the vested interests and the common man-第24章
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modern point of view and the machine industry； but it will also
not be denied that the great war which is now coming to a
provisional close is the largest and most atrocious epoch of
warfare known to history； and that it has； in point of fact；
arisen out of this status quo which has been created by these
enlightened principles of the modern point of view in working out
their consequences on the ground of the new order of industry。
The great war arose within that group of nations which have
the full use of the industrial arts； which conduct their business
and control their industries on the lines of these enlightened
principles of the eighteenth century； and whose national
ambitions and policies are guided by the preconceptions of
national self…determination and self…assertion which these modern
civilised peoples have habitually found to be good and valid。 The
group of belligerents has included primarily the great industrial
nations； and the outcome of the war is being decided by the
industrial superiority of the advanced industrial peoples。 A host
of slightly backward peoples backward in the industrial
respect have been drawn into this contest of the great powers；
but these have taken part only as interested outliers and as
auxiliaries to be drawn on at the discretion of the chief
belligerents。 It has been a contest of technological superiority
and industrial resources； and in the end the decision of it rests
with the greater aggregation of industrial forces。 Frightfulness
and warlike abandon and all the beastly devices of the heathen
have proved to be unavailing against the great industrial powers；
partly because these things do not enduringly serve the
technological needs of the contest； partly because they have run
counter to that massive drift of sentiment which animates the
great industrial peoples。
The center of the warlike disturbance has been the same as
the center of growth and diffusion of the new order of industry。
And in both respects； both as regards participation in the war
and as regards their share in the new order of industry； it is
not a question of geographical nearness to a geographical center；
but of industrial affiliation and technological maturity。 The
center of disturbance and participation is a center in the
technological respect； and in the end the battle goes to those
few great industrial peoples who are nearest； technologically
speaking； to the apex of growth of the new order。 These need be
superior in no other respect； the contest is decided on the
merits of the industrial arts。 And in this connection it may be
in place to call to mind again that the state of the industrial
arts is always a joint stock of knowledge and proficiency held；
exercised； augmented and carried forward by the industrial
community at large as a going concern。 What the war has
vindicated； hitherto； is the great efficiency of the mechanical
industry。
But the ambitions and animosities which precipitated this
contest； and which now stand ready to bring on a renewal of it in
due time； are not of the industrial order； and eminently not of
the new order of technology。 They have been more nearly bound up
with those principles of self…help that have stood over from the
recent past； from the time before the new order of industry came
into bearing。 And there is a curious parallel between the
consequences worked out by these principles in the economic
system within each of these nations； on the one hand； and in the
concert of nations； on the other hand。 Within the nation the
enlightened principles of self…help and free contract have given
rise to vested interests which control the industrial system for
their own use and thereby come in for a legal right to the
community's net output of product over cost。 Each of these vested
interests habitually aims to take over as much as it can of the
lucrative traffic that goes on and to get as much as it can out
of the traffic； at the cost of the rest of the community。 After
the same analogy； and by sanction of the same liberal principles；
the civilised nations； each and several； are vested with an
inalienable right of 〃self…determination〃； which being
interpreted means the self…aggrandisement of each and several at
the cost of the rest； by a reasonable use of force and fraud。 And
there has been； on the whole； no sense of shame or of moral
obliquity attaching to the use of so much force and fraud as the
traffic would bear； in this national enterprise of
self…aggrandisement。 Such has been use and wont among the
civilised nations。
Meantime the new order of industry has come into bearing；
with the result that any disturbance which is set afoot by any
one of these self…determining nations in pursuing its own ends is
sure to derange the conditions of life for all the others； just
so far as these others are bound up in the same comprehensive
organization of trade and industry。 Full and free
self…determination runs counter to the rule of Live and let live。
After the same fashion the businesslike manoeuvres of the vested
interests within the nations； each managing its own affairs with
an eye single to its own advantage； deranges the ordinary
conditions of life for the common man； and violates the rule of
Live and let live by that much。 Self…determination； full and
free； necessarily encroaches on the conditions of life for all
the others。
So； just now there is talk of disallowing or abridging the
inalienable right of free nations by so much as is imperatively
demanded for reasonably secure conditions of life among these
civilised peoples； and especially so far as is required for the
orderly pursuit of profitable business by the many vested
interests domiciled in these civilised countries。 The project has
much in common with the measures which have been entertained for
the restraint of any insufferably extortionate vested interests
within the national frontiers。
In both cases alike； both in the proposed regulation of
businesslike excesses at home and in the proposed league of
pacific nations； the projected measures of sobriety and tolerance
appear to be an infraction of that inalienable right of
self…direction that makes up the substantial core of law and
custom according to the modern point of view。 There is much alarm
felt by the demagogues at the danger which is said to threaten
the national 〃sovereignty〃； just as the vested interests are
volubly apprehensive of the 〃sacred rights of property。〃 And in
both cases alike the projected measure of sobriety； tolerance and
incidental infraction are designed to go no farther than is
unequivocally demanded by the imperative needs of continued life
on earth； leaving the benefit of the doubt always on the side of
the insufferable vested interests or the mischievous national
ambitions； as the case may be； and leaving the impression that it
all is a concessive surrender of principles under compulsion of
circumstances that will not wait。 There is also in both cases
alike a well…assured likelihood that the tentative revision of
vested interests and of national pretensions is to be no more
than an incompetent remedial precaution； a makeshift shelter from
the wrath to come。
It is evident that in both cases alike we have to do with an
incursion of ideas and considerations that are alien to the
established liberal principles of human intercourse； but it is
also evident that these ideas and considerations have the
sanction of that new order of things that runs in terms of
tangible performance and enforces its requisitions with cruel and
unusual punishments。 It is these punishments that are to be
evaded or suspended； and immunity is sought by diplomatic
measures of formality and delay rather than by tangible
performance。 In such a case the keepers of the established order
will always look to evasion and entertain a hope of avoiding
casualties and holding the line by the use of a cleverly designed
masquerade。
It is the express purpose of the projected league of pacific
nations to keep t
