war and the future-第39章

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that　will　abolish　profit　as　a　primary　aim　in　economic　life；　there
is　still　a　very　considerable　movement　towards　such　a
reconstruction。　　Nothing　is　so　misleading　as　a　careless　analogy。
In　the　dead　years　that　followed　the　Napoleonic　wars；　which　are
often　quoted　as　a　precedent　for　expectation　now；　the　spirit　of
collective　service　was　near　its　minimum；　it　was　never　so　strong
and　never　so　manifestly　spreading　and　increasing　as　it　is　to…day。

But　service　to　what？

I　have　my　own　very　strong　preconceptions　here；　and　since　my
temperament　is　sanguine　they　necessarily　colour　my　view。　　I
believe　that　this　impulse　to　collective　service　can　satisfy
itself　only　under　the　formula　that　mankind　is　one　state　of　which
God　is　the　undying　king；　and　that　the　service　of　men's　collective
needs　is　the　true　worship　of　God。　　But　eagerly　as　I　would　grasp
at　any　evidence　that　this　idea　is　being　developed　and　taken　up　by
the　general　consciousness；　I　am　quite　unable　to　persuade　myself
that　anything　of　the　sort　is　going　on。　　I　do　perceive　a　search
for　large　forms　into　which　the　prevalent　impulse　to　devotion　can
be　thrown。　　But　the　organised　religious　bodies；　with　their　creeds
and　badges　and　their　instinct　for　self…preservation　at　any　cost；
stand　between　men　and　their　spiritual　growth　in　just　the　same　way
the　forestallers　stand　between　men　and　food。　　Their　activities　at
present　are　an　almost　intolerable　nuisance。　　One　cannot　say　〃God〃
but　some　tout　is　instantly　seeking　to　pluck　one　into　his
particular　cave　of　flummery　and　orthodoxy。　　What　a　rational　man
means　by　God　is　just　God。　　The　more　you　define　and　argue　about
God　the　more　he　remains　the　same　simple　thing。　　Judaism；
Christianity；　Islam；　modern　Hindu　religious　thought；　all　agree　in
declaring　that　there　is　one　God；　master　and　leader　of　all
mankind；　in　unending　conflict　with　cruelty；　disorder；　folly　and
waste。　　To　my　mind；　it　follows　immediately　that　there　can　be　no
king；　no　government　of　any　sort；　which　is　not　either　a
subordinate　or　a　rebel　government；　a　local　usurpation；　in　the
kingdom　of　God。　　But　no　organised　religious　body　has　ever　had　the
courage　and　honesty　to　insist　upon　this。　　They　all　pander　to
nationalism　and　to　powers　and　princes。　　They　exists　so　to　pander。
Every　organised　religion　in　the　world　exists　only　to　exploit　and
divert　and　waste　the　religious　impulse　in　man。

This　conviction　that　the　world　kingdom　of　God　is　the　only　true
method　of　human　service；　is　so　clear　and　final　in　my　own　mind；　it
seems　so　inevitably　the　conviction　to　which　all　right…thinking
men　must　ultimately　come；　that　I　feel　almost　like　a　looker…on　at
a　game　of　blind…man's　bluff　as　I　watch　the　discussion　of
synthetic　political　ideas。　　The　blind　man　thrusts　his　seeking
hands　into　the　oddest　corners；　he　clutches　at　chairs　and
curtains；　but　at　last　he　must　surely　find　and　hold　and　feel　over
and　guess　the　name　of　the　plainly　visible　quarry。

Some　of　the　French　and　Italian　people　I　talked　to　said　they　were
fighting　for　〃Civilisation。〃　　That　is　one　name　for　the　kingdom　of
God；　and　I　have　heard　English　people　use　it　too。　　But　much　of　the
contemporary　thought　of　England　stills　wanders　with　its　back　to
the　light。　　Most　of　it　is　pawing　over　jerry…built；　secondary
things。　　I　have　before　me　a　little　book；　the　joint　work　of　Dr。
Grey　and　Mr。　Turner；　of　an　ex…public　schoolmaster　and　a
manufacturer；　called　/Eclipse　or　Empire？/　（The　title
/World　Might　or　Downfall？/　had　already　been　secured　in
another　quarter。）　It　is　a　book　that　has　been　enormously
advertised；　it　has　been　almost　impossible　to　escape　its　column…
long　advertisements；　it　is　billed　upon　the　hoardings；　and　it　is
on　the　whole　a　very　able　and　right…spirited　book。　　It　calls　for
more　and　better　education；　for　more　scientific　methods；　for　less
class　suspicion　and　more　social　explicitness　and　understanding；
for　a　franker　and　fairer　treatment　of　labour。　　But　why　does　it
call　for　these　things？　　Does　it　call　for　them　because　they　are
right？　　Because　in　accomplishing　them　one　serves　God？

Not　at　all。　　But　because　otherwise　this　strange　sprawling　empire
of　ours　will　drop　back　into　a　secondary　place　in　the　world。
These　two　writers　really　seem　to　think　that　the　slack　workman；
the　slacker　wealthy　man；　the　negligent　official；　the　conservative
schoolmaster；　the　greedy　usurer；　the　comfortable　obstructive；
confronted　with　this　alternative；　terrified　at　this　idea　of
something　or　other　called　the　Empire　being　〃eclipsed；〃　eager　for
the　continuance　of　this　undefined　glory　over　their　fellow…
creatures　called　〃Empire；〃　will　perceive　the　error　of　their　ways
and　become　energetic；　devoted；　capable。　　They　think　an　ideal　of
that　sort　is　going　to　change　the　daily　lives　of　men。。。。　　I
sympathise　with　their　purpose；　and　I　deplore　their　conception　of
motives。　　If　men　will　not　give　themselves　for　righteousness；　they
will　not　give　themselves　for　a　geographical　score。　　If　they　will
not　work　well　for　the　hatred　of　bad　work；　they　will　not　work　well
for　the　hatred　of　Germans。　　This　〃Empire〃　idea　has　been　cadging
about　the　British　empire；　trying　to　collect　enthusiasm　and
devotion；　since　the　days　of　Disraeli。　　It　is；　I　submit；　too　big
for　the　mean…spirited；　and　too　tawdry　and　limited　for　the　fine
and　generous。　　It　leaves　out　the　French　and　the　Italians　and　the
Belgians　and　all　our　blood　brotherhood　of　allies。　　It　has　no
compelling　force　in　it。　　We　British　are　not　naturally
Imperialist；　we　are　something　greateror　something　less。　　For
two　years　and　a　half　now　we　have　been　fighting　against
Imperialism　in　its　most　extravagant　form。　　It　is　a　poor　incentive
to　right　living　to　propose　to　parody　the　devil　we　fight　against。

The　blind　man　must　lunge　again。

For　when　the　right　answer　is　seized　it　answers　not　only　the
question　why　men　should　work　for　their　fellow…men　but　also　why
nation　should　cease　to　arm　and　plan　and　contrive　against　nation。
The　social　problem　is　only　the　international　problem　in　retail；
the　international　problem　is　only　the　social　one　in　gross。

My　bias　rules　me　altogether　here。　　I　see　men　in　social；　in
economic　and　in　international　affairs　alike；　eager　to　put　an　end
to　conflict；　inexpressibly　weary　of　conflict　and　the　waste　and
pain　and　death　it　involves。　　But　to　end　conflict　one　must　abandon
aggressive　or　uncordial　pretensions。　　Labour　is　sick　at　the　idea
of　more　strikes　and　struggles　after　the　war；　industrialism　is
sick　of　competition　and　anxious　for　service；　everybody　is　sick　of
war。　　But　how　can　they　end　any　of　these　clashes　except　by　the
definition　and　recognition　of　a　common　end　which　will　establish　a
standard　for　the　trial　of　every　conceivable　issue；　to　which；　that
is；　every　other　issue　can　be　subordinated；　and　what　common　end
can　there　be　in　all　the　world　except　this　idea　of　the　world
kingdom　of　God？　　What　is　the　good　of　orienting　one's　devotion　to
a　firm；　or　to　class　solidarity；　or　/La　Republique
Francais/；　or　Poland；　or　Albania；　or　such　love　and
loyalty　as　people　profess　for　King　George　or　King　Albert　or　the
Duc　d'Orleansit　puzzles　me　whyor　any　such　intermediate　object
of　self…abandonment？　　We　need　a　standard　so　universal　that　the
platelayer　may　say　to　the　barrister　or　the　duchess；　or　the　Red
Indian　to　the　Limehouse　sailor；　or　the　Anzac　soldier　to　the　Sinn
Feiner　or　the　Chinaman；　〃What　are　we　two　doing　for　it？〃　　And　to
fill　the　place　of　that　〃it；〃　no　other　idea　is　great　enough　or
commanding　enough；　but　only　the　world　kingdom　of　God。

However　long　he　may　have　to　hunt；　the　blind　man　who　is　seeking
service　and　an　end　to　bickerings　will　come　to　that　at　last；
because　of　all　the　thousand　other　things　he　may　clutch　at；
nothing　else　can　satisfy　his　manifest　need。


VI。　THE　ENDING　OF　THE　WAR


1

About　the　end　of　the　war　there　are　two　chief　ways　of　thinking；
there　is　a　simpler　sort　of　mind　which　desires　merely　a　date；　and
a　more　complex　kind　which　wants　particulars。　　To　the　former　class
belong　most　of　the　men　out　at　the　front。　　They　are　so　bored　by
this　war　that　they　would　welcome　any　peace　that　did　not
definitely　admit　defeatand　examine　the　particulars　later。　　The
〃tone〃　of　the　German　army；　to　judge　by　its　captured　letters；　is
even　lower。　　It　would　welcome　peace　in　any　form。