war and the future-第22章

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This　war　is　got　up　by　Capitalists。　　Whatever　has　to　be　done
/we　are　rebels。/〃

Such　a　typical　paper　as　the　British　/Labour　Leader/；　for
example；　may　be　read　in　vain；　number　after　number；　for　any　sound
and　sincere　constructive　proposal。　　It　is　a　prolonged　scream　of
extreme　individualism；　a　monotonous　repetition　of　incoherent
discontent　with　authority；　with　direction；　with　union；　with　the
European　effort。　　It　wants　to　do　nothing。　　It　just　wants　effort
to　stopeven　at　the　price　of　German　victory。　　If　the　whole
fabric　of　society　in　western　Europe　were　to　be　handed　over　to
those　pseudo…socialists　to…morrow；　to　be　administered　for　the
common　good；　they　would　fly　the　task　in　terror。　　They　would　make
excuses　and　refuse　the　undertaking。　　They　do　not　want　the　world
to　go　right。　　The　very　idea　of　the　world　going　right　does　not
exist　in　their　minds。　　They　are　embodied　discontent　and　hatred；
making　trouble；　and　that　is　all　they　are。　　They　want　to　be
〃rebels〃to　be　admired　as　〃rebels〃。

That　is　the　true　psychology　of　the　Resentful　Employee。　　He　is　a
de…socialised　man。　　His　sense　of　the　State　has　been　destroyed。

The　Resentful　Employees　are　the　outcome　of　our　social　injustices。
They　are　the　failures　of　our　social　ad　educational　systems。　　We
may　regret　their　pitiful　degradation；　we　may　exonerate　them　from
blame；　none　the　less　they　are　a　pitiful　crew。　　I　have　seen　the
hardship　of　the　trenches；　the　gay　and　gallant　wounded。　　I　do　a
little　understand　what　our　soldiers；　officers　and　men　alike；　have
endured　and　done。　　And　though　I　know　I　ought　to　allow　for　all
that　I　have　stated；　I　cannot　regard　these　conscientious　objectors
with　anything　but　contempt。　　Into　my　house　there　pours　a　dismal
literature　rehearsing　the　hardships　of　these　men　who　set
themselves　up　to　be　martyrs　for　liberty；　So　and　So；　brave　hero；
has　been　sworn　atpositively　sworn　at　by　a　corporal；　a　nasty
rough　man　came　into　the　cell　of　So　and　So　and　dropped　several
h's；　So　and　So；　refusing　to　undress　and　wash；　has　been　undressed
and　washed；　and　soap　was　rubbed　into　his　eyesperhaps　purposely；
the　food　and　accommodation　are　not　of　the　best　class；　the　doctors
in　attendance　seem　hasty；　So　and　So　was　put　into　a　damp　bed　and
has　got　a　nasty　cold。　　Then　I　recall　a　jolly　vanload　of　wounded
men　I　saw　out　there。。。。

But　after　all；　we　must　be　just。　　A　church　and　state　that
permitted　these　people　to　be　thrust　into　dreary　employment　in
their　early　'teens；　without　hope　or　pride；　deserves　such　citizens
as　these。　　The　marvel　is　that　there　are　so　few。　　There　are　a　poor
thousand　or　so　of　these　hopeless；　resentment…poisoned　creatures
in　Great　Britain。　　Against　five　willing　millions。　　The　Allied
countries；　I　submit；　have　not　got　nearly　all　the　conscientious
objectors　they　deserve。


3

If　the　Resentful　Employee　provides　the　emotional　impulse　of　the
resisting　pacifist；　whose　horizon　is　bounded　by　his　one
passionate　desire　that　the　particular　social　system　that　has
treated　him　so　ill　should　collapse　and　give　in；　and　its　leaders
and　rulers　be　humiliated　and　destroyed；　the　intellectual
direction　of　a　mischievous　pacifism　comes　from　an　entirely
different　class。

The　Genteel　Whig；　though　he　differs　very　widely　in　almost　every
other　respect　from　the　Resentful　Employee；　has　this　much　in
common；　that　he　has　never　been　drawn　into　the　whirl　of　collective
life　in　any　real　and　assimilative　fashion。　　This　is　what　is　the
matter　with　both　of　them。　　He　is　a　little　loose；　shy；　independent
person。　　Except　for　eating　and　drinkingin　moderation；　he　has
never　done　anything　real　from　the　day　he　was　born。　　He　has
frequently　not　even　faced　the　common　challenge　of　matrimony。
Still　more　frequently　is　he　childless；　or　the　daring　parent　of
one　particular　child。　　He　has　never　traded　nor　manufactured。　　He
has　drawn　his　dividends　or　his　salary　with　an　entire
unconsciousness　of　any　obligations　to　policemen　or　navy　for　these
punctual　payments。　　Probably　he　has　never　ventured　even　to
reinvest　his　little　legacy。　　He　is　acutely　aware　of　possessing　an
exceptionally　fine　intelligence；　but　he　is　entirely　unconscious
of　a　fundamental　unreality。　　Nothing　has　ever　occurred　to　him　to
make　him　ask　why　the　mass　of　men　were　either　not　possessed　of　his
security　or　discontented　with　it。　　The　impulses　that　took　his
school　friends　out　upon　all　sorts　of　odd　feats　and　adventures
struck　him　as　needless。　　As　he　grew　up　he　turned　with　an　equal
distrust　from　passion　or　ambition。　　His　friends　went　out　after
love；　after　adventure；　after　power；　after　knowledge；　after　this
or　that　desire；　and　became　men。　　But　he　noted　merely　that　they
became　fleshly；　that　effort　strained　them；　that　they　were
sometimes　angry　or　violent　or　heated。　　He　could　not　but　feel　that
theirs　were　vulgar　experiences；　and　he　sought　some　finer　exercise
for　his　exceptional　quality。　　He　pursued　art　or　philosophy　or
literature　upon　their　more　esoteric　levels；　and　realised　more　and
more　the　general　vulgarity　and　coarseness　of　the　world　about　him；
and　his　own　detachment。　　The　vulgarity　and　crudity　of　the　things
nearest　him　impressed　him　most；　the　dreadful　insincerity　of　the
Press；　the　meretriciousness　of　success；　the　loudness　of　the　rich；
the　baseness　of　common　people　in　his　own　land。　　The　world
overseas　had　by　comparison　a　certain　glamour。　　Except　that　when
you　said　〃United　States〃　to　him　he　would　draw　the　air　sharply
between　his　teeth　and　beg　you　not　to。。。

Nobody　took　him　by　the　collar　and　shook　him。

If　our　world　had　considered　the　advice　of　William　James　and
insisted　upon　national　service　from　everyone；　national　service　in
the　drains　or　the　nationalised　mines　or　the　nationalised　deep…sea
fisheries　if　not　in　the　army　or　navy；　we　should　not　have　had　any
such　men。　　If　it　had　insisted　that　wealth　and　property　are　no
more　than　a　trust　for　the　public　benefit；　we　should　have　had　no
genteel　indispensables。　　These　discords　in　our　national　unanimity
are　the　direct　consequence　of　our　bad　social　organisation。　　We
permit　the　profiteer　and　the　usurer；　they　evoke　the　response　of
the　Reluctant　Employee；　and　the　inheritor　of　their　wealth　becomes
the　Genteel　Whig。

But　that　is　by　the　way。　　It　was　of　course　natural　and　inevitable
that　the　German　onslaught　upon　Belgium　and　civilisation　generally
should　strike　these　recluse　minds　not　as　a　monstrous　ugly
wickedness　to　be　resisted　and　overcome　at　any　cost；　but　merely　as
a　nerve…racking　experience。　　Guns　were　going　off　on　both　sides。
The　Genteel　Whig　was　chiefly　conscious　of　a　repulsive　vast
excitement　all　about　him；　in　which　many　people　did　inelegant　and
irrational　things。　　They　waved　flagsnasty　little　flags。　　This
child　of　the　ages；　this　last　fruit　of　the　gigantic　and　tragic
tree　of　life；　could　no　more　than　stick　its　fingers　in　its　ears　as
say；　〃Oh；　please；　do　/all/　stop！〃　　and　then　as　the　strain
grew　intenser　and　intenser　set　itself　with　feeble　pawings　now　to
clamber　〃Au…dessus　de　la　Melee；〃　and　now　toin　some
weak　waystop　the　conflict。　　（〃Au…dessus　de　la
Melee〃as　the　man　said　when　they　asked　him　where　he
was　when　the　bull　gored　his　sister。）　The　efforts　to　stop　the
conflict　at　any　price；　even　at　the　price　of　entire　submission　to
the　German　Will；　grew　more　urgent　as　the　necessity　that　everyone
should　help　against　the　German　Thing　grew　more　manifest。

Of　all　the　strange　freaks　of　distressed　thinking　that　this　war
has　produced；　the　freaks　of　the　Genteel　Whig　have　been　among　the
most　remarkable。　　With　an　air　of　profound　wisdom　he　returns
perpetually　to　his　proposition　that　there　are　faults　on　both
sides。　　To　say　that　is　his　conception　of　impartiality。　　I　suppose
that　if　a　bull　gored　his　sister　he　would　say　that　there　were
faults　on　both　sides；　his　sister　ought　not　to　have　strayed　into
the　field；　she　was　wearing　a　red　hat　of　a　highly　provocative
type；　she　ought　to　have　been　a　cow　and　then　everything　would　have
been　different。　　In　the　face　of　the　history　of　the　last　forty
years；　the　Genteel　Whig　struggles　persistently　to　minimise　the
German　outrage　upon　civilisation　and　to　find　excuses　for　Germany。
He　does　this；　not　because　he　has　any　real　passion　for　falsehood；
but　because　by　training；　circumstance；　and　disposition　he　is
passionately　averse　from　action　with　the　vulgar　majority　and　from
self…sacrifice　in　a　common　cause；　and　because　he　finds　in　the
justification　of　Germany　and；　failing　that；　in　the　blackening　of
the　Allies　to　an　equal　blackness；　one　line　of　defence　against　the
wave　of　impulse　that　threatens　to　submerge　his　private　self。　　But
when　at　last　that　line　is　forced　he　is　driven　back　upon　others
equally　extraordinary。　　You　can　often　find　simultaneously　in　the
same　Pacifist　paper；　and　sometimes　even　in　the　utterances　of　the
same　writer；　two　entirely　incompatible　statements。　　The　first　is
that　Germany　is　so　invincible　that　it　is　useless　to　prolong　the
war　since　no　effort　of　the　Allies　is　likely　to　produce　any
material　improvement　in　their　position；　and　the　second　is　that
Germany　is　so　thoroughly　beaten　that　she　is　now　ready　to　abandon
militarism　and　make　terms　and　compensations　entirely　acceptable
to　the　countries　she　has　forced　into　war。　　And　when　finally　facts
are　produced　to　establish　the　truth　that　Germany；　though　still
largely　wicked　and　impenitent；　is　being　slowly　and　conclusively
beaten　by　the　sanity；　courage　and　persistence　of　the　Allied
common　men；　then　the　Genteel　Whig　retorts　with　his　last　defensive
absurdity。　　He　invents　a　national　psychology　for　Germany。
Germany；　he　invents；　loves　us　and　wants　to　be　our　dearest　friend。
Germany　has　always　loved　us。　　The　Germans　are　a　loving；　unenvious
people。　　They　have　been　a　little　misleadbut　nice　people　do　not
insist　upon　that　fact。　　But　beware　of　beating　Germany；　beware　of
humiliating　Germany；　then　indeed　trouble　will　come。　　Germany　will
begin　to　dislike　us。　　She　will　plan　a　revenge。　　Turning　aside
from　her　erstwhile　innocent　career；　she　may　even　think　of　hate。
What　are　our　obligations　to　France；　Italy；　Serbia　and　Russia；
what　is　the　happiness　of　a　few　thousands　of　the　Herero；　a　few
millions　of　the　Belgianswhose　numbers　moreover　are　constantly
diminishingwhen　we　might　weigh　them　against　the　danger；　the
most　terrible　danger；　of　incurring　/permanent　German
hostility？。。。/

A　Frenchman　I　talked　to　knew　better　than　that。　　〃What　will　happen
to　Germany；〃　I　asked；　〃if　we　are　able　to　do　so　to　her　and　so；
would　she　take　to　dreams　of　a　/Revanche？/〃

〃She　will　take　to　Anglomania；〃　he　said；　and　added　after　a　flash
of　reflection；　〃In　the　long　run　it　will　be　the　worse　for　you。〃


III。　THE　RELIGIOUS　REVIVAL


1

One　of　the　indisputable　things　about　the　war；　so　far　as　Britain
and　France　goand　I　have　reason　to　believe　that　on　a　lesser
scale　things　are　similar　in　Italyis　that　it　has　produced　a　very
great　volume　of　religious　thought　and　feeling。　　About　Russia　in
these　matters　we　hear　but　little　at　the　present　time；　but　one
guesses　at　parallelism。　　People　habitually　religious　have　been
stirred　to　new　depths　of　reality　and　sincerity；　and　people　are
thinking　of　religion　who　never　thought　of　religion　before。　　But
as　I　have　already　pointed　out；　thinking　and　feeling　about　a
matter　is　of　no　permanent　value　unless　something　is　/thought
out/；　unless　there　is　a　change　of　bo