my discovery of england-第17节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


dent　has　a　〃Union〃　like　the　profiteer's　club　and　a　swimming…bath　and　a　Drama　League　and　a　coeducational　society　at　his　elbow　for　which　he　buys　Beauty　Roses　at　five　dollars　a　bunch。

Or　turn　if　one　will　to　the　moral　side。　The　older　way　of　being　good　was　by　much　prayer　and　much　effort　of　one's　own　soul。　Now　it　is　done　by　a　Board　of　Censors。　There　is　no　need　to　fight　sin　by　the　power　of　the　spirit：　let　the　Board　of　Censors　do　it。　They　together　with　three　or　four　kinds　of　Commissioners　are　supposed　to　keep　sin　at　arm's　length　and　to　supply　a　first　class　legislative　guarantee　of　righteousness。　As　a　short　cut　to　morality　and　as　a　way　of　saving　individual　effort　our　legislatures　are　turning　out　morality　legislation　by　the　bucketful。　　The　legislature　regulates　our　drink；　it　begins　already　to　guard　us　against　the　deadly　cigarette；　it　regulates　here　and　there　the　length　of　our　skirts；　it　safeguards　our　amusements　and　in　two　states　of　the　American　Union　it　even　proposes　to　save　us　from　the　teaching　of　the　Darwinian　Theory　of　evolution。　The　ancient　prayer　〃Lead　us　not　into　temptation〃　is　passing　out　of　date。　The　way　to　temptation　is　declared　closed　by　Act　of　Parliament　and　by　amendment　to　the　constitution　of　the　United　States。　Yet　oddly　enough　the　moral　tone　of　the　world　fails　to　respond。　The　world　is　apparently　more　full　of　thugs；　hold…up　men；　yeg…men；　bandits；　motor…thieves；　porchclimbers；　spotters；　spies　and　crooked　policemen　than　it　ever　was；　till　it　almost　seems　that　the　slow；　old…fashioned　method　of　an　effort　of　the　individual　soul　may　be　needed　still　before　the　world　is　made　good。

This　vast　new　system；　the　system　of　leaning　on　the　government；　is　spreading　like　a　blight　over　England　and　America；　and　everywhere　we　suffer　from　it。　Government；　that　in　theory　represents　a　union　of　effort　and　a　saving　of　force；　sprawls　like　an　octopus　over　the　land。　It　has　become　like　a　dead　weight　upon　us。　Wherever　it　touches　industry　it　cripples　it。　It　runs　railways　and　makes　a　heavy　deficit：　it　builds　ships　and　loses　money　on　them：　it　operates　the　ships　and　loses　more　money：　it　piles　up　taxes　to　fill　the　vacuum　and　when　it　has　killed　employment；　opens　a　bureau　of　unemployment　and　issues　a　report　on　the　depression　of　industry。

Now；　the　only　way　to　restore　prosperity　is　to　give　back　again　to　the　individual　the　opportunity　to　make　money；　to　make　lots　of　it；　and　when　he　has　got　it；　to　keep　it。　In　spite　of　all　the　devastation　of　the　war　the　raw　assets　of　our　globe　are　hardly　touched。　Here　and　there；　as　in　parts　of　China　and　in　England　and　in　Belgium　with　about　seven　hundred　people　to　the　square　mile；　the　world　is　fairly　well　filled　up。　There　is　standing　room　only。　But　there　are　vast　empty　spaces　still。　Mesopotamia　alone　has　millions　of　acres　of　potential　wheat　land　with　a　few　Arabs　squatting　on　it。　Canada　could　absorb　easily　half　a　million　settlers　a　year　for　a　generation　to　come。　The　most　fertile　part　of　the　world；　the　valley　of　the　Amazon；　is　still　untouched：　so　fertile　is　it　that　for　tens　of　thousands　of　square　miles　it　is　choked　with　trees；　a　mere　tangle　of　life；　defying　all　entry。　The　idea　of　our　humanity　sadly　walking　the　streets　of　Glasgow　or　sitting　mournfully　fishing　on　the　piers　of　the　Hudson；　out　of　work；　would　be　laughable　if　it　were　not　for　the　pathos　of　it。

The　world　is　out　of　work　for　the　simple　reason　that　the　world　has　killed　the　goose　that　laid　the　golden　eggs　of　industry。　By　taxation；　by　legislation；　by　popular　sentiment　all　over　the　world；　there　has　been　a　disparagement　of　the　capitalist。　And　all　over　the　world　capital　is　frightened。　It　goes　and　hides　itself　in　the　form　of　an　investment　in　a　victory　bond；　a　thing　that　is　only　a　particular　name　for　a　debt；　with　no　productive　effort　behind　it　and　indicating　only　a　dead　weight　of　taxes。　There　capital　sits　like　a　bull…frog　　hidden　behind　water…lilies；　refusing　to　budge。

Hence　the　way　to　restore　prosperity　is　not　to　multiply　government　departments　and　government　expenditures；　nor　to　appoint　commissions　and　to　pile　up　debts；　but　to　start　going　again　the　machinery　of　bold　productive　effort。　Take　off　all　the　excess　profits　taxes　and　the　super…taxes　on　income　and　as　much　of　the　income　tax　itself　as　can　be　done　by　a　wholesale　dismissal　of　government　employees　and　then　give　industry　a　mark　to　shoot　at。　What　is　needed　now　is　not　the　multiplication　of　government　reports；　but　corporate　industry；　the　formation　of　land　companies；　development　companies；　irrigation　companies；　any　kind　of　corporation　that　will　call　out　private　capital　from　its　hiding　places；　offer　employment　to　millions　and　start　the　wheels　moving　again。　If　the　promoters　of　such　corporations　presently　earn　huge　fortunes　for　themselves　society　is　none　the　worse：　and　in　any　case；　humanity　being　what　it　is；　they　will　hand　back　a　vast　part　of　what　they　have　acquired　in　return　for　LL。D。　　degrees；　or　bits　of　blue　ribbon；　or　companionships　of　the　Bath；　or　whatever　kind　of　glass　bead　fits　the　fancy　of　the　retired　millionaire。

The　next　thing　to　be　done；　then；　is　to　〃fire〃　the　government　officials　and　to　bring　back　the　profiteer。　As　to　which　officials　are　to　be　fired　first　it　doesn't　matter　much。　In　England　people　have　been　greatly　perturbed　as　to　the　use　to　be　made　of　such　instruments　as　the　〃Geddes　Axe〃：　the　edge　of　the　axe　of　dismissal　seems　so　terribly　sharp。　But　there　is　no　need　to　worry。　If　the　edge　of　the　axe　is　too　sharp；　hit　with　the　back　of　it。

As　to　the　profiteer；　bring　him　back。　He　is　really　just　the　same　person　who　a　few　years　ago　was　called　a　Captain　of　Industry　and　an　Empire　Builder　and　a　Nation　Maker。　It　is　the　times　that　have　changed；　not　the　man。　He　is　there　still；　just　as　greedy　and　rapacious　as　ever；　but　no　greedier：　and　we　have　just　the　same　social　need　of　his　greed　as　a　motive　power　in　industry　as　we　ever　had；　and　indeed　a　worse　need　than　before。

We　need　him　not　only　in　business　but　in　the　whole　setting　of　life；　or　if　not　him　personally；　we　need　the　eager；　selfish；　but　reliant　spirit　of　the　man　who　looks　after　himself　and　doesn't　want　to　have　a　spoon…fed　education　and　a　government　job　alternating　with　a　government　dole；　and　a　set　of　morals　framed　for　him　by　a　Board　of　Censors。　Bring　back　the　profiteer：　fetch　him　from　the　Riviera；　from　his　country…place　on　the　Hudson；　or　from　whatever　spot　to　which　he　has　withdrawn　with　his　tin　box　full　of　victory　bonds。　If　need　be；　go　and　pick　him　out　of　the　penitentiary；　take　the　stripes　off　him　and　tell　him　to　get　busy　again。　Show　him　the　map　of　the　world　and　ask　him　to　pick　out　a　few　likely　spots。　The　trained　greed　of　the　rascal　will　find　them　in　a　moment。　Then　write　him　out　a　concession　for　coal　in　Asia　Minor　or　oil　in　the　Mackenzie　Basin　or　for　irrigation　in　Mesopotamia。　The　ink　will　hardly　be　dry　on　it　before　the　capital　will　begin　to　flow　in：　it　will　come　from　all　kinds　of　places　whence　the　government　could　never　coax　it　and　where　the　tax…gatherer　could　never　find　it。　Only　promise　that　it　is　not　going　to　be　taxed　out　of　existence　and　the　stream　of　capital　which　is　being　dried　up　in　the　sands　of　government　mismanagement　will　flow　into　the　hands　of　private　industry　like　a　river　of　gold。

And　incidentally；　when　the　profiteer　has　finished　his　work；　we　can　always　put　him　back　into　the　penitentiary　if　we　like。　But　we　need　him　just　now。



VIII。Is　Prohibition　Coming　to　England？

IN　the　United　States　and　Canada　the　principal　topic　of　polite　conversation　is　now　prohibition。　At　every　dinner　party　the　serving　of　the　cocktails　immediately　introduces　the　subject：　the　rest　of　the　dinner　is　enlivened　throughout　with　the　discussion　of　rum…runners；　bootleggers；　storage　of　liquor　and　the　State　constitution　of　New　Jersey。　Under　this　influence　all　social　and　conversational　values　are　shifted　and　rearranged。　A　〃scholarly〃　man　no　longer　means　a　man　who　can　talk　well　on　literary　subjects　but　a　man　who　understands　the　eighteenth　amendment　and　can　explain　the　legal　difference　between　implementing　statutes　such　as　the　Volstead　Act　and　the　underlying　state　legislation。　A　〃scientist〃　（invaluable　in　these　conversations）　is　a　man　who　can　make　clear　the　distinction　between　alcoholic　percentages　by　bulk　and　by　weight。　　And　a　〃brilliant　engineer〃　means　a　man　who　explains　how　to　make　homebrewed　beer　with　a　kick　in　it。　Similarly；　a　〃raconteur〃　means　a　man　who　has　a　fund　of　amusing　stories　about　〃bootleggers〃　and　an　〃interesting　traveller〃　means　a　man　who　has　been　to　Havana　and　can　explain　how　wet　it　is。　Indeed；　the　whole　conception　of　travel　and　of　interest　in　foreign　countries　is　now　altered：　as　soon　as　any　one　mentions　that　he　has　been　in　a　foreign　country；　all　the　company　ask　in　one　breath；　〃Is　it　dry？〃　The　question　〃How　is　Samoa？〃　or　〃How　is　Turkey？〃　or　〃How　is　British　Columbia？〃　no　Ionger　refers　to　the　climate　or　natural　resources：　it　means　〃Is　the　place　dry？〃　When　such　a　question　is　asked　and　the　answer　is　〃It's　wet；〃　there　is　a　deep　groan　all　around　the　table。

I　understand　that　when　the　recent　disarmament　conference　met　at　Washington　just　as　the　members　were　going　to　sit　down　at　the　table　Monsieur　Briand　said　to　President　Harding；　〃How　dry　is　the　United　States；　anyway？〃　And　the　whole　assembly　talked　about　it　for　half　an　hour。　That　was　why　the　first　newspaper　bulletins　merely　said；　〃Conference