the story of mankind-第66章

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the　great　Tyrannosaur　had　I　not　devoted　more　space　to　the

wonderful　race　of　Cro…Magnon　men；　who　had　developed　such

a　high　stage　of　civilisation　10；000　years　ago？



Indeed；　and　why　not？　The　reason　is　simple。　I　do　not　take

as　much　stock　in　the　perfection　of　these　early　races　as　some　of

our　most　noted　anthropologists　seem　to　do。　Rousseau　and

the　philosophers　of　the　eighteenth　century　created　the　‘‘noble

savage''　who　was　supposed　to　have　dwelt　in　a　state　of　perfect

happiness　during　the　beginning　of　time。　Our　modern　scientists

have　discarded　the　‘‘noble　savage；''　so　dearly　beloved　by

our　grandfathers；　and　they　have　replaced　him　by　the　‘‘splendid

savage''　of　the　French　Valleys　who　35；000　years　ago　made　an

end　to　the　universal　rule　of　the　low…browed　and　low…living

brutes　of　the　Neanderthal　and　other　Germanic　neighbourhoods。

They　have　shown　us　the　elephants　the　Cro…Magnon　painted

and　the　statues　he　carved　and　they　have　surrounded　him　with

much　glory。



I　do　not　mean　to　say　that　they　are　wrong。　But　I　hold　that

we　know　by　far　too　little　of　this　entire　period　to　re…construct

that　early　west…European　society　with　any　degree　（however

humble）　of　accuracy。　And　I　would　rather　not　state　certain

things　than　run　the　risk　of　stating　certain　things　that　were　not

so。



Then　there　were　other　critics；　who　accused　me　of　direct

unfairness。　Why　did　I　leave　out　such　countries　as　Ireland

and　Bulgaria　and　Siam　while　I　dragged　in　such　other　countries

as　Holland　and　Iceland　and　Switzerland？　My　answer

was　that　I　did　not　drag　in　any　countries。　They　pushed　themselves

in　by　main　force　of　circumstances；　and　I　simply　could

not　keep　them　out。　And　in　order　that　my　point　may　be　understood；

let　me　state　the　basis　upon　which　active　membership　to

this　book　of　history　was　considered。



There　was　but　one　rule。　‘‘Did　the　country　or　the　person

in　question　produce　a　new　idea　or　perform　an　original　act

without　which　the　history　of　the　entire　human　race　would　have

been　different？''　It　was　not　a　question　of　personal　taste。　It

was　a　matter　of　cool；　almost　mathematical　judgment。　No　race

ever　played　a　more　picturesque　role　in　history　than　the　Mongolians；

and　no　race；　from　the　point　of　view　of　achievement　or

intelligent　progress；　was　of　less　value　to　the　rest　of　mankind。



The　career　of　Tiglath…Pileser；　the　Assyrian；　is　full　of

dramatic　episodes。　But　as　far　as　we　are　concerned；　he　might　just

as　well　never　have　existed　at　all。　In　the　same　way；　the　history

of　the　Dutch　Republic　is　not　interesting　because　once　upon　a

time　the　sailors　of　de　Ruyter　went　fishing　in　the　river　Thames；

but　rather　because　of　the　fact　that　this　small　mud…bank　along

the　shores　of　the　North　Sea　offered　a　hospitable　asylum　to　all

sorts　of　strange　people　who　had　all　sorts　of　queer　ideas　upon

all　sorts　of　very　unpopular　subjects。



It　is　quite　true　that　Athens　or　Florence；　during　the　hey…day

of　their　glory；　had　only　one　tenth　of　the　population　of　Kansas

City。　But　our　present　civilisation　would　be　very　different

had　neither　of　these　two　little　cities　of　the　Mediterranean　basin

existed。　And　the　same　（with　due　apologies　to　the　good　people

of　Wyandotte　County）　can　hardly　be　said　of　this　busy　metropolis

on　the　Missouri　River。



And　since　I　am　being　very　personal；　allow　me　to　state　one

other　fact。



When　we　visit　a　doctor；　we　find　out　before　hand　whether

he　is　a　surgeon　or　a　diagnostician　or　a　homeopath　or　a　faith

healer；　for　we　want　to　know　from　what　angle　he　will　look　at

our　complaint。　We　ought　to　be　as　careful　in　the　choice　of　our

historians　as　we　are　in　the　selection　of　our　physicians。　We

think；　‘‘Oh　well；　history　is　history；''　and　let　it　go　at　that。　But

the　writer　who　was　educated　in　a　strictly　Presbyterian　household

somewhere　in　the　backwoods　of　Scotland　will　look　differ…

ently　upon　every　question　of　human　relationships　from　his

neighbour　who　as　a　child；　was　dragged　to　listen　to　the　brilliant

exhortations　of　Robert　Ingersoll；　the　enemy　of　all　revealed

Devils。　In　due　course　of　time；　both　men　may　forget　their

early　training　and　never　again　visit　either　church　or　lecture

hall。　But　the　influence　of　these　impressionable　years　stays

with　them　and　they　cannot　escape　showing　it　in　whatever　they

write　or　say　or　do。



In　the　preface　to　this　book；　I　told　you　that　I　should　not　be

an　infallible　guide　and　now　that　we　have　almost　reached　the

end；　I　repeat　the　warning。　I　was　born　and　educated　in　an

atmosphere　of　the　old…fashioned　liberalism　which　had　followed

the　discoveries　of　Darwin　and　the　other　pioneers　of　the　nineteenth

century。　As　a　child；　I　happened　to　spend　most　of　my

waking　hours　with　an　uncle　who　was　a　great　collector　of　the

books　written　by　Montaigne；　the　great　French　essayist　of　the

sixteenth　century。　Because　I　was　born　in　Rotterdam　and

educated　in　the　city　of　Gouda；　I　ran　continually　across

Erasmus　and　for　some　unknown　reason　this　great　exponent

of　tolerance　took　hold　of　my　intolerant　self。　Later　I　discovered

Anatole　France　and　my　first　experience　with　the　English

language　came　about　through　an　accidental　encounter　with

Thackeray's　‘‘Henry　Esmond；''　a　story　which　made　more　impression

upon　me　than　any　other　book　in　the　English　language。



If　I　had　been　born　in　a　pleasant　middle　western　city　I　probably

should　have　a　certain　affection　for　the　hymns　which　I　had

heard　in　my　childhood。　But　my　earliest　recollection　of　music

goes　back　to　the　afternoon　when　my　Mother　took　me　to　hear

nothing　less　than　a　Bach　fugue。　And　the　mathematical　perfection

of　the　great　Protestant　master　influenced　me　to　such

an　extent　that　I　cannot　hear　the　usual　hymns　of　our　prayer…

meetings　without　a　feeling　of　intense　agony　and　direct　pain。



Again；　if　I　had　been　born　in　Italy　and　had　been　warmed

by　the　sunshine　of　the　happy　valley　of　the　Arno；　I　might　love

many　colourful　and　sunny　pictures　which　now　leave　me　indifferent

because　I　got　my　first　artistic　impressions　in　a　country

where　the　rare　sun　beats　down　upon　the　rain…soaked　land　with

almost　cruel　brutality　and　throws　everything　into　violent　contrasts

of　dark　and　light。



I　state　these　few　facts　deliberately　that　you　may　know

the　personal　bias　of　the　man　who　wrote　this　history　and　may

understand　his　point…of…view。　The　bibliography　at　the　end　of

this　book；　which　represents　all　sorts　of　opinions　and　views；　will

allow　you　to　compare　my　ideas　with　those　of　other　people。

And　in　this　way；　you　will　be　able　to　reach　your　own　final

conclusions　with　a　greater　degree　of　fairness　than　would

otherwise　be　possible。



After　this　short　but　necessary　excursion；　we　return　to　the

history　of　the　last　fifty　years。　Many　things　happened　during

this　period　but　very　little　occurred　which　at　the　time　seemed

to　be　of　paramount　importance。　The　majority　of　the　greater

powers　ceased　to　be　mere　political　agencies　and　became　large

business　enterprises。　They　built　railroads。　They　founded　and

subsidized　steam…ship　lines　to　all　parts　of　the　world。　They

connected　their　different　possessions　with　telegraph　wires。

And　they　steadily　increased　their　holdings　in　other　continents。

Every　available　bit　of　African　or　Asiatic　territory　was　claimed

by　one　of　the　rival　powers。　France　became　a　colonial　nation

with　interests　in　Algiers　and　Madagascar　and　Annam　and

Tonkin　（in　eastern　Asia）。　Germany　claimed　parts　of　southwest

and　east　Africa；　built　settlements　in　Kameroon　on　the

west　coast　of　Africa　and　in　New　Guinea　and　many　of　the

islands　of　the　Pacific；　and　used　the　murder　of　a　few　missionaries

as　a　welcome　excuse　to　take　the　harbour　of　Kisochau　on　the

Yellow　Sea　in　China。　Italy　tried　her　luck　in　Abyssinia；　was

disastrously　defeated　by　the　soldiers　of　the　Negus；　and　consoled

herself　by　occupying　the　Turkish　possessions　in　Tripoli

in　northern　Africa。　Russia；　having　occupied　all　of　Siberia；

took　Port　Arthur　away　from　China。　Japan；　having　defeated

China　in　the　war　of　1895；　occupied　the　island　of　Formosa　and

in　the　year　1905　began　to　lay　claim　to　the　entire　empire　of

Corea。　In　the　year　1883　England；　the　largest　colonial　empire

the　world　has　ever　seen；　undertook　to　‘‘protect''　Egypt。　She

performed　this　task　most　efficiently　and　to　the　great　material

benefit　of　that　much　neglected　country；　which　ever　since　the

opening　of　the　Suez　canal　in　1868　had　been　threatened　with　a

foreign　invasion。　During　the　next　thirty　years　she　fought　a

number　of　colonial　wars　in　different　parts　of　the　world　and　in

1902　（after　three　years　of　bitter　fighting）　she　conquered　the

independent　Boer　republics　of　the　Transvaal　and　the　Orange

Free　State。　Meanwhile　she　had　encouraged　Cecil　Rhodes　to

lay　the　foundations　for　a　great　African　state；　which　reached

from　the　Cape　almost　to　the　mouth　of　the　Nile；　and　had　faithfully

picked　up　such　islands　or　provinces　as　had　been　left　without

a　European　owner。



The　shrewd　king　of　Belgium；　by　name　Leopold；　used

the　discoveries　of　Henry　Stanley　to　found　the　Congo　Free

State　in　the　year　1885。　Originally　this　gigantic　tropical　empire

was　an　‘‘absolute　monarchy。''　But　after　many　years　of

scandalous　mismanagement；　it　was　annexed　by　the　Belgian

people　who　made　it　a　colony　（in　the　year　1908）　and　abolished

the　terrible　abuses　which　had　been　tolerated　by　this　very

unscrupulous　Majesty；　who　cared　nothing　for　the　fate　of　the

natives　as　long　as　he　got　his　ivory　and　rubber。



As　for　the　United　States；　they　had　so　much　land　that　they

desired　no　further　territory。　But　the　terrible　misrule　of

Cuba；　one　of　the　last　of　the　Spanish　possessions　in　the　western

hemisphere；　practically　forced　the　Washington　government　to

take　action。　After　a　short　and　rather　uneventful　war；　the

Spaniards　were　driven　out　of　Cuba　and　Puerto　Rico　and　the

Philippines；　and　the　two　latter　became　colonies　of　the　United

States。



This　economic　development　of　the　world　was　perfectly

natural。　The　increasing　number　of　factories　in　England　and

France　and　Germany　needed　an　ever　increasing　amount　of　raw

materials　and　the　equally　increasing　number　of　European

workers　needed　an　ever　increasing　amount　of　food。　Everywhere

the　cry　was　for　more　and　for　richer　markets；　for　more

easily　accessible　coal　mines　and　iron　mines　and　rubber　plantations

and　oil…wells；　for　greater　supplies　of　wheat　and　grain。



The　purely　political　events　of　the　European　continent

dwindled　to　mere　insignificance　in　the　eyes　of　men　who　were

making　plans　for　steamboat　lines　on　Victoria　Nyanza　or

for　railroads　through　the　interior　of　Shantung。　They　knew

that　many　European　questions　still　remained　to　be　settled；　but

they　did　not　bother；　and　through　sheer　indifference　and　carelessness

they　bestowed　upon　their　descendants　a　terrible　inheritance

of　hate　and　misery。　For　untold　centuries　the　south…eastern

corner　of　Europe　had　been　the　scene　of　rebellion　and　bloodshed。

During　the　seventies　of　the　last　century　the　people　of

Serbia　and　Bulgaria　and　Montenegro　and　Roumania　were　once