war and the future-第33章

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machinery　has　developed　sufficiently　to　a　control　in　the
interests　of　civilisation　of　many　other　staples　besides
foodstuffs。　　It　is　in　fact　the　suggestion　and　beginning　of　the
economic　world　peace　and　the　economic　world　state；　just　as　the
Hague　Tribunal　is　the　first　faint　sketch　of　a　legal　world　state。
The　King　of　Italy　has　met　Mr。　Lubin's　idea　with　open　hands。　　（It
was　because　of　this　profoundly　interesting　experiment　that　in　a
not　very　widely　known　book　of　mine；　/The　World　Set　Free/
（May；　1914）；　in　which　I　represented　a　world　state　as　arising　out
of　Armageddon；　I　made　the　first　world　conference　meet　at　Brissago
in　Italian　Switzerland　under　the　presidency　of　the　King　of
Italy。）　So　that　when　I　found　I　could　meet　Mr。　Lubin　I　did　so　very
gladly。　　We　lunched　together　in　a　pretty　little　room　high　over
Knightsbridge；　and　talked　through　an　afternoon。

He　is　a　man　rather　after　the　type　of　Gladstone；　he　could　be　made
to　look　like　Gladstone　in　a　caricature；　and　he　has　that
compelling　quality　of　intense　intellectual　excitement　which　was
one　of　the　great　factors　in　the　personal　effectiveness　of
Gladstone。　　He　is　a　Jew；　but　until　I　had　talked　to　him　for　some
time　that　fact　did　not　occur　to　me。　　He　is　in　very　ill　health；　he
has　some　weakness　of　the　heart　that　grips　him　and　holds　him　at
times　white　and　silent。

At　first　we　talked　of　his　Institute　and　its　work。　　Then　we　came
to　shipping　and　transport。　　Whenever　one　talks　now　of　human
affairs　one　comes　presently　to　shipping　and　transport　generally。
In　Paris；　in　Italy；　when　I　returned　to　England；　everywhere　I
found　〃cost　of　carriage〃　was　being　discovered　to　be　a　question　of
fundamental　importance。　　Yet　transport；　railroads　and　shipping；
these　vitally　important　services　in　the　world's　affairs；　are
nearly　everywhere　in　private　hands　and　run　for　profit。　　In　the
case　of　shipping　they　are　run　for　profit　on　such　antiquated　lines
that　freights　vary　from　day　to　day　and　from　hour　to　hour。　　It
makes　the　business　of　food　supply　a　gamble。　　And　it　need　not　be　a
gamble。

But　that　is　by　the　way　in　the　present　discussion。　　As　we　talked；
the　prospect　broadened　out　from　a　prospect　of　the　growing　and
distribution　of　food　to　a　general　view　of　the　world　becoming　one
economic　community。

I　talked　of　various　people　I　had　been　meeting　in　the　previous　few
weeks。　　〃So　many　of　us；〃　I　said；　〃seem　to　be　drifting　away　from
the　ideas　of　nationalism　and　faction　and　policy；　towards
something　else　which　is　larger。　　It　is　an　idea　of　a　right　way　of
doing　things　for　human　purposes；　independently　of　these　limited
and　localised　references。　　Take　such　things　as　international
hygiene　for　example；　take　/this/　movement。　　We　are　feeling
our　way　towards　a　bigger　rule。〃

〃The　rule　of　Righteousness；〃　said　Mr。　Lubin。

I　told　him　that　I　had　been　coming　more　and　more　to　the　ideanot
as　a　sentimentality　or　a　metaphor；　but　as　the　ruling　and
directing　idea；　the　structural　idea；　of　all　one's　political　and
social　activitiesof　the　whole　world　as　one　state　and　community
and　of　God　as　the　King　of　that　state。

〃But　/I/　say　that；〃　cried　Mr。　Lubin；　〃I　have　put　my　name　to　that。　　Andit　is　/here！/〃

He　struggled　up；　seized　an　Old　Testament　that　lay　upon　a　side
table。　　He　stood　over　it　and　rapped　its　cover。　　〃It　is
/here/；〃　he　said；　looking　more　like　Gladstone　than　ever；　〃in
the　Prophets。〃


4

That　is　all　I　mean　to　tell　at　present　of　that　conversation。

We　talked　of　religion　for　two　hours。　　Mr。　Lubin　sees　things　in
terms　of　Israel　and　I　do　not。　　For　all　that　we　see　things　very
much　after　the　same　fashion。　　That　talk　was　only　one　of　a　number
of　talks　about　religion　that　I　have　had　with　hard　and　practical
men　who　want　to　get　the　world　straighter　than　it　is；　and　who
perceive　that　they　must　have　a　leadership　and　reference　outside
themselves。　　That　is　why　I　assert　so　confidently　that　there　is　a
real　deep　religious　movement　afoot　in　the　world。　　But　not　one　of
those　conversations　could　have　gone　on；　it　would　have　ceased
instantly；　if　anyone　bearing　the　uniform　and　brand　of　any
organised　religious　body；　any　clergyman；　priest；　mollah；　of
suchlike　advocate　of　the　ten　thousand　patented　religions　in　the
world；　had　come　in。　　He　would　have　brought　in　his　sectarian
spites；　his　propaganda　of　church…going；　his　persecution　of　the
heretic　and　the　illegitimate；　his　ecclesiastical　politics；　his
taboos；　and　his　doctrinal　touchiness。。。。　　That　is　why；　though　I
perceive　there　is　a　great　wave　of　religious　revival　in　the　world
to…day；　I　doubt　whether　it　bodes　well　for　the　professional
religions。。。。

The　other　day　I　was　talking　to　an　eminent　Anglican　among　various
other　people　and　someone　with　an　eye　to　him　propounded　this
remarkable　view。

〃There　are　four　stages　between　belief　and　utter　unbelief。　　There
are　those　who　believe　in　God；　those　who　doubt　like　Huxley　the
Agnostic；　those　who　deny　him　like　the　Atheists　but　who　do　at
least　keep　his　place　vacant；　and　lastly　those　who　have　set　up　a
Church　in　his　place。　　That　is　the　last　outrage　of　unbelief。〃


IV。　THE　RIDDLE　OF　THE　BRITISH
All　the　French　people　I　met　in　France　seemed　to　be　thinking　and
talking　about　the　English。　　The　English　bring　their　own
atmosphere　with　them；　to　begin　with　they　are　not　so　talkative；
and　I　did　not　find　among　them　anything　like　the　same　vigour　of
examination；　the　same　resolve　to　understand　the　Anglo…French
reaction；　that　I　found　among　the　French。　　In　intellectual
processes　I　will　confess　that　my　sympathies　are　undisguisedly
with　the　French；　the　English　will　never　think　nor　talk　clearly
until　the　get　clerical　〃Greek〃　and　sham　〃humanities〃　out　of　their
public　schools　and　sincere　study　and　genuine　humanities　in；　our
disingenuous　Anglican　compromise　is　like　a　cold　in　the　English
head；　and　the　higher　education　in　England　is　a　training　in
evasion。　　This　is　an　always　lamentable　state　of　affairs；　but　just
now　it　is　particularly　lamentable　because　quite　tremendous
opportunities　for　the　good　of　mankind　turn　on　the　possibility　of
a　thorough　and　entirely　frank　mutual　understanding　between
French；　Italians；　and　English。　　For　years　there　has　been　a
considerable　amount　of　systematic　study　in　France　of　English
thought　and　English　developments。　　Upon　almost　any　question　of
current　English　opinion　and　upon　most　current　English　social
questions；　the　best　studies　are　in　French。　　But　there　has　been
little　or　no　reciprocal　activity。　　The　English　in　France　seem　to
confine　their　French　studies　to　/La　Vie　Parisienne。/　　It　is
what　they　have　been　led　to　expect　of　French　literature。

There　can　be　no　doubt　in　any　reasonable　mind　that　this　war　is
binding　France　and　England　very　closely　together。　　They　dare　not
quarrel　for　the　next　fifty　years。　　They　are　bound　to　play　a
central　part　in　the　World　League　for　the　Preservation　of　Peace
that　must　follow　this　struggle。　　There　is　no　question　of　their
practical　union。　　It　is　a　thing　that　must　be。　　But　it　is
remarkable　that　while　the　French　mind　is　agog　to　apprehend　every
fact　and　detail　it　can　about　the　British；　to　make　the　wisest　and
fullest　use　of　our　binding　necessities；　that　strange　English
〃incuria〃to　use　the　new　slangattains　to　its　most　monumental
in　this　matter。

So　there　is　not　much　to　say　about　how　the　British　think　about　the
French。　　They　do　not　think。　　They　feel。　　At　the　outbreak　of　the
war；　when　the　performance　of　France　seemed　doubtful；　there　was　an
enormous　feeling　for　France　in　Great　Britain；　it　was　like　the
formless　feeling　one　has　for　a　brother。　　It　was　as　if　Britain　had
discovered　a　new　instinct。　　If　France　had　crumpled　up　like　paper；
the　English　would　have　fought　on　passionately　to　restore　her。
That　is　ancient　history　now。　　Now　the　English　still　feel
fraternal　and　fraternally　proud；　but　in　a　mute　way　they　are
dazzled。　　Since　the　German　attack　on　Verdun　began；　the　French
have　achieved　a　crescendo。　　None　of　us　could　have　imagined　it。
It　did　not　seem　possible　to　very　many　of　us　at　the　end　of　1915
that　either　France　or　Germany　could　hold　on　for　another　year。
There　was　much　secret　anxiety　for　France。　　It　has　given　place　now
to　unstinted　confidence　and　admiration。　　In　their　astonishment
the　British　are　apt　to　forget　the　impressive　magnitude　o