never again-第3节

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watched　them　being　made　at　Sheffield）。

Of　the　larger　15　in。　guns；　with　range　of　13　or　14　miles；　so　accurate
that　the　shells　thrown　at　that　distance　will　deviate　hardly　a　couple
of　yards　to　the　right　hand　or　the　left　of　their　line　of　fire　（and　in
the　Jutland　battle　the　firing　opened　at　nearly　11　miles）。

Of　the　still　larger　guns　even　now　being　constructed。

Of　the　shells　themselves　varying　from　a　few　pounds　to　nearly；　a　ton
in　weight；　and　so　delicately　fashioned　that　the　moment　of　their
explosion　can　be　positively　timed　to　the　tenth　part　of　a　second：

When　one　thinks　of　the　ingenuity　put　into　aeroplanes　and　airships；
and　almost　entirely　with　a　view　to　the　destruction　of　life；

Of　the　automatic　steering　of　submarine　torpedoes　by　means　of　gyroscopes；
so　that　when　deviated　by　any　obstacle　or　accident　from　their　set
course　they　will　actually　return　of　themselves　to　that　course　again；

Of　the　everlasting　duel　going　on　in　any　one　country　between　armour
plates　and　projectiles　but　of　course　always　between　the　armour
plates　of　one　firm　and　the　projectiles　of　another　（since　obviously
for　any　one　firm　to　prove　its　own　inferiority　in　either　line　would
be　bad　business）！

Of　the　competition　even　now　in　progress　between　the　Russian
universities　for　the　invention　of　a　new　explosive　or　a　new　gas
more　devastating　than　any　hitherto　produced；

Of　the　weighty　Advisory　Committee　of　scientific　Experts　sitting
permanently　in　Britain　for　the　discussion　and　handling　of　the
technical　problems　of　the　War；

When　one　thinks　of　what　a　Paradise　all　this　ingenuity；　all　this
expenditure　of　labour　and　treasure；　might　make　of　our　mortal　Earth　　if
it　were　only　decently　employed；

That　Great　Britain　alone　has　already　spent　on　the　War　enough　to
provide　every　family　in　the　whole　kingdom　with　a　comfortable　cottage
and　an　acre　of　land；

When　further　one　thinks　of　all　the　mass　of　human　material　there
is；　such　as　we　have　already　described　　of　the　very　finest　quality；
and　fit　to　build　the　most　splendid　races　and　cities　〃the　sun
ever　shone　upon〃　　and　then　that　it　is　being　used　for　these　utterly
senseless　purposes；

How　heart…rending　the　waste　and　the　folly！　　How　disgusting　the　sin
of　those　who　are　responsible！

But　to…day　surely　the　armies　themselves　of　these　three　countries
are　beginning　to　see　through　the　illusions　which　have　been　dangled
before　then　so　long　by　those　in　power　　the　〃My…country　　right…or…wrong〃
kind　of　Patriotism　which　has　so　often　been　evoked　only　in　order
to　serve　the　plots　of　private　schemers；

They　are　surely　beginning　to　see　that　the　directing　of　State…policy
and　foreign　relations　must　no　longer　be　left　in　the　hands　of　a
few　highborn　diplomats　（mostly　ignorant　of　the　actual　modern　world
amid　which　they　live）；　but　must　be　subject　to　the　severest　scrutiny
and　surveillance　by　the　people　at　large　and　their　representatives；

They　are　beginning　to　see　that　if　courage；　devotion　to　an　Idea；
love　of　the　Father…　or　Mother…land；　Fidelity　of　comrade　to　comrade；
Efficiency；　daring　in　Adventure；　exactness　in　Organization；　and
so　forth；　are　the　qualities　which　in　the　past　have　made　the　profession
of　arms　great　and　glorious；　it　is　these　very　qualities　which　will
be　demanded　and　evoked　for　all　future　time　in　the　great　free
armies　of　Industry。

For　with　the　cessation　of　Militarism　as　the　leading　principle
of　national　life　must　inevitably　come　the　liberation　of　Industry　　else
the　last　state　of　our　societies　will　indeed　be　worse　than　the　first。

Truly　there　is　nothing　very　exhilarating　about　Industry　as　it　has
in　modern　times　been　conceived；　and　one　does　not　altogether　wonder
that　all　down　the　centuries　the　man　with　the　sword　has　despised
the　man　with　the　hoe；　since　the　latter　has　generally　been　little
better　than　a　slave。

But　when　once　Labour　is　freed　　or　rather　when　once　it　frees　itself　　from
the　thraldom；　of　the　old　Feudal　system；　and　finally　from　the　fearful
burden　of　modern　Capitalism　　when　once　it　can　lift　its　head　and
see　the　great　constructive　vision　of　the　new　society　which　awaits
it　　then　surely　it　will　perceive　that　all　the　great　qualities　we
have　named　as　exhibited　in　the　past　in　the　old　destructive　Warfare；
and　now　become　the　splendid　heritage　of　the　peoples　of　Europe；
will　be　necessary　and　will　have　a　field　for　their　exercise　in　the
beneficent　constructive　conquests　of　Nature　and　the　building　up
on　Earth　of　that　great　City　of　the　Sun　which　for　so　many　ages　has
been　the　dream　and　inspiration　of　Man。

And　of　the　old　mad　Warfare　it　will　then　say　This　odious　and　inhuman
Thing　must　never　be　again！


In　conclusion；　and　to　look　to　the　future：

I　think　we　may　see　that　the　new　conception　of　life　will　only　come
through　the　peeling　off　in　the　various　nations　of　the　old　husks
of　the　diplomatic；　military；　legal；　and　commercial　classes；　with
their　antiquated；　narrow…minded　and　profoundly。　irreligious　and
inhuman　standards　　those　husks　which　have　so　long　restricted　and
strangulated　the　growing　life　within。

It　will　only　come　with　the　determination　of　the　workers
（that　is；　of　everybody）　to　produce　things　useful；　profitable；　and
beautiful；　in　free　and　rational　co…operation　　things　useful　because
deliberately　made　for　use；　things　profitable　for　all　because　not
made　for　the　gain　of　the　few；　and　things　beautiful　because　of　the
joy　and　gladness　wrought　into　their　very　production。

Simultaneously　with　this　peeling　off；　of　the　Old；　and　disclosure
of　the　New；　will　of　necessity　appear　　indeed　it　is　taking　shape
already　the　blossom　of　international　solidarity　and　federation　　the
common　cause　of　Humanity　and　of　Labour　liberated　over　the　world。

Naturally　such　process　will　not　mature　all　at　once。　It　may；　bit
that　the　four　Western　nations；　England；　France；　Italy　and　Belgium；
combining　with　some　of　the　neutral　States；　will　constitute　the　first
European　Federationor　at　any　rate　the　nucleus　of　a　Federation
destined；　as　it　expands　to　absorb　within　its　borders　Germany　herself
（of　course　when　she　shall　have　taken　on　her　true　republican　form）
and　the　other　States　in　due　succession。

Such　Federation　when　firmly　consolidated　might；　it　is　not　unlikely；
still　retain　for　a　long　period　a　military　system；　of　some　kind；
if　only　for　its　own　protection　against　outlying　and　non　European
dangers；　but　that　military　system　would　be　small　and　secondary。
It　right　reasonably　be　no　more　dominant　or　meddlesome　than　the
military　system　of　China　has　been　during　the　last　thousand　years
in　comparison　with　the　massive　imperturbability　of　the　great
Chinese　Empire　itself。

Meanwhile　let　us　remember　how　important　it　is　for　the　future　of
the　world　that　each　nation　and　people　should　be　free　to　contribute
its　special　quality　and　character　to　the　whole；　nor　be　ridden…over
roughshod　by　the　others；

That　each　should　contribute；　in　Trade　or　otherwise；　its　special
gifts　or　facilities；　and　that　the　Internationalism　which　already
rules　in　labour　affairs　and　in　Commerce　and　Science　and　Fashion
and　Finance　and　Philanthropy　and　Literature　and　Art　and　Music；
should　at　last　be　recognized　in　Politics。

Let　us　further　remember　how　important　it　is　that　every　man　and　woman
should　insist　on　the　rights　of　Personality　to　preserve　sacred　his
or　her　most　intimate　sense　of　selfness　and　duty　the　very；
essence　of　Freedom。

Though　I　do　not；　for　instance；　think　that　a　refusal　to　fight
under　any　condition　or　circumstance　can　reasonably　be　maintained
to　its　logical　conclusion；　and　though　I　certainly　would　not　engage
myself　to　refuse　to　fight　in　any　and　every　case。　　Still；　I　do
honour　and　respect　the　genuine　conscientious　objectors　（of　whom
there　are　great　numbers）　very　sincerely。

Some　of　them　may；　be　narrow…minded　and　faddist　（as　conscience　often　is）；
but　let　us　remember　that　the　great　things　of　History　have　been
initiated　by　such　folk。

It　was　they　who　barred　and　broke　the　gladiatorial　games　at　Rome；
it　was　they；　who；　steered　the　〃Mayflower〃　across　the　Atlantic；
and　started　the　great　Republic　of　the　United　States；

And　it　is　they；　who　are　possibly　sowing　the　seed　a　great　Movement
which　will　spread　all　over　Europe；　and　ultimately　by　opposing
compulsory　military　service　inaugurate　a　world…era　of　Peace。
（For　certainly；　without　Conscription　the　Continental　Powers　would
never　have　become　involved　in　the　present　war）

Let　us　recognize　the　right　and　the　duty　of　each　man　to　ponder　these
world…problems　for　himself：　to　play　his　part　and　to　make　his　own
voice　heard　in　the　solution　of　them。

Let　us　recognize　the　falsity　of　Science　divorced　from　the　Heart；
and　begin　to…day　to　create　a　political；　an　economic；　and　a　material
world　which　shall　be　the　true　and　satisfying　expression　of　the　real
human　soul；

Let　us　acknowledge　even　at　the　last　that　the　War　may　have　been
a；　necessary　evil　to　show　us　by　contrast　the　way；　of　deliverance；

Let　us　render；　homage　to　those　who　have　given　their　lives　in　it；
let　us　vow　that　their　great　sacrifice　shall　not　be　in　vain；　but
shall　consecrate　for　us　a　new　purpose　and　a　new　ideal；

Let　us　believe　that　Love；　not　Hatred；　is　the　power　by　which　in　the
end　the　World　will　be　saved；

And　let　us　pray　that　a　Heroism　equal　to　that；　shown　to…day　in　the
cause　of　D