the vested interests and the common man-第26节

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What　may　be　the　chances　of　peace　and　war；　at　home　and　abroad；　in　
the　light　of　these　blunt　and　obvious　principles　taken　in　
conjunction　with　the　diplomatic　negotiations　now　going　forward　at　
home　and　abroad；　　all　that　is　sufficiently　perplexing。　
　　　　At　home　in　America　for　the　transient　time　being；　the　war　
administration　has　under　pressure　of　necessity　somewhat　loosened　
the　strangle…hold　of　the　vested　interests　on　the　country's　
industry；　and　in　so　doing　it　has　shocked　the　safe　and　sane　
business　men　into　a　state　of　indignant　trepidation　and　has　at　the　
same　time　doubled　the　country's　industrial　output。　But　all　that　
has　avowedly　been　only　for　the　transient　time　being；　〃for　the　
period　of　the　war；〃　as　a　distasteful　concession　to　demands　that　
would　not　wait。　So　that　the　country　now　faces　a　return　to　the　
precarious　conditions　of　a　provisional　peace　on　the　lines　of　the　
status　quo　ante。　Already　the　vested　interests　are　again　
tightening　their　hold　and　are　busily　arranging　for　a　return　to　
business　as　usual；　which　means　working　at　cross…purposes　as　
usual；　waste　of　work　and　materials　as　usual；　restriction　of　
output　as　usual；　unemployment　as　usual；　labor　quarrels　as　usual；　
competitive　selling　as　usual；　mendacious　advertising　as　usual；　
waste　of　superfluities　as　usual　by　the　kept　classes；　and　
privation　as　usual　for　the　common　man。　All　of　which　may　
conceivably　be　put　up　with　by　this　people　〃lest　a　worse　evil　
befall；〃　All　this　runs　blamelessly　in　under　the　rule　of　Live　and　
Let　Live　as　interpreted　in　the　light　of　those　enlightened　
principles　of　self…help　that　have　come　down　from　the　eighteenth　
century　and　that　go　to　make　up　the　established　scheme　of　law　and　
order；　although　it　does　not　meet　the　needs　of　the　same　rule　as　it　
would　be　enforced　by　the　exigencies　of　the　new　order　in　industry。　
　　　　Meanwhile；　abroad；　the　gentlemen　of　the　old　school　who　direct　
the　affairs　of　the　nations　are　laying　down　the　lines　on　which　
peace　is　to　be　established　and　maintained；　with　a　painstaking　
regard　for　all　those　national　pretensions　and　discriminations　
that　have　always　made　for　international　embroilment；　and　with　an　
equally　painstaking　disregard　for　all　those　exigencies　of　the　new　
order　that　call　for　a　de　facto　observance　of　the　rule　of　Live　and　
Let　Live。　It　is　notorious　beyond　need　of　specification　that　the　
new　order　in　industry；　even　more　insistently　than　any　industrial　
situation　that　has　gone　before；　calls　for　a　wide　and　free　
intercourse　in　trade　and　industry；　regardless　of　national　
frontiers　and　national　jealousies。　In　this　connection　a　national　
frontier；　as　it　is　commonly　made　use　of　in　current　statecraft；　is　
a　line　of　demarkation　for　working　at　cross…purposes；　for　mutual　
obstruction　and　distrust；　it　is　only　necessary　to　recall　that　the　
erection　of　a　new　national　frontier　across　any　community　which　
has　previously　enjoyed　the　privilege　of　free　intercourse　
unburdened　with　customs　frontiers　will　be　felt　to　be　a　grievous　
burden；　and　that　the　erection　of　such　a　line　of　demarkation　for　
other　diplomatic　work　at　mutual　cross…purposes　is　likewise　an　
unmistakable　nuisance。　
　　　　Yet；　in　the　peace　negotiations　now　going　forward　the　
gentlemen　of　the　old　school　to　whom　the　affairs　of　the　nations　
have　been　〃entrusted〃　　by　shrewd　management　on　their　own　part　
　continue　to　safeguard　all　this　apparatus　of　mutual　defeat　and　
distrust；　　and　indeed　this　is　the　chief　or　sole　object　of　their　
solicitude；　as　it　also　is　the　chief　or　sole　object　of　those　
vested　interests　for　whose　benefit　the　diplomatic　gentlemen　of　
the　old　school　continue　to　manage　the　affairs　of　the　nations。　　
　　　　The　state　of　the　case　is　plainly　to　be　seen　in　the　proposals　
of　those　nationalities　that　are　now　coming　forward　with　a　new　
claim　to　national　self…determination；　invariably　any　examination　
of　the　bill　of　particulars　set　up　by　the　spokesmen　of　these　
proposed　new　national　establishments　will　show　that　the　material　
point　of　it　all　is　an　endeavor　to　set　up　a　national　apparatus　for　
working　at　mutual　cross…purposes　with　their　neighbors；　to　add　
something　to　the　waste　and　confusion　caused　by　the　national　
discriminations　already　in　force；　to　violate　the　rule　of　Live　and　
Let　Live　at　some　new　point　and　by　some　further　apparatus　of　
discomfort。　
　　　　There　are　nationalities　that　get　along　well　enough；　to　all　
appearance；　without　being　〃nations〃　in　that　militant　and　
obstructive　fashion　that　is　aimed　at　in　these　projected　creations　
of　the　diplomatic　nation…makers。　Such　are　the　Welsh　and　the　
Scotch；　for　instance。　But　it　is　not　the　object…lesson　of　Welsh　or　
Scottish　experience　that　guides　the　new　projects。　The　
nationalities　which　are　now　escaping　from　a　rapacious　imperialism　
of　the　old　order　are　being　organized　and　managed　by　the　safe　and　
sane　gentlemen　of　the　old　school；　who　have　got　their　notions　of　
safety　and　sanity　from　the　diplomatic　intrigue　of　that　outworn　
imperialism　out　of　which　these　oppressed　nationalities　aim　to　
escape。　And　these　gentlemen　of　the　old　school　are　making　no　move　
in　the　direction　of　tolerance　and　good　will　　as　how　should　they　
when　all　their　conceptions　of　what　is　right　and　expedient　are　the　
diplomatic　preconceptions　of　the　old　regime。　They；　being　
gentlemen　of　the　old　school；　will　have　none　of　that　amicable　and　
unassuming　nationality　which　contents　the　Welsh　and　the　Scotch　
who　have　tried　out　this　matter　and　have　in　the　end　come　to　hold　
fast　only　so　much　of　their　national　pretensions　as　will　do　no　
material　harm。　What　is　aimed　at　is　not　a　disallowance　of　bootless　
national　jealousies；　but　only　a　shift　from　an　intolerable　
imperialism　on　a　large　scale　to　an　ersatz…imperialism　drawn　on　a　
smaller　scale；　conducted　on　the　same　general　lines　of　competitive　
diplomacy　and　serving　interests　of　the　same　general　kind　　
vested　interests　of　business　or　of　privilege。　　
　　　　The　projected　new　nations　are　not　patterned　on　the　Welsh　or　
the　Scottish　model；　but　for　all　that　there　is　nothing　novel　in　
their　design；　and　how　should　there　be　when　they　are　the　offspring　
of　the　imagination　of　these　safe　and　sane　gentlemen　of　the　old　
school　fertilised　with　the　ancient　conceptions　of　imperialistic　
diplomacy　and　national　prestige？　In　effect　it　is　all　drawn　to　the　
scale　and　pattern　already　made　notorious　by　the　Balkan　states。　It　
should　also　be　safe　to　presume　that　the　place　and　value　of　these　
newly　emerging　nations　in　the　comity　of　peoples　under　the　
prospective　r間ime　of　provisional　peace　will　be　something　not　
notably　different　from　what　the　Balkan　states　have　habitually　
placed　on　view；　which　may　be　deprecated　by　many　well…meaning　
persons；　but　which　is　scarcely　to　be　undone　by　well…wishing。　The　
chances　of　war　and　politics　have　thrown　the　fortunes　of　these　
projected　new　nations　into　the　hands　of　these　politic　gentlemen　
of　the　old　school；　and　by　force　of　inveterate　habit　these　very　
practical　persons　are　unable　to　conceive　that　anything　else　than　
a　Balkan　state　is　fit　to　take　the　place　of　that　imperial　rule　
that　has　now　fallen　into　decay。　So　Balkan…state　national　
establishments　appear　to　be　the　best　there　is　in　prospect　in　the　
new　world　of　safe　democracy。　
　　　　So　true　is　this；　that　even　in　those　instances；　such　as　the　
Finns　and　other　fragments　of　the　Russian　imperial　dominions；　
where　a　newly　emerging　nation　has　set　out　to　go　on　its　way　
without　taking　pains　to　safeguard　the　grievances　of　the　old　
order；　　even　in　these　instances　that　should　seem　to　concern　no　
one　but　themselves；　the　gentlemen　of　the　old　school　who　guard　the　
political　institutions　of　the　old　order　in　the　world　at　large　
find　it　impossible　to　keep　their　Wands　off　and　to　let　these　
adventurous　pilgrims　of　hope　go　about　their　own　business　in　their　
own　way。　Self…determination　proves　to　be　insufferable　if　it　
partakes　of　the　new　order　rather　than　of　the　old；　at　least　so　
long　as　the　safe　and　sane　gentlemen　of　the　old　school　can　hinder　
it　by　any　means　at　their　command。　It　is　felt　that　the　vested　
interests　which　underlie　the　gentlemen　of　the　old　school　would　
not　be　sufficiently　secure　in　the　keeping　of　these　unshorn　and　
unshaven　pilgrims　of　hope；　and　the　doubt　may　be　well　taken。　So　
that；　within　the　intellectual　horizon　of　the　practical　statesmen；　
the　only　safe；　sane；　and　profitable　manner　of　national　
establishment　and　national　policy　for　these　newcomers　is　
something　after　the　familiar　fashion　of　the　Balkan　states；　and　it　
may　also　be　admitted　quite　broadly　that　these　newly　arriving　
peoples　commonly　are　content　to　seek　their　national　fortunes　
along　precisely　these　Balkan　state　lines；　although　the　Finns　and　
their　like　are　perhaps　to　be　counted　as　an　unruly　exception　to　
the　rule。　
　　　　These　Balkan　states；　whose　spirit；　aims；　and　ways　are　so　
admirable　in　the　eyes　of　the　gentlemanly　keepers　of　the　old　
political　and　economic　order；　are　simply　a　case　of　imperialism　in　
the　raw。　They　are　all　and　several　still　in　the　pickpocket　stage　
of　dynastic　state…making；　comparable　with　the　state　of　Prussia　
before　Frederick　the　Great　Pickpocket　came　to　the　throne。　And　
now；　with　much　sage　counsel　from　the　safe　and　sane　statesmen　of　
the　status　quo　a