war and the future-第38章
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an elegant and carefully tended hand tossed back some fine old
lace to gesticulate more freely。 She had previously charmed her
hearers by sweeping aside certain rumours that were drifting
about。
〃Germans invade /Us！/〃 she cried。 〃Who'd /let/ 'em；
I'd like to know？ Who'd /let/ 'em？〃
And then she reverted to her grievance about the gardener。
〃I told him that after the war he'd be glad enough to get
anything。 Grateful！ They'll all be coming back after the war
all of 'em； glad enough to get anything。 Asking for another
shilling indeed！〃
Everyone who heard her looked shocked。 But that was the tone of
everyone of importance in the dark years that followed the
Napoleonic wars。 That is just one survivor of the old tradition。
Another is Blight the solicitor； who goes about bewailing the
fact that we writers are 〃holding out false hopes of higher
agricultural wages after the war。〃 But these are both
exceptions。 They are held to be remarkable people even by their
own class。 The mass of property owners and influential people in
Europe to…day no more believe in the sacred right of property to
hold up development and dictate terms than do the more
intelligent workers。 The ideas of collective ends and of the
fiduciary nature of property； had been soaking through the
European community for years before the war。 The necessity for
sudden and even violent co…operations and submersions of
individuality in a common purpose； is rapidly crystallising out
these ideas into clear proposals。
War is an evil thing； but most people who will not learn from
reason must have an ugly teacher。 This war has brought home to
everyone the supremacy of the public need over every sort of
individual claim。
One of the most remarkable things in the British war press is the
amount of space given to the discussion of labour developments
after the war。 This in its completeness peculiar to the British
situation。 Nothing on the same scale is perceptible in the press
of the Latin allies。 A great movement on the part of capitalists
and business organisers is manifest to assure the worker of a
change of heart and a will to change method。 Labour is
suspicious； not foolishly but wisely suspicious。 But labour is
considering it。
〃National industrial syndication；〃 say the business organisers。
〃Guild socialism；〃 say the workers。
There is also a considerable amount of talking and writing about
〃profit…sharing〃 and about giving the workers a share in the
business direction。 Neither of these ideas appeals to the
shrewder heads among the workers。 So far as direction goes their
disposition is to ask the captain to command the ship。 So far as
profits go； they think the captain has no more right than the
cabin boy to speculative gains； he should do his work for his pay
whether it is profitable or unprofitable work。 There is little
balm for labour discontent in these schemes for making the worker
also an infinitesimal profiteer。
During my journey in Italy and France I met several men who were
keenly interested in business organisation。 Just before I
started my friend N； who has been the chief partner in the
building up of a very big and very extensively advertised
American business； came to see me on his way back to America。 He
is as interested in his work as a scientific specialist； and as
ready to talk about it to any intelligent and interested hearer。
He was particularly keen upon the question of continuity in the
business； when it behoves the older generation to let in the
younger to responsible management and to efface themselves。 He
was a man of five…and…forty。 Incidentally he mentioned that he
had never taken anything for his private life out of the great
business he had built up but a salary； 〃a good salary；〃 and that
now he was gong to grant himself a pension。 〃I shan't interfere
any more。 I shall come right away and live in Europe for a year
so as not to be tempted to interfere。 The boys have got to run
it some day； and they had better get their experience while
they're young and capable of learning by it。 I did。〃
I like N's ideas。 〃Practically；〃 I said； 〃you've been a public
official。 You've treated your business like a public service。〃
That was his idea。
〃Would you mind if it was a public service？〃
He reflected； and some disagreeable memory darkened his face。
〃Under the politicians？〃 he said。
I took the train of thought N had set going abroad with me next
day。 I had the good luck to meet men who were interesting
industrially。 Captain Pirelli； my guide in Italy； has a name
familiar to every motorist； his name goes wherever cars go； spelt
with a big long capital P。 Lieutenant de Tessin's name will
recall one of the most interesting experiments in profit…sharing
to the student of social science。 I tried over N's problem on
both of them。 I found in both their minds just the same attitude
as he takes up towards his business。 They think any businesses
that are worthy of respect； the sorts of businesses that interest
them； are public functions。 Money…lenders and speculators；
merchants and gambling gentlefolk may think in terms of profit；
capable business directors certainly do nothing of the sort。
I met a British officer in France who is also a landowner。 I got
him to talk about his administrative work upon his property。 He
was very keen upon new methods。 He said he tried to do his duty
by his land。
〃How much land？〃 I asked。
〃Just over nine thousand acres；〃 he said。
〃But you could manage forty or fifty thousand with little more
trouble。〃
〃If I had it。 In some ways it would be easier。〃
〃What a waste！〃 I said。 〃Of course you ought not to /own/
these acres； what you ought to be is the agricultural controller
of just as big an estate of the public lands as you could manage
with a suitable salary。〃
He reflected upon that idea。 He said he did not get much of a
salary out of his land as it was； and made a regrettable allusion
to Mr。 Lloyd George。 〃When a man tries to do his duty by his
land；〃 he said。。。
But here running through the thoughts of the Englishman and the
Italian and the Frenchman and the American alike one finds just
the same idea of a kind of officialdom in ownership。 It is an
idea that pervades our thought and public discussion to…day
everywhere； and it is an idea that is scarcely traceable at all
in the thought of the early half of the nineteenth century。 The
idea of service and responsibility in property has increased and
is increasing； the conception of 〃hold…up；〃 the usurer's
conception of his right to be bought out of the way； fades。 And
the process has been enormously enhanced by the various big…scale
experiments in temporary socialism that have been forced upon the
belligerent powers。 Men of the most individualistic quality are
being educated up to the possibilities of concerted collective
action。 My friend and fellow…student Y； inventor and business
organiser； who used to make the best steam omnibuses in the
world； and who is now making all sorts of things for the army；
would go pink with suspicious anger at the mere words 〃inspector〃
or 〃socialism〃 three or four years ago。 He does not do so now。
A great proportion of this sort of man； this energetic directive
sort of man in England； is thinking socialism to…day。 They may
not be saying socialism； but they are thinking it。 When labour
begins to realise what is adrift it will be divided between two
things： between appreciative co…operation； for which guild
socialism in particular has prepared its mind； and traditional
suspicion。 I will not over to guess here which will prevail。
3
The impression I have of the present mental process in the
European communities is that while the official class and the
/rentier/ class is thinking very poorly and inadequately and
with a merely obstructive disposition； while the churches are
merely wasting their energies in futile self…advertisement； while
the labour mass is suspicious and disposed to make terms for
itself rather than come into any large schemes of reconstruction
that will abolish profit as a primary aim in economic life； there
is still a
