war and the future-第21章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


that　it　is　something　utterly　dirty　and　detestable。　　We　thought　it
was　the　Nemean　lion；　and　we　have　found　it　is　the　Augean　stable。
But　being　bored　by　war　and　hating　war　is　quite　unproductive
/unless　you　are　thinking　about　its　nature　and　causes　so
thoroughly　that　you　will　presently　be　able　to　take　hold　of　it　and
control　it　and　end　it。/　It　is　no　good　for　everyone　to　say
unanimously；　〃We　will　have　no　more　war；〃　unless　you　have　thought
out　how　to　avoid　it；　and　mean　to　bring　that　end　about。　　It　is　as
if　everyone　said；　〃We　will　have　no　more　catarrh；〃　or　〃no　more
flies；〃　or　〃no　more　east　wind。〃　　And　my　point　is　that　the　immense
sorrows　at　home　in　every　European　country　and　the　vast　boredom　of
the　combatants　are　probably　not　really　producing　any　effective
remedial　mental　action　at　all；　and　will　not　do　so　unless　we　get
much　more　thoroughly　to　work　upon　the　thinking…out　process。

In　such　talks　as　I　could　get　with　men　close　up　to　the　front　I
found　beyond　this　great　boredom　and　attempts　at　distraction　only
very　specialised　talk　about　changes　in　the　future。　　Men　were　keen
upon　questions　of　army　promotion；　of　the　future　of　conscription；
of　the　future　of　the　temporary　officer；　upon　the　education　of
boys　in　relation　to　army　needs。　　But　the　war　itself　was　bearing
them　all　upon　its　way；　as　unquestioned　and　uncontrolled　as　if　it
were　the　planet　on　which　they　lived。


II。　THE　YIELDING　PACIFIST　AND　THE　CONSCIENTIOUS　OBJECTOR


1
Among　the　minor　topics　that　people　are　talking　about　behind　the
western　fronts　is　the　psychology　of　the　Yielding　Pacifist　and　the
Conscientious　Objector。　　Of　course；　we　are　all　pacifists
nowadays；　I　know　of　no　one　who　does　not　want　not　only　to　end　this
war　but　to　put　an　end　to　war　altogether；　except　those　blood…red
terrors　Count　Reventlow；　Mr。　Leo　Maxsehow　he　does　it　on　a
vegetarian　dietary　I　cannot　imagine！and　our　wild…eyed
desperados　of　/The　Morning　Post。/　　But　most　of　the　people　I
meet；　and　most　of　the　people　I　met　on　my　journey；　are　pacifists
like　myself　who　want　to　/make/　peace　by　beating　the　armed
man　until　he　gives　in　and　admits　the　error　of　his　ways；　disarming
him　and　reorganising　the　world　for　the　forcible　suppression　of
military　adventures　in　the　future。　　They　want　belligerency　put
into　the　same　category　as　burglary；　as　a　matter　of　forcible
suppression。　　The　Yielding　Pacifist　who　will　accept　any　sort　of
peace；　and　the　Conscientious　Objector　who　will　not　fight　at　all；
are　not　of　that　opinion。

Both　Italy　and　France　produce　parallel　types　to　those　latter；　but
it　would　seem　that　in　each　case　England　displays　the　finer
developments。　　The　Latin　mind　is　directer　than　the　English；　and
its　standardsshall　I　say？more　primitive；　it　gets　more
directly　to　the　fact　that　here　are　men　who　will　not　fight。　　And
it　is　less　charitable。　　I　was　asked　quite　a　number　of　times　for
the　English　equivalent　of　an　/embusque。/　　〃We　don't
generalise；〃　I　said；　〃we　treat　each　case　on　its　merits！〃

One　interlocutor　near　Udine　was　exercised　by　our　Italian　Red
Cross　work。

〃Here；〃　he　said；　〃are　sixty　or　seventy　young　Englishmen；　all　fit
for　military　service。。。。　　Of　course　they　go　under　fire；　but　it　is
not　like　being　junior　officers　in　the　trenches。　　Not　one　of　them
has　been　killed　or　wounded。〃

He　reflected。　　〃One；　I　think；　has　been　decorated；〃　he　said。。。。

My　French　and　Italian　are　only　for　very　rough　common　jobs；　when
it　came　to　explaining　the　Conscientious　Objector　sympathetically
they　broke　down　badly。　　I　had　to　construct　long　parenthetical
explanations　of　our　antiquated　legislative　methods　to　show　how　it
was　that　the　〃conscientious　objector〃　had　been　so　badly　defined。
The　foreigner　does　not　understand　the　importance　of　vague
definition　in　British　life。　　〃Practically；　of　course；　we　offered
to　exempt　anyone　who　conscientiously　objected　to　fight　or　serve。
Then　the　Pacifist　and　German　people　started　a　campaign　to　enrol
objectors。　　Of　course　every　shirker；　every　coward　and　slacker　in
the　country　decided　at　once　to　be　a　conscientious　objector。
Anyone　but　a　British　legislator　could　have　foreseen　that。　　Then
we　started　Tribunals　to　wrangle　with　the　objectors　about　their
/bona　fides。/　　Then　the　Pacifists　and　the　Pro…Germans　issued
little　leaflets　and　started　correspondence　courses　to　teach
people　exactly　how　to　lie　to　the　Tribunals。　　Trouble　about
freedom　of　the　pamphleteer　followed。　　I　had　to　admitit　has　been
rather　a　sloppy　business。　　〃The　people　who　made　the　law　knew
their　own　minds；　but　we　English　are　not　an　expressive　people。〃

These　are　not　easy　things　to　say　in　Elementary　（and　slightly
Decayed）　French　or　in　Elementary　and　Corrupt　Italian。

〃But　why　do　people　support　the　sham　conscientious　objector　and
issue　leaflets　to　help　himwhen　there　is　so　much　big　work
clamouring　to　be　done？〃

〃That；〃　I　said；　〃is　the　Whig　tradition。〃

When　they　pressed　me　further；　I　said：　〃I　am　really　the
questioner。　　I　am　visiting　/your/　country；　and　you　have　to
tell　/me/　things。　　It　is　not　right　that　I　should　do　all　the
telling。　　Tell　me　all　about　Romain　Rolland。〃

And　so　I　pressed　them　about　the　official　socialists　in　Italy　and
the　Socialist　minority　in　France　until　I　got　the　question　out　of
the　net　of　national　comparisons　and　upon　a　broader　footing。　　In
several　conversations　we　began　to　work　out　in　general　terms　the
psychology　of　those　people　who　were　against　the　war。　　But　usually
we　could　not　get　to　that；　my　interlocutors　would　insist　upon
telling　me　just　what　they　would　like　to　do　or　just　what　they
would　like　to　see　done　to　stop…the…war　pacifists　and
conscientious　objectors；　pleasant　rather　than　fruitful
imaginative　exercises　from　which　I　could　effect　no　more　than
platitudinous　uplifts。

But　the　general　drift　of　such　talks　as　did　seem　to　penetrate　the
question　was　this；　that　among　these　stop…the…war　people　there　are
really　three　types。　　First　there　is　a　type　of　person　who　hates
violence　and　the　infliction　of　pain　under　any　circumstances；　and
who　have　a　mystical　belief　in　the　rightness　（and　usually　the
efficacy）　of　non…resistance。　　These　are　generally　Christians；　and
then　their　cardinal　text　is　the　instruction　to　〃turn　the　other
cheek。〃　　Often　they　are　Quakers。　　If　they　are　consistent　they　are
vegetarians　and　wear　/Lederlos/　boots。　　They　do　not　desire
police　protection　for　their　goods。　　They　stand　aloof　from　all　the
force　and　conflict　of　life。　　They　have　always　done　so。　　This　is
an　understandable　and　respectable　type。　　It　has　numerous　Hindu
equivalents。　　It　is　a　type　that　finds　little　difficulty　about
exemptionsprovided　the　individual　has　not　been　too　recently
converted　to　his　present　habits。　　But　it　is　not　the　prevalent
type　in　stop…the…war　circles。　　Such　genuine　ascetics　do　not
number　more　than　a　thousand　or　so；　all　three　of　our　western
allied　countries。　　The　mass　of　the　stop…the…war　people　is　made　up
quite　other　elements。


2

In　the　complex　structure　of　the　modern　community　there　are　two
groups　or　strata　or　pockets　in　which　the　impulse　of　social
obligation；　the　gregarious　sense　of　a　common　welfare；　is　at　its
lowest；　one　of　these　is　the　class　of　the　Resentful　Employee；　the
class　of　people　who；　without　explanation；　adequate　preparation　or
any　chance；　have　been　shoved　at　an　early　age　into　uncongenial
work　and　never　given　a　chance　to　escape；　and　the　other　is　the
class　of　people　with　small　fixed　incomes　or　with　small　salaries
earnt　by　routine　work；　or　half　independent　people　practising　some
minor　artistic　or　literary　craft；　who　have　led　uneventful；
irresponsible　lives　from　their　youth　up；　and　never　came　at　any
point　into　relations　of　service　to　the　state。　　This　latter　class
was　more　difficult　to　define　than　the　formerbecause　it　is　more
various　within　itself。　　My　French　friends　wanted　to　talk　of　the
〃Psychology　of　the　Rentier。〃　　I　was　for　such　untranslatable
phrases　as　the　〃Genteel　Whig；〃　or　the　〃Donnish　Liberal。〃　　But　I
lit　up　an　Italianhe　is　a　Milanese　manufacturerwith　〃these
Florentine　English　who　would　keep　Italy　in　a　glass　case。〃　　〃I
know；〃　he　said。　　Before　I　go　on　to　expand　this　congenial　theme；
let　me　deal　first　with　the　Resentful　Employee；　who　is　a　much　more
considerable；　and　to　me　a　much　more　sympathetic；　figure　in
European　affairs。　　I　began　life　myself　as　a　Resentful　Employee。
By　the　extremest　good　luck　I　have　got　my　mind　and　spirit　out　of
the　distortions　of　that　cramping　beginning；　but　I　can　still
recall　even　the　anger　of　those　old　days。

He　becomes　an　employee　between　thirteen　and　fifteen；　he　is　made
to　do　work　he　does　not　like　for　no　other　purpose　that　he　can　see
except　the　profit　and　glory　of　a　fortunate　person　called　his
employer；　behind　whom　stand　church　and　state　blessing　and
upholding　the　relationship。　　He　is　not　allowed　to　feel　that　he
has　any　share　whatever　in　the　employer's　business；　or　that　any
end　is　served　but　the　employer's　profit。　　He　cannot　see　that　the
employer　acknowledges　any　duty　to　the　state。　　Neither　church　nor
state　seems　to　insist　that　the　employer　has　any　public　function。
At　no　point　does　the　employee　come　into　a　clear　relationship　of
mutual　obligation　with　the　state。　　There　does　not　seem　to　be　any
way　out　for　the　employee　from　a　life　spent　in　this　subordinate；
toilsome　relationship。　　He　feels　put　upon　and　cheated　out　of
life。　　He　is　without　honour。　　If　he　is　a　person　of　ability　or
stubborn　temper　he　struggles　out　of　his　position；　if　he　is　a
kindly　and　generous　person　he　blames　his　〃luck〃　and　does　his　work
and　lives　his　life　as　cheerfully　as　possibleand　so　live　the
bulk　of　our　amazing　European　workers；　if　he　is　a　being　of　great
magnanimity　he　is　content　to　serve　for　the　ultimate　good　of　the
race；　if　he　has　imagination；　he　says；　〃Things　will　not　always　be
like　this；〃　and　becomes　a　socialist　or　a　guild　socialist；　and
tries　to　educate　the　employer　to　a　sense　of　reciprocal　duty；　but
if　he　is　too　human　for　any　of　these　things；　then　he　begins　to
despise　and　hate　the　employer　and　the　system　that　made　him。　　He
wants　to　hurt　them。　　Upon　that　hate　it　is　easy　to　trade。

A　certain　section　of　what　is　called　the　Socialist　press　and　the
Socialist　literature　in　Europe　is　no　doubt　great…minded；　it　seeks
to　carve　a　better　world　out　of　the　present。　　But　much　of　it　is
socialist　only　in　name。　　Its　spirit　is　Anarchistic。　　Its　real
burthen　is　not　construction　but　grievance；　it　tells　the　bitter
tale　of　the　employee；　it　feeds　and　organises　his　malice；　it
schemes　annoyance　and　injury　for　the　hated　employer。　　The　state
and　the　order　of　the　world　is　confounded　with　the　capitalist。
Before　the　war　the　popular　so…called　socialist　press　reeked　with
the　cant　of　rebellion；　the　cant　of　any　sort　of　rebellion。　　〃I'm　a
rebel；〃　was　the　silly　boast　of　the　young　disciple。　　〃Spoil
something；　set　fire　to　something；〃　was　held　to　be　the　proper　text
for　any　girl　or　lad　of　spirit。　　And　this　blind　discontent　carried
on　into　the　war。　　While　on　the　one　hand　a　great　rush　of　men
poured　into　the　army　saying；　〃Thank　God！　　we　can　serve　our
country　at　last　instead　of　some　beastly　profiteer；〃　a　sourer
remnant；　blind　to　the　greater　issues　of　the　war；　clung　to　the
reasonless　proposition；　〃the　state　is　only　for　the　Capitalist。
This　war　is　got　up　by　Capitalists。　　Whatever　has　to　be　done
/we　are　rebels。/〃

Such　a