible　claim　that　the　huge　infernal　machines　to　which　his　country　owes
nearly　all　of　its　successes　could　only　have　been　produced　under　the
equally　infernal　conditions　of　the　modern　factory　and　the　urban　and
proletarian　civilisation。　　That　is　why　the　victory　of　Germany　would　be
simply　the　victory　of　Krupp；　and　the　victory　of　Krupp　would　be　simply　the
victory　of　Capitalism。　　There；　and　there　alone；　Capitalism　would　be　able
to　point　to　something　done　successfully　for　a　whole　nationdone　（as　it
would　certainly　maintain）　better　than　small　free　States　or　natural
democracies　could　have　done　it。　　I　confess　I　think　the　modern　Germans
morally　second…rate；　and　I　think　that　even　war；　when　it　is　conducted　most
successfully　by　machinery；　is　second…rate　war。　　But　this　second…rate　war
will　become　not　only　the　first　but　the　only　brand；　if　the　cannon　of　Krupp
should　conquer；　and；　what　is　very　much　worse；　it　will　be　the　only
intelligent　answer　that　any　capitalist　has　yet　given　against　our　case　that
Capitalism　is　as　wasteful　and　as　weak　as　it　is　certainly　wicked。　　I　do　not
fear　any　such　finality；　for　I　happen　to　believe　in　the　kind　of　men　who
fight　best　with　bayonets　and　whose　fathers　hammered　their　own　pikes　for
the　French　Revolution。



THE　TOWER　OF　BEBEL

Among　the　cloudy　and　symbolic　stories　in　the　beginning　of　the　Bible　there
is　one　about　a　tower　built　with　such　vertical　energy　as　to　take　a　hold　on
heaven；　but　ruined　and　resulting　only　in　a　confusion　of　tongues。　　The
story　might　be　interpreted　in　many　waysreligiously；　as　meaning　that
spiritual　insolence　starts　all　human　separations；　irreligiously；　as
meaning　that　the　inhuman　heavens　grudge　man　his　magnificent　dream；　or
merely　satirically　as　suggesting　that　all　attempts　to　reach　a　higher
agreement　always　end　in　more　disagreement　than　there　was　before。　　It　might
be　taken　by　the　partially　intelligent　Kensitite　as　a　judgment　on　Latin
Christians　for　talking　Latin。　　It　might　be　taken　by　the　somewhat　less
intelligent　Professor　Harnack　as　a　final　proof　that　all　prehistoric
humanity　talked　German。　　But　when　all　was　said；　the　symbol　would　remain
that　a　plain　tower；　as　straight　as　a　sword；　as　simple　as　a　lily；　did
nevertheless　produce　the　deepest　divisions　that　have　been　known　among　men。
In　any　case　we　of　the　world　in　revoltSyndicalists；　Socialists；　Guild
Socialists；　or　whatever　we　call　ourselveshave　no　need　to　worry　about　the
scripture　or　the　allegory。　　We　have　the　reality。　　For　whatever　reason；
what　is　said　to　have　happened　to　the　people　of　Shinak　has　precisely　and
practically　happened　to　us。

None　of　us　who　have　known　Socialists　（or　rather；　to　speak　more　truthfully；
none　of　us　who　have　been　Socialists）　can　entertain　the　faintest　doubt　that
a　fine　intellectual　sincerity　lay　behind　what　was　called　〃L'Internationale。〃
It　was　really　felt　that　Socialism　was　universal　like　arithmetic。　　It
was　too　true　for　idiom　or　turn　of　phrase。　　In　the　formula　of　Karl　Marx　men
could　find　that　frigid　fellowship　which　they　find　when　they　agree　that　two
and　two　make　four。　　It　was　almost　as　broadminded　as　a　religious　dogma。

Yet　this　universal　language　has　not　succeeded；　at　a　moment　of　crisis；　in
imposing　itself　on　the　whole　world。　　Nay；　it　has　not；　at　the　moment　of
crisis；　succeeded　in　imposing　itself　on　its　own　principal　champions。
Herve　is　not　talking　Economic　Esperanto；　he　is　talking　French。　　Bebel　is
not　talking　Economic　Esperanto；　he　is　talking　German。　　Blatchford　is　not
talking　Economic　Esperanto；　he　is　talking　English；　and　jolly　good　English；
too。　　I　do　not　know　whether　French　or　Flemish　was　Vandervelde's　nursery
speech；　but　I　am　quite　cerrain　he　will　know　more　of　it　after　this　struggle
than　he　knew　before。　　In　short；　whether　or　no　there　be　a　new　union　of
hearts；　there　has　really　and　truly　been　a　new　division　of　tongues。

How　are　we　to　explain　this　singular　truth；　even　if　we　deplore　it？　　I
dismiss　with　fitting　disdain　the　notion　that　it　is　a　mere　result　of
military　terrorism　or　snobbish　social　pressure。　　The　Socialist　leaders　of
modern　Europe　are　among　the　most　sincere　men　in　history；　and　their
Nationalist　note　in　this　affair　has　had　the　ring　of　their　sincerity。　　I
will　not　waste　time　on　the　speculation　that　Vandervelde　is　bullied　by
Belgian　priests；　or　that　Blatchford　is　frightened　of　the　horse…guards
outside　Whitehall。　　These　great　men　support　the　enthusiasm　of　their
conventional　countrymen　because　they　share　it；　and　they　share　it　because
there　is　（though　perhaps　only　at　certain　great　moments）　such　a　thing　as
pure　democracy。

Timour　the　Tartar；　I　think；　celebrated　some　victory　with　a　tower　built
entirely　out　of　human　skulls；　perhaps　he　thought　_that_　would　reach　to
heaven。　　But　there　is　no　cement　in　such　building；　the　veins　and　ligaments
that　hold　humanity　together　have　long　fallen　away；　the　skulls　will　roll
impotently　at　a　touch；　and　ten　thousand　more　such　trophies　could　only　make
the　tower　taller　and　crazier。　　I　think　the　modern　official　apparatus　of
〃votes〃　is　very　like　that　tottering　monument。　　I　think　the　Tartar　〃counted
heads；〃　like　an　electioneering　agent。　　Sometimes　when　I　have　seen　from　the
platform　of　some　paltry　party　meeting　the　rows　and　rows　of　grinning
upturned　faces；　I　have　felt　inclined　to　say；　as　the　poet　does　in　the　〃The
Vision　of　Sin〃…〃Welcome　fellow…citizens；
Hollow　hearts　and　empty　heads。〃


Not　that　the　people　were　personally　hollow　or　empty；　but　they　had　come　on
a　hollow　and　empty　business：　to　help　the　good　Mr。　Binks　to　strengthen　the
Insurance　Act　against　the　wicked　Mr。　Jinks　who　would　only　promise　to
fortify　the　Insurance　Act。　　That　night　it　did　not　blow　the　democratic　gale。
Yet　it　can　blow　on　these　as　on　others；　and　when　it　does　blow　men　learn
many　things。　　I；　for　one；　am　not　above　learning　them。

The　Marxian　dogma　which　simplifies　all　conflicts　to　the　Class　War　is　so
much　nobler　a　thing　than　the　nose…counting　of　the　parliaments　that　one
must　apologise　for　the　comparison。　　And　yet　there　is　a　comparison。　　When
we　used　to　say　that　there　were　so　many　thousands　of　Socialists　in　Germany；
we　were　counting　by　skulls。　　When　we　said　that　the　majority　consisting　of
Proletarians　would　be　everywhere　opposed　to　the　minority；　con