war and the future-第31章

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damning　temptations　of　those　who　feel　they　are　〃/au…dessus　de
la　melee。/〃　They　believe　they　had　some　share　in
the　independence　of　America；　that　there　is　a　sacred　cause　in
republicanism；　that　there　are　grounds　for　a　peculiar　sympathy
between　France　and　the　United　States　in　republican　institutions。
They　do　not　realise　that　Germany　and　America　have　a　common
experience　in　recent　industrial　development；　and　a　common　belief
in　the　〃degeneracy〃　of　all　nations　with　a　lower　rate　of　trade
expansion。　　They　do　not　realise　how　a　political　campaign　with　the
slogan　of　〃Peace　and　a　Full　Dinner…Pail〃　looks　in　the　middle
west；　what　an　honest；　simple；　rational　appeal　it　makes　there。
Atmospheres　alter　values。　　In　Europe；　strung　up　to　tragic　and
majestic　issues；　to　Europe　gripping　a　gigantic　evil　in　a　death
struggle；　that　would　seem　an　inscription　worthy　of　a　pigsty。　　A
child　in　Europe　would　know　now　that　the　context　is；　〃until　the
bacon…buyer　calls；〃　and　it　is　difficult　to　realise　that　adult
citizens　in　America　may　be　incapable　of　realising　that　obvious
context。

I　set　these　things　down　plainly。　　There　is　a　very　strong
disposition　in　all　the　European　countries　to　believe　America
fundamentally　indifferent　to　the　rights　and　wrongs　of　the
European　struggle；　sentimentally　interested　perhaps；　but
fundamentally　indifferent。　　President　Wilson　is　regarded　as　a
mere　academic　sentimentalist　by　a　great　number　of　Europeans。
There　is　a　very　widespread　disposition　to　treat　America　lightly
and　contemptuously；　to　believe　that　America；　as　one　man　put　it　to
me　recently；　〃hasn't　the　heart　to　do　anything　great　or　the　guts
to　do　anything　wicked。〃　　There　is　a　strong　undercurrent　of
hostility　therefore　to　the　idea　of　America　having　any　voice
whatever　in　the　final　settlement　after　the　war。　　It　is　not　for　a
British　writer　to　analyse　the　appearance　that　have　thus　affected
American　world　prestige。　　I　am　telling　what　I　have　observed。

Let　me　relate　two　trivial　anecdotes。

X　came　to　my　hotel　in　Paris　one　day　to　take　me　to　see　a　certain
munitions　organisation。　　He　took　from　his　pocket　a　picture
postcard　that　had　been　sent　him　by　a　well…meaning　American
acquaintance　from　America。　　It　bore　a　portrait　of　General
Lafayette；　and　under　it　was　printed　the　words；　〃General
Lafayette；　/Colonel　in　the　United　States　army。/〃

〃Oh！　　These　Americans！〃　　said　X　with　a　gesture。

And　as　I　returned　to　Paris　from　the　French　front；　our　train
stopped　at　some　intermediate　station　alongside　of　another　train
of　wounded　men。　　Exactly　opposite　our　compartment　was　a　car。　　It
arrested　our　conversation。　　It　was；　as　it　were；　an　ambulance
/de　grand　luxe/；　it　was　a　thing　of　very　light；　bright　wood
and　very　golden　decorations；　at　one　end　of　it　was　painted　very
large　and　fair　the　Stars　and　Stripes；　and　at　the　other　fair…sized
letters　of　gold　proclaimedI　am　sure　the　lady　will　not　resent
this　added　gleam　of　publicity〃Presented　by　Mrs。　William
Vanderbilt。〃

My　companions　were　French　writers　and　French　military　men；　and
they　were　discussing　with　very　keen　interest　that　persistent
question；　〃the　ideal　battery。〃　　But　that　ambulance　sent　a　shaft
of　light　into　our　carriage；　and　we　stared　together。

Then　Colonel　Z　pointed　with　two　fingers　and　remarked　to　us；
without　any　excess　of　admiration：

〃/America！/〃

Then　he　shrugged　his　shoulders　and　pulled　down　the　corners　of　his
mouth。

We　felt　there　was　nothing　more　to　add　to　that；　and　after　a　little
pause　the　previous　question　was　resumed。

I　state　these　things　in　order　to　make　it　clear　that　America　will
start　at　a　disadvantage　when　she　starts　upon　the　mission　of
salvage　and　reconciliation　which　is；　I　believe；　her　proper
role　in　this　world　conflict。　　One　would　have　to　be　blind
and　deaf　on　this　side　to　be　ignorant　of　European　persuasion　of
America's　triviality。　　I　would　not　like　to　be　an　American
travelling　in　Europe　now；　and　those　I　meet　here　and　there　have
some　of　the　air　of　men　who　at　any　moment　may　be　dunned　for　a
debt。　　They　explode　without　provocation　into　excuses　and
expostulations。

And　I　will　further　confess　that　when　Viscount　Grey　answered　the
intimations　of　President　Wilson　and　ex…President　Taft　of　an
American　initiative　to　found　a　World　League　for　Peace；　by　asking
if　America　was　prepared　to　back　that　idea　with　force；　he　spoke
the　doubts　of　all　thoughtful　European　men。　　No　one　but　an
American　deeply　versed　in　the　idiosyncrasies　of　the　American
population　can　answer　that　question；　or　tell　us　how　far　the
delusion　of　world　isolation　which　has　prevailed　in　America　for
several　generations　has　been　dispelled。　　But　if　the　answer　to
Lord　Grey　is　〃Yes；〃　then　I　think　history　will　emerge　with　a
complete　justification　of　the　obstinate　maintenance　of　neutrality
by　America。　　It　is　the　end　that　reveals　a　motive。　　It　is　our
ultimate　act　that　sometimes　teaches　us　our　original　intention。
No　one　can　judge　the　United　States　yet。　　Were　you　neutral　because
you　are　too　mean　and　cowardly；　or　too　stupidly　selfish；　or
because　you　had　in　view　an　end　too　great　to　be　sacrificed　to　a
moment　of　indignant　pride　and　a　force　in　reserve　too　precious　to
dispel？　　That　is　the　still　open　question　for　America。

Every　country　is　a　mixture　of　many　strands。　　There　is　a　Base
America；　there　is　a　Dull　America；　there　is　an　Ideal　and　Heroic
America。　　And　I　am　convinced　that　at　present　Europe　underrates
and　misjudges　the　possibilities　of　the　latter。

All　about　the　world　to…day　goes　a　certain　freemasonry　of　thought。
It　is　an　impalpable　and　hardly　conscious　union　of　intention。　　It
thinks　not　in　terms　of　national　but　human　experience；　it　falls
into　directions　and　channels　of　thinking　that　lead　inevitably　to
the　idea　of　a　world…state　under　the　rule　of　one　righteousness。
In　no　part　of　the　world　is　this　modern　type　of　mind　so　abundantly
developed；　less　impeded　by　antiquated　and　perverse　political　and
religious　forms；　and　nearer　the　sources　of　political　and
administrative　power；　than　in　America。　　It　does　not　seem　to
matter　what　thousand　other　things　America　may　happen　to　be；
seeing　that　it　is　also　that。　　And　so；　just　as　I　cling　to　the
belief；　in　spite　of　hundreds　of　adverse　phenomena；　that　the
religious　and　social　stir　of　these　times　must　ultimately　go　far
to　unify　mankind　under　the　kingship　of　God；　so　do　I　cling　also　to
the　persuasion　that　there　are　intellectual　forces　among　the
rational　elements　in　the　belligerent　centres；　among　the　other
neutrals　and　in　America；　that　will　co…operate　in　enabling　the
United　States　to　play　that　role　of　the　Unimpassioned　Third
Party；　which　becomes　more　and　more　necessary　to　a　generally
satisfactory　ending　of　the　war。


4

The　idea　that　the　settlement　of　this　war　must　be　what　one　might
call　an　unimpassioned　settlement　or；　if　you　will；　a　scientific
settlement　or　a　judicial　and　not　a　treaty　settlement；　a
settlement；　that　is；　based　upon　some　conception　of　what　is　right
and　necessary　rather　than　upon　the　relative　success　or　failure　of
either　set　of　belligerents　to　make　its　Will　the　standard　of
decision；　is　one　that；　in　a　great　variety　of　forms　and　partial
developments；　I　find　gaining　ground　in　the　most　different
circles。　　The　war　was　an　adventure；　it　was　the　German　adventure
under　the　Hohenzollern　tradition；　to　dominate　the　world。　　It　was
to　be　the　last　of　the　Conquests。　　It　has　failed。　　Without　calling
upon　the　reserve　strength　of　America　the　civilised　world　has
defeated　it；　and　the　war　continues　now　partly　upon　the　issue
whether　it　shall　be　made　for　ever　impossible；　and　partly　because
Germany　has　no　organ　but　its　Hohenzollern　organisation　through
which　it　can　admit　its　failure　and　develop　its　latent　readiness
for　a　new　understanding　on　lines　of　mutual　toleration。　　For　that
purpose　nothing　more　reluctant　could　be　devised　than　Hohenzollern
imperialism。　　But　the　attention　of　every　new　combatantit　is　not
only　Germany　nowhas　been　concentrated　upon　military
necessities；　every　nation　is　a　clenched　nation；　with　its　powers
of　action　centred　in　its　own　administration；　bound　by　many
strategic　threats　and　declarations；　and　dominated　by　the　idea　of
getting　and　securing　advantages。　　It　is　inevitable　that　a
settlement　made　in　a　conference　of　belligerents　alone　will　be
shortsighted；　harsh；　limited　by　merely　incidental　necessities；
and　obsessed　by　the　idea　of　hostilities　and　rivalries　continuing
perennially；　it　will　be　a　trading　of　advantages　for　subsequent
attacks。　　It　will　be　a　settlement　altogether　different　in　effect
as　well　as　in　spirit　from　a　world　settlement　made　primarily　to
establish　a　new　phase　in　the　history　of　mankind。

Let　me　take　three　instances　of　the　impossibility　of　complete
victory　/on　either　side/　giving　a　solution　satisfactory　to
the　conscience　and　intelligence　of　reasonable　men。

The　firston　which　I　will　not　expatiate；　for　everyone　knows　of
its　peculiar　difficultyis　Poland。

The　second　is　a　little　one；　but　one　that　has　taken　hold　of　my
imagination。　　In　the　settlement　of　boundaries　preceding　this　war
the　boundary　between　Serbia　and　north…eastern　Albania　was　drawn
with　an　extraordinary　disregard　of　the　elementary　needs　of　the
Albanians　of　that　region。　　It　ran　along　the　foot　of　the　mountains
which　form　their　summer　pastures　and　their　refuge　from　attack；
and　it　cut　their　mountains　off　from　their　winter　pastures　and
market　towns。　　Their　whole　economic　life　was　cut　to　pieces　and
existence　rendered　intolerable　for　them。　　Now　an　intelligent
Third　Party　settling　Europe　would　certainly　restore　these　market
towns；　Ipek；　Jakova；　and　Prisrend；　to　Albania。　　But　the　Albanians
have　no　standing　in　this　war；　theirs　is　the　happy　lot　that　might
have　fallen　to　Belgium　had　she　not　resisted；　the　war　goes　to　and
fro　through　Albania；　and　when　the　settlement　comes；　it　is　highly
improbable　that　the　slightest　notice　will　be　taken　of　Albania's
plight　in　the　region。　　In　which　case　these　particular　Albanians
will　either　be　driven　into　exile　to　America　or　they　will　be
goaded　to　revolt；　which　will　be　followed　no　doubt　by　the　punitive
procedure　usual　in　the　Balkan　peninsula。

For　my　third　instance　I　would　step　from　a　matter　as　small　as
three　market　towns　and　the　grazing　of　a　few　thousand　head　of
sheep　to　a　matter　as　big　as　the　world。　　What　is　going　to　happen
to　the　shipping　of　the　world　after　this　war？　　The　Germans；　with
that　combination　of　cunning　and　stupidity　which　baffles　the　rest
of　mankind；　have　set　themselves　to　destroy　the　mercantile　marine
not　merely　of　Britain　and　France　but　of　Norway　and　Sweden；
Holland；　and　all　the　neutral　countries。　　The　German　papers　openly
boast　that　they　are　building　up　a　big　mercantile　marine　that　will
start　out　to　take　up　the　world's　overseas　trade　directly　peace　is
declared。　　Every　such　boast　receives　careful　attention　in　the
British　press。　　We　have　heard　a　very　great　deal　about　the　German
will…to…power　in　this　war；　but　there　is　something　very　much　older
and　tougher　and　less　blatant　and　conspicuous；　the　British　will。
In　the　British　papers　there　has　appeared　and　gained　a　permanent
footing　this　phrase；　〃ton　for　ton。〃　　This　means　that　Britain　will
go　on　fighting　until　she　has　exacted　and　taken　over　from　Germany
the　exact　equivalent　of　all　the　British　shipping　Germany　has
submarined。　　People　do　not　realis