war and the future-第16章

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Premiums。

The　total　is　so　many　francs；　so　many　centimes。　　This　is　divided
into　the　nearest　round　number；　100；　120；　80　francs　as　the　case
may　be；　and　a　balance　of　the　odd　francs　and　centimes。　　The　latter
is　carried　forward　to　the　next　week's　account。　　At　the　bottom　of
the　card　is　a　tear…off　coupon　with　a　stamp；　coloured　to　indicate
the　round　sum；　green；　let　us　say；　for　100；　blue　for　130　francs。
This　is　taken　to　a　wicket　marked　100　or　130　as　the　case　may　be；
and　there　stands　a　cashier　with　his　money　in　piles　of　100　or　130
francs　counted　ready　to　hand；　he　sweeps　in　the　coupon；　sweeps　out
the　cash。　　〃/Next！/〃

I　became　interested　in　the　worker's　side　of　this　organisation。　　I
insist　on　seeing　the　entrances；　the　clothes…changing　places；　the
lavatories；　and　so　forth　of　the　organisation。　　As　we　go　about　we
pass　a　string　of　electric　trolleys　steered　by　important…looking
girls；　and　loaded　with　shell；　finished　as　far　as　these　works　are
concerned　and　on　their　way　to　the　railway　siding。　　We　visit　the
hospital；　for　these　works　demand　a　medical　staff。　　It　is　not　only
that　men　and　women　faint　or　fall　ill；　but　there　are　accidents；
burns；　crushings；　and　the　like。　　The　war　casualties　begin　already
here；　and　they　fall　chiefly　among　the　women。　　I　saw　a　wounded
woman　with　a　bandaged　face　sitting　very　quietly　in　the　corner。

The　women　here　face　danger；　perhaps　not　quite　such　obvious　danger
as　the　women　who；　at　the　next　stage　in　the　shell's　career；　make
and　pack　the　explosives　in　their　silk　casing；　but　quite
considerable　risk。　　And　they　work　with　a　real　enthusiasm。　　They
know　they　are　fighting　the　Bloches　as　well　as　any　men。　　Certain
of　them　wear　Russian　decorations。　　The　women　of　this　particular
factory　have　been　thanked　by　the　Tsar；　and　a　number　of
decorations　were　sent　by　him　for　distribution　among　them。


3

The　shell　factory　and　the　explosives　shed　stand　level　with　the
drill　yard　as　the　real　first　stage　in　one　of　the　two　essential
/punches/　in　modern　war。　　When　one　meets　the　shell　again　it
is　being　unloaded　from　the　railway　truck　into　an　ammunition　dump。
And　here　the　work　of　control　is　much　more　the　work　of　a　good
traffic　manager　than　of　the　old…fashioned　soldier。

The　dump　I　best　remember　I　visited　on　a　wet　and　windy　day。　　Over
a　great　space　of　ground　the　sidings　of　the　rail…head　spread；　the
normal　gauge　rail…head　spread　out　like　a　fan　and　interdigitated
with　the　narrow　gauge　lines　that　go　up　practically　to　the　guns。
And　also　at　the　sides　camions　were　loading；　and　an　officer　from
the　Midi　in　charge　of　one　of　these　was　being　dramatically
indignant　at　five　minutes'　delay。　　Between　these　two　sets　of
lines；　shells　were　piled　of　all　sizes；　I　should　think　some
hundreds　of　thousands　of　shells　altogether；　wet　and　shining　in
the　rain。　　French　reservists；　soldiers　from　Madagascar；　and　some
Senegalese　were　busy　at　different　points　loading　and　unloading
the　precious　freights。　　A　little　way　from　me　were　despondent…
looking　German　prisoners　handling　timber。　　All　this　dump　was　no
more　than　an　eddy　as　it　were　in　the　path　of　the　shell　from　its
birth　from　the　steel　bars　near　Paris　to　the　accomplishment　of　its
destiny　in　the　destruction　or　capture　of　more　Germans。

And　next　the　visitor　meets　the　shell　coming　up　upon　a　little
trolley　to　the　gun。　　He　sees　the　gunners；　as　drilled　and　precise
as　the　men　he　saw　at　the　forges；　swing　out　the　breech　block　and
run　the　shell；　which　has　met　and　combined　with　its　detonators　and
various　other　industrial　products　since　it　left　the　main　dump；
into　the　gun。　　The　breech　closes　like　a　safe　door；　and　hides　the
shell　from　the　visitor。　　It　is　〃good…bye。〃　　He　receives
exaggerated　warning　of　the　danger　to　his　ears；　stuffs　his　fingers
into　them；　and　opens　his　mouth　as　instructed；　hears　a　loud　but　by
no　means　deafening　report；　and　sees　a　spit　of　flame　near　the
breech。　　Regulations　of　a　severe　character　prevent　his　watching
from　an　aeroplane　the　delivery　of　the　goods　upon　the　customers
opposite。

I　have　already　described　the　method　of　locating　enemy　guns　and　so
forth　by　photography。　　Many　of　the　men　at　this　work　are　like
dentists　rather　than　soldiers；　they　are　busy　in　carefully　lit
rooms；　they　wear　white　overalls；　they　have　clean　hands　and
laboratory　manners。　　The　only　really　romantic　figure　in　the　whole
of　this　process；　the　only　figure　that　has　anything　of　the　old
soldierly　swagger　about　him　still；　is　the　aviator。　　And；　as　one
friend　remarked　to　me　when　I　visited　the　work　of　the　British
flying　corps；　〃The　real　essential　strength　of　this　arm　is　the
organisation　of　its　repairs。　　Here　is　one　of　the　repair　vans
through　which　our　machine　guns　go。　　It　is　a　motor　workshop　on
wheels。　　But　at　any　time　all　this　park；　everything；　can　pack　up
and　move　forward　like　Barnum　and　Bailey's　Circus。　　The　machine
guns　come　through　this　shop　in　rotation；　they　go　out　again；
cleaned；　repaired；　made　new　again。　　Since　we　got　all　that　working
we　have　heard　nothing　of　a　machine　gun　jamming　in　any　air　fight
at　all。〃。。。

The　rest　of　the　career　of　the　shell　after　it　has　left　the　gun　one
must　imagine　chiefly　from　the　incoming　shell　from　the　enemy。　　You
see　suddenly　a　flying　up　of　earth　and　stones　and　anything　else
that　is　movable　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the　shell…burst；　the
instantaneous　unfolding　of　a　dark　cloud　of　dust　and　reddish
smoke；　which　comes　very　quickly　to　a　certain　size　and　then　begins
slowly　to　fray　out　and　blow　away。　　Then；　after　seeing　the　cloud
of　the　burst　you　hear　the　hiss　of　the　shell's　approach；　and
finally　you　are　hit　by　the　sound　of　the　explosion。　　This　is　the
climax　and　end　of　the　life　history　of　any　shell　that　is　not　a　dud
shell。　　Afterwards　the　battered　fuse　may　serve　as　some
journalist's　paper…weight。　　The　rest　is　scrap　iron。

Such　is；　so　to　speak；　the　primary　process　of　modern　warfare。　　I
will　not　draw　the　obvious　pacifist　moral　of　the　intense　folly　of
human　concentration　upon　such　a　process。　　The　Germans　willed　it。
We　Allies　have　but　obeyed　the　German　will　for　warfare　because　we
could　not　do　otherwise；　we　have　taken　up　this　simple　game　of
shell　delivery；　and　we　are　teaching　them　that　we　can　play　it
better；　in　the　hope　that　so　we　and　the　world　may　be　freed　from
the　German　will…to…power　and　all　its　humiliating　and　disgusting
consequences　henceforth　for　ever。　　Europe　now　is　no　more　than　a
household　engaged　in　holding　up　and　if　possible　overpowering　a
monomaniac　member。


4

Now　the　whole　of　this　process　of　the　making　and　delivery　of　a
shell；　which　is　the　main　process　of　modern　warfare；　is　one　that
can　be　far　better　conducted　by　a　man　accustomed　to　industrial
organisation　or　transit　work　than　by　the　old　type　of　soldier。
This　is　a　thing　that　cannot　be　too　plainly　stated　or　too　often
repeated。　　Germany　nearly　won　this　way　because　of　her
tremendously　modern　industrial　resources；　but　she　blundered　into
it　and　she　is　losing　it　because　she　has　too　many　men　in　military
uniform　and　because　their　tradition　and　interests　were　to
powerful　with　her。　　All　the　state　and　glories　of　soldiering；　the
bright　uniforms；　the　feathers　and　spurs；　the　flags；　the　march…
past；　the　disciplined　massed　advance；　the　charge；　all　these　are
as　needless　and　obsolete　now　in　war　as　the　masks　and　shields　of
an　old…time　Chinese　brave。　　Liberal…minded　people　talk　of　the
coming　dangers　of　militarism　in　the　face　of　events　that　prove
conclusively　that　professional　militarism　is　already　as　dead　as
Julius　Caesar。　　What　is　coming　is　not　so　much　the　conversion
of　men　into　soldiers　as　the　socialisation　of　the　economic
organisation　of　the　country　with　a　view　to　both　national　and
international　necessities。　　We　do　not　want　to　turn　a　chemist　or　a
photographer　into　a　little　figure　like　a　lead　soldier；　moving
mechanically　at　the　word　of　command；　but　we　do　want　to　make　his
chemistry　or　photography　swiftly　available　if　the　national
organisation　is　called　upon　to　fight。

We　have　discovered　that　the　modern　economic　organisation　is　in
itself　a　fighting　machine。　　It　is　so　much　so　that　it　is　capable
of　taking　on　and　defeating　quite　easily　any　merely　warrior　people
that　is　so　rash　as　to　pit　itself　against　it。　　Within　the　last
sixteen　years　methods　of　fighting　have　been　elaborated　that　have
made　war　an　absolutely　hopeless　adventure　for　any　barbaric　or　non…
industrialised　people。　　In　the　rush　of　larger　events　few　people
have　realised　the　significance　of　the　rapid　squashing　of　the
Senussi　in　western　Egypt；　and　the　collapse　of　De　Wet's　rebellion
in　South　Africa。　　Both　these　struggles　would　have　been　long；
tedious　and　uncertain　even　in　A。D。　　1900。　　This　time　they　have
been；　so　to　speak；　child's　play。

Occasionally　into　the　writer's　study　there　come　to　hand　drifting
fragments　of　the　American　literature　upon　the　question　of
〃preparedness；〃　and　American　papers　discussing　the　Mexican
situation。　　In　none　of　these　is　there　evident　any　clear
realisation　of　the　fundamental　revolution　that　has　occurred　in
military　methods　during　the　last　two　years。　　It　looks　as　if　a
Mexican　war；　for　example；　was　thought　of　as　an　affair　of　rather
imperfectly　trained　young　men　with　rifles　and　horses　and　old…
fashioned　things　like　that。　　A　Mexican　war　on　that　level　might　be
as　tedious　as　the　South　African　war。　　But　if　the　United　States
preferred　to　go　into　Mexican　affairs　with　what　I　may　perhaps　call
a　1916　autumn　outfit　instead　of　the　small　1900　outfit　she　seems
to　possess　at　present；　there　is　no　reason　why　America　should　not
clear　up　any　and　every　Mexican　guerilla　force　she　wanted　to　in　a
few　weeks。

To　do　that　she　would　need　a　plant　of　a　few　hundred　aeroplanes；
for　the　most　part　armed　with　machine　guns；　and　the　motor　repair
vans　and　so　forth　needed　to　go　with　the　aeroplanes；　she　would
need　a　comparatively　small　army　of　infantry　armed　with　machine
guns；　with　motor　transport；　and　a　few　small　land　ironclads。　　Such
a　force　could　locate；　overtake；　destroy　and　disperse　any　possible
force　that　a　country　in　the　present　industrial　condition　of
Mexico　could　put　into　the　field。　　No　sort　of　entrenchment　or
fortification　possible　in　Mexico　could　stand　against　it。　　It
could　go　from　one　end　of　the　country　to　the　other　without　serious
loss；　and　hunt　down　and　capture　anyone　it　wished。。。。

The　practical　political　consequence　of　the　present　development　of
warfare；　of　the　complete　revolution　in　the　conditions　of　warfare
since　this　century　began；　is　to　make　war　absolutely　hopeless　for
any　peoples　not　able　either　to　manufacture　or　procure　the　very
complicated　appliances　and　munitions　now　needed　for　its
prosecution。　　Countries　like　Mexico；　Bulgaria；　Serbia；
Afghanistan　or　Abyssinia　are　no　more　capable　of　going　to　war
without　the　connivance　and　help　of　manufacturing　states　than
horses　are　capable　of　flying。　　And　this　makes　possible　such　a
complete　control　of　war　by　the　few　great　states　which　are　at　the
necessary　level　of　industrial　development　as　not　the　most　Utopian
of　us　have　hitherto　dared　to　imagine。


5

Infantrymen　with　automobile　transport；　plentiful　machine　guns；
Tanks　and　such…like　accessories；　that　is　the　first　Arm　in　modern
war。　　The　factory　hand　and　all　the　material　of　the　shell　route
from　the　factory　to　the　gun　constitute　the　second　Arm。　　Thirdly
comes　the　artill