the story of mankind-第83节

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then　they　will　establish　to　their　own　satisfaction　that　the　other

fellow　was　guilty　of　‘‘causing　the　war。''　Statesmen；　dead　and

not　yet　dead；　in　all　countries　will　take　to　their　typewriters　and

they　will　explain　how　they　tried　to　avert　hostilities　and　how

their　wicked　opponents　forced　them　into　it。



The　historian；　a　hundred　years　hence；　will　not　bother　about

these　apologies　and　vindications。　He　will　understand　the　real

nature　of　the　underlying　causes　and　he　will　know　that　personal

ambitions　and　personal　wickedness　and　personal　greed　had　very

little　to　do　with　the　final　outburst。　The　original　mistake；　which

was　responsible　for　all　this　misery；　was　committed　when　our

scientists　began　to　create　a　new　world　of　steel　and　iron　and

chemistry　and　electricity　and　forgot　that　the　human　mind　is

slower　than　the　proverbial　turtle；　is　lazier　than　the　well…known

sloth；　and　marches　from　one　hundred　to　three　hundred　years

behind　the　small　group　of　courageous　leaders。



A　Zulu　in　a　frock　coat　is　still　a　Zulu。　A　dog　trained　to　ride

a　bicycle　and　smoke　a　pipe　is　still　a　dog。　And　a　human　being

with　the　mind　of　a　sixteenth　century　tradesman　driving　a　1921

Rolls…Royce　is　still　a　human　being　with　the　mind　of　a　sixteenth

century　tradesman。



If　you　do　not　understand　this　at　first；　read　it　again。　It

will　become　clearer　to　you　in　a　moment　and　it　will　explain

many　things　that　have　happened　these　last　six　years。



Perhaps　I　may　give　you　another；　more　familiar；　example；

to　show　you　what　I　mean。　In　the　movie　theatres；　jokes　and

funny　remarks　are　often　thrown　upon　the　screen。　Watch　the

audience　the　next　time　you　have　a　chance。　A　few　people　seem

almost　to　inhale　the　words。　It　takes　them　but　a　second　to　read

the　lines。　Others　are　a　bit　slower。　Still　others　take　from

twenty　to　thirty　seconds。　Finally　those　men　and　women　who

do　not　read　any　more　than　they　can　help；　get　the　point　when

the　brighter　ones　among　the　audience　have　already　begun　to

decipher　the　next　cut…in。　It　is　not　different　in　human　life；

as　I　shall　now　show　you。



In　a　former　chapter　I　have　told　you　how　the　idea　of　the

Roman　Empire　continued　to　live　for　a　thousand　years　after

the　death　of　the　last　Roman　Emperor。　It　caused　the　establishment

of　a　large　number　of　‘‘imitation　empires。''　It　gave　the

Bishops　of　Rome　a　chance　to　make　themselves　the　head　of　the

entire　church；　because　they　represented　the　idea　of　Roman

world…supremacy。　It　drove　a　number　of　perfectly　harmless

barbarian　chieftains　into　a　career　of　crime　and　endless　warfare

because　they　were　for　ever　under　the　spell　of　this　magic

word　‘‘Rome。''　All　these　people；　Popes；　Emperors　and　plain

fighting　men　were　not　very　different　from　you　or　me。　But

they　lived　in　a　world　where　the　Roman　tradition　was　a　vital

issue　something　livingsomething　which　was　remembered

clearly　both　by　the　father　and　the　son　and　the　grandson。　And

so　they　struggled　and　sacrificed　themselves　for　a　cause　which

to…day　would　not　find　a　dozen　recruits。



In　still　another　chapter　I　have　told　you　how　the　great　religious

wars　took　place　more　than　a　century　after　the　first　open

act　of　the　Reformation　and　if　you　will　compare　the　chapter

on　the　Thirty　Years　War　with　that　on　Inventions；　you　will　see

that　this　ghastly　butchery　took　place　at　a　time　when　the　first

clumsy　steam　engines　were　already　puffing　in　the　laboratories

of　a　number　of　French　and　German　and　English　scientists。

But　the　world　at　large　took　no　interest　in　these　strange

contraptions；　and　went　on　with　a　grand　theological　discussion

which　to…day　causes　yawns；　but　no　anger。



And　so　it　goes。　A　thousand　years　from　now；　the　historian

will　use　the　same　words　about　Europe　of　the　out…going　nine…

teenth　century；　and　he　will　see　how　men　were　engaged　upon

terrific　nationalistic　struggles　while　the　laboratories　all　around

them　were　filled　with　serious　folk　who　cared　not　one　whit　for

politics　as　long　as　they　could　force　nature　to　surrender　a　few

more　of　her　million　secrets。



You　will　gradually　begin　to　understand　what　I　am　driving

at。　The　engineer　and　the　scientist　and　the　chemist；　within　a

single　generation；　filled　Europe　and　America　and　Asia　with

their　vast　machines；　with　their　telegraphs；　their　flying　machines；

their　coal…tar　products。　They　created　a　new　world　in　which

time　and　space　were　reduced　to　complete　insignificance。　They

invented　new　products　and　they　made　these　so　cheap　that　almost

every　one　could　buy　them。　I　have　told　you　all　this　before

but　it　certainly　will　bear　repeating。



To　keep　the　ever　increasing　number　of　factories　going；　the

owners；　who　had　also　become　the　rulers　of　the　land；　needed　raw

materials　and　coal。　Especially　coal。　Meanwhile　the　mass　of

the　people　were　still　thinking　in　terms　of　the　sixteenth　and

seventeenth　centuries　and　clinging　to　the　old　notions　of　the

state　as　a　dynastic　or　political　organisation。　This　clumsy　mediaeval

institution　was　then　suddenly　called　upon　to　handle　the

highly　modern　problems　of　a　mechanical　and　industrial　world。

It　did　its　best；　according　to　the　rules　of　the　game　which　had

been　laid　down　centuries　before。　The　different　states　created

enormous　armies　and　gigantic　navies　which　were　used　for　the

purpose　of　acquiring　new　possessions　in　distant　lands。　Whereever｛sic｝

there　was　a　tiny　bit　of　land　left；　there　arose　an　English　or

a　French　or　a　German　or　a　Russian　colony。　If　the　natives

objected；　they　were　killed。　In　most　cases　they　did　not　object；

and　were　allowed　to　live　peacefully；　provided　they　did　not

interfere　with　the　diamond　mines　or　the　coal　mines　or　the　oil

mines　or　the　gold　mines　or　the　rubber　plantations；　and　they

derived　many　benefits　from　the　foreign　occupation。



Sometimes　it　happened　that　two　states　in　search　of　raw

materials　wanted　the　same　piece　of　land　at　the　same　time。

Then　there　was　a　war。　This　occurred　fifteen　years　ago　when

Russia　and　Japan　fought　for　the　possession　of　certain　terri…

tories　which　belonged　to　the　Chinese　people。　Such　conflicts；

however；　were　the　exception。　No　one　really　desired　to　fight。

Indeed；　the　idea　of　fighting　with　armies　and　battleships　and

submarines　began　to　seem　absurd　to　the　men　of　the　early　20th

century。　They　associated　the　idea　of　violence　with　the　long…

ago　age　of　unlimited　monarchies　and　intriguing　dynasties。

Every　day　they　read　in　their　papers　of　still　further　inventions；

of　groups　of　English　and　American　and　German　scientists　who

were　working　together　in　perfect　friendship　for　the　purpose

of　an　advance　in　medicine　or　in　astronomy。　They　lived　in　a

busy　world　of　trade　and　of　commerce　and　factories。　But　only

a　few　noticed　that　the　development　of　the　state；　（of　the　gigantic

community　of　people　who　recognise　certain　common　ideals；）

was　lagging　several　hundred　years　behind。　They　tried　to　warn

the　others。　But　the　others　were　occupied　with　their　own

affairs。



I　have　used　so　many　similes　that　I　must　apologise　for　bringing

in　one　more。　The　Ship　of　State　（that　old　and　trusted

expression　which　is　ever　new　and　always　picturesque；）　of　the

Egyptians　and　the　Greeks　and　the　Romans　and　the　Venetians

and　the　merchant　adventurers　of　the　seventeenth　century　had

been　a　sturdy　craft；　constructed　of　well…seasoned　wood；　and

commanded　by　officers　who　knew　both　their　crew　and　their

vessel　and　who　understood　the　limitations　of　the　art　of　navigating

which　had　been　handed　down　to　them　by　their　ancestors。



Then　came　the　new　age　of　iron　and　steel　and　machinery。

First　one　part；　then　another　of　the　old　ship　of　state　was

changed。　Her　dimensions　were　increased。　The　sails　were　discarded

for　steam。　Better　living　quarters　were　established；　but

more　people　were　forced　to　go　down　into　the　stoke…hole；　and

while　the　work　was　safe　and　fairly　remunerative；　they　did　not

like　it　as　well　as　their　old　and　more　dangerous　job　in　the

rigging。　Finally；　and　almost　imperceptibly；　the　old　wooden

square…rigger　had　been　transformed　into　a　modern　ocean　liner。

But　the　captain　and　the　mates　remained　the　same。　They　were

appointed　or　elected　in　the　same　way　as　a　hundred　years　before。

They　were　taught　the　same　system　of　navigation　which

had　served　the　mariners　of　the　fifteenth　century。　In　their

cabins　hung　the　same　charts　and　signal　flags　which　had　done

service　in　the　days　of　Louis　XIV　and　Frederick　the　Great。

In　short；　they　were　（through　no　fault　of　their　own）　completely

incompetent。



The　sea　of　international　politics　is　not　very　broad。　When

those　Imperial　and　Colonial　liners　began　to　try　and　outrun

each　other；　accidents　were　bound　to　happen。　They　did　happen。

You　can　still　see　the　wreckage　if　you　venture　to　pass

through　that　part　of　the　ocean。



And　the　moral　of　the　story　is　a　simple　one。　The　world　is

in　dreadful　need　of　men　who　will　assume　the　new　leadership

who　will　have　the　courage　of　their　own　visions　and　who　will

recognise　clearly　that　we　are　only　at　the　beginning　of　the

voyage；　and　have　to　learn　an　entirely　new　system　of　sea