war and the future-第21章

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lost　some　chances　at　Ypres。　　Two　can　play　at　destructive
industrialism；　and　now　we　out…gun　you。　　We　are　piling　up
munitions　now　faster　than　you。　　The　essentials　of　this　Game　of
the　War　Lord　are　idiotically　simple；　but　it　was　not　of　our
choosing。　　It　is　now　merely　a　question　of　months　before　you　make
your　inevitable　admission。　　This　is　no　war　to　any　great
commander's　glory。　　This　gentleman　in　the　bowler　hat　is　the
victor；　Sire；　not　you。　　Assisted；　Sire；　by　these　disrespectful…
looking　factory　girls　in　overalls。〃

For　example；　there　is　M。　Citroen。　　Before　the　war　I　understand　he
made　automobiles；　after　the　war　he　wants　to　turn　to　and　make
automobiles　again。　　For　the　duration　of　the　war　he　makes　shell。
He　has　been　temporarily　diverted　from　constructive　to　destructive
industrialism。　　He　did　me　the　honours　of　his　factory。　　He　is　a
compact；　active　man　in　dark　clothes　and　a　bowler　hat；　with　a
pencil　and　notebook　conveniently　at　hand。　　He　talked　to　me　in
carefully　easy　French；　and　watched　my　face　with　an　intelligent
eye　through　his　pince…nez　for　the　signs　of　comprehension。　　Then
he　went　on　to　the　next　point。

He　took　me　through　every　stage　of　his　process。　　In　his　office　he
showed　me　the　general　story。　　Here　were　photographs　of　certain
vacant　fields　and　old　sheds〃this　place〃he　indicated　the
altered　prospect　from　the　window〃at　the　outbreak　of　the　war。〃
He　showed　me　a　plan　of　the　first　undertaking。　　〃Now　we　have
rather　over　nine　thousand　workpeople。〃

He　showed　me　a　little　row　of　specimens。　　〃These　we　make　for
Italy。　　These　go　to　Russia。　　These　are　the　Rumanian　pattern。〃

Thence　to　the　first　stage；　the　chopping　up　of　the　iron　bars；　the
furnace；　the　punching　out　of　the　first　shape　of　the　shell；　all
this　is　men's　work。　　I　had　seen　this　sort　of　thing　before　in
peace　ironworks；　but　I　saw　it　again　with　the　same　astonishment；
the　absolute　precision　of　movement　on　the　part　of　the　half…naked
sweating　men；　the　calculated　efficiency　of　each　worker；　the
apparent　heedlessness；　the　real　certitude；　with　which　the　blazing
hot　cylinder　is　put　here；　dropped　there；　rolls　to　its　next
appointed　spot；　is　chopped　up　and　handed　on；　the　swift　passage　to
the　cooling　crude；　pinkish…purple　shell　shape。　　Down　a　long　line
one　sees　in　perspective　a　practical　symmetry；　of　furnace　and
machine　group　and　the　shells　marching　on　from　this　first　series
of　phases　to　undergo　the　long　succession　of　operations；　machine
after　machine；　across　the　great　width　of　the　shed　in　which　eighty
per　cent　of　the　workers　are　women。　　There　is　a　thick　dust　of
sounds　in　the　air；　a　rumble　of　shafting；　sudden　thuddings；
clankings；　and　M。　Citroen　has　to　raise　his　voice。　　He　points　out
where　he　has　made　little　changes　in　procedures；　cut　out　some
wasteful　movement。。。。　　He　has　an　idea　and　makes　a　note　in　the
ever…ready　notebook。

There　is　a　beauty　about　all　these　women；　there　is　extraordinary
grace　in　their　finely　adjusted　movements。　　I　have　come　from　an
after…lunch　coffee　upon　the　boulevards　and　from　watching　the　ugly
fashion　of　our　time；　it　is　a　relief　to　be　reminded　that　most
women　can　after　all　be　beautifulif　only　they　would　not　〃dress。〃
these　women　wear　simple　overalls　and　caps。　　In　the　cap　is　a
rosette。　　Each　shed　has　its　own　colour　of　rosette。

〃There　is　much　esprit　de　corps　here；〃　says　M。　Citroen。

〃And　also；〃　he　adds；　showing　obverse　as　well　as　reverse　of　the
world's　problem　of　employment　and　discipline；　〃we　can　see　at　once
if　a　woman　is　not　in　her　proper　shed。〃

Across　the　great　sheds　under　the　shaftinghow　fine　it　must　look
at　night！the　shells　march；　are　shaped；　cut；　fitted　with　copper
bands；　calibrated；　polished；　varnished。。。。

Then　we　go　on　to　another　system　of　machines　in　which　lead　is
reduced　to　plastic　ribbons　and　cut　into　shrapnel　bullets　as　the
sweetstuff　makers　pull　out　and　cut　up　sweetstuff。　　And　thence
into　a　warren　of　hot　underground　passages　in　which　run　the　power
cables。　　There　is　not　a　cable　in　the　place　that　is　not
immediately　accessible　to　the　electricians。　　We　visit　the　dynamos
and　a　vast　organisation　of　switchboards。。。。

These　things　are　more　familiar　to　M。　Citroen　than　they　are　to　me。
He　wants　me　to　understand；　but　he　does　not　realise　that　I　would
like　a　little　leisure　to　wonder。　　What　is　interesting　him　just
now；　because　it　is　the　newest　thing；　is　his　method　of　paying　his
workers。　　He　lifts　a　hand　gravely：　〃I　said；　what　we　must　do　is
abolish　altogether　the　counting　of　change。〃

At　a　certain　hour；　he　explained；　came　pay…time。　　The　people　had
done；　it　was　to　his　interest　and　their　that　they　should　get　out
of　the　works　as　quickly　as　possible　and　rest　and　amuse
themselves。　　He　watched　them　standing　in　queues　at　the　wickets
while　inside　someone　counted；　so　many　francs；　so　many　centimes。
It　bored　him　to　see　this　useless；　tiresome　waiting。　　It　is
abolished。　　Now　at　the　end　of　each　week　the　worker　goes　to　a
window　under　the　initial　of　his　name；　and　is　handed　a　card　on
which　these　items　have　been　entered：

Balance　from　last　week。
So　many　hours　at　so　much。
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