war and the future-第19节

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hot　cylinder　is　put　here；　dropped　there；　rolls　to　its　next
appointed　spot；　is　chopped　up　and　handed　on；　the　swift　passage　to
the　cooling　crude；　pinkish…purple　shell　shape。　　Down　a　long　line
one　sees　in　perspective　a　practical　symmetry；　of　furnace　and
machine　group　and　the　shells　marching　on　from　this　first　series
of　phases　to　undergo　the　long　succession　of　operations；　machine
after　machine；　across　the　great　width　of　the　shed　in　which　eighty
per　cent　of　the　workers　are　women。　　There　is　a　thick　dust　of
sounds　in　the　air；　a　rumble　of　shafting；　sudden　thuddings；
clankings；　and　M。　Citroen　has　to　raise　his　voice。　　He　points　out
where　he　has　made　little　changes　in　procedures；　cut　out　some
wasteful　movement。。。。　　He　has　an　idea　and　makes　a　note　in　the
ever…ready　notebook。

There　is　a　beauty　about　all　these　women；　there　is　extraordinary
grace　in　their　finely　adjusted　movements。　　I　have　come　from　an
after…lunch　coffee　upon　the　boulevards　and　from　watching　the　ugly
fashion　of　our　time；　it　is　a　relief　to　be　reminded　that　most
women　can　after　all　be　beautifulif　only　they　would　not　〃dress。〃
these　women　wear　simple　overalls　and　caps。　　In　the　cap　is　a
rosette。　　Each　shed　has　its　own　colour　of　rosette。

〃There　is　much　esprit　de　corps　here；〃　says　M。　Citroen。

〃And　also；〃　he　adds；　showing　obverse　as　well　as　reverse　of　the
world's　problem　of　employment　and　discipline；　〃we　can　see　at　once
if　a　woman　is　not　in　her　proper　shed。〃

Across　the　great　sheds　under　the　shaftinghow　fine　it　must　look
at　night！the　shells　march；　are　shaped；　cut；　fitted　with　copper
bands；　calibrated；　polished；　varnished。。。。

Then　we　go　on　to　another　system　of　machines　in　which　lead　is
reduced　to　plastic　ribbons　and　cut　into　shrapnel　bullets　as　the
sweetstuff　makers　pull　out　and　cut　up　sweetstuff。　　And　thence
into　a　warren　of　hot　underground　passages　in　which　run　the　power
cables。　　There　is　not　a　cable　in　the　place　that　is　not
immediately　accessible　to　the　electricians。　　We　visit　the　dynamos
and　a　vast　organisation　of　switchboards。。。。

These　things　are　more　familiar　to　M。　Citroen　than　they　are　to　me。
He　wants　me　to　understand；　but　he　does　not　realise　that　I　would
like　a　little　leisure　to　wonder。　　What　is　interesting　him　just
now；　because　it　is　the　newest　thing；　is　his　method　of　paying　his
workers。　　He　lifts　a　hand　gravely：　〃I　said；　what　we　must　do　is
abolish　altogether　the　counting　of　change。〃

At　a　certain　hour；　he　explained；　came　pay…time。　　The　people　had
done；　it　was　to　his　interest　and　their　that　they　should　get　out
of　the　works　as　quickly　as　possible　and　rest　and　amuse
themselves。　　He　watched　them　standing　in　queues　at　the　wickets
while　inside　someone　counted；　so　many　francs；　so　many　centimes。
It　bored　him　to　see　this　useless；　tiresome　waiting。　　It　is
abolished。　　Now　at　the　end　of　each　week　the　worker　goes　to　a
window　under　the　initial　of　his　name；　and　is　handed　a　card　on
which　these　items　have　been　entered：

Balance　from　last　week。
So　many　hours　at　so　much。
Premiums。

The　total　is　so　many　francs；　so　many　centimes。　　This　is　divided
into　the　nearest　round　number；　100；　120；　80　francs　as　the　case
may　be；　and　a　balance　of　the　odd　francs　and　centimes。　　The　latter
is　carried　forward　to　the　next　week's　account。　　At　the　bottom　of
the　card　is　a　tear…off　coupon　with　a　stamp；　coloured　to　indicate
the　round　sum；　green；　let　us　say；　for　100；　blue　for　130　francs。
This　is　taken　to　a　wicket　marked　100　or　130　as　the　case　may　be；
and　there　stands　a　cashier　with　his　money　in　piles　of　100　or　130
francs　counted　ready　to　hand；　he　sweeps　in　the　coupon；　sweeps　out
the　cash。　　〃/Next！/〃

I　became　interested　in　the　worker's　side　of　this　organisation。　　I
insist　on　seeing　the　entrances；　the　clothes…changing　places；　the
lavatories；　and　so　forth　of　the　organisation。　　As　we　go　about　we
pass　a　string　of　electric　trolleys　steered　by　important…looking
girls；　and　loaded　with　shell；　finished　as　far　as　these　works　are
concerned　and　on　their　way　to　the　railway　siding。　　We　visit　the
hospital；　for　these　works　demand　a　medical　staff。　　It　is　not　only
that　men　and　women　faint　or　fall　ill；　but　there　are　accidents；
burns；　crushings；　and　the　like。　　The　war　casualties　begin　already
here；　and　they　fall　chiefly　among　the　women。　　I　saw　a　wounded
woman　with　a　bandaged　face　sitting　very　quietly　in　the　corner。

The　women　here　face　danger；　perhaps　not　quite　such　obvious　danger
as　the　women　who；　at　the　next　stage　in　the　shell's　career；　make
and　pack　the　explosives　in　their　silk　casing；　but　quite
considerable　risk。　　And　they　work　with　a　real　enthusiasm。　　They
know　they　are　fighting　the　Bloches　as　well　as　any　men。　　Certain
of　them　wear　Russian　decorations。　　The　women　of　this　particular
factory　have　been　thanked　by　the　Tsar；　and　a　number　of
decorations　were　sent　by　him　for　distribution　among　them。


3

The　shell　factory　and　the　explosives　shed　stand　level　with　the
drill　yard　as　the　real　first　stage　in　one　of　the　two　essential
/punches/　in　modern　war。　　When　one　meets　the　shell　again　it
is　being　unloaded　from　the　railway　truck　into　an　ammunition　dump。
And　here　the　work　of　control　is　much　more　the　work　of　a　good
traffic　manager　than　of　the　old…fashioned　soldier。

The　dump　I　best　remember　I　visited　on　a　wet　and　windy　day。　　Over
a　great　space　of　ground　the　sidings　of　the　rail…head　spread；　the
normal　gauge　rail…head　spread　out　like　a　fan　and　interdigitated
with　the　narrow　gauge　lines　that　go　up　practically　to　the　guns。
And　also　at　the　sides　camions　were　loading；　and　an　officer　from
the　Midi　in　charge　of　one　of　these　was　being　dramatically
indignant　at　five　minutes'　delay。　　Between　these　two　sets　of
lines；　shells　were　piled　of　all　sizes；　I　should　think　some
hundreds　of　thousands　of　shells　altogether；　wet　and　shining　in
the　rain。　　French　reservists；　soldiers　from　Madagascar；　and　some
Senegalese　were　busy　at　different　points　loading　and　unloading
the　precious　freights。　　A　little　way　from　me　were　despondent…
looking　German　prisoners　handling　timber。　　All　this　dump　was　no
more　than　an　eddy　as　it　were　in　the　path　of　the　shell　from　its
birth　from　the　steel　bars　near　Paris　to　the　accomplishment　of　its
destiny　in　the　destruction　or　capture　of　more　Germans。

And　next　the　visitor　meets　the　shell　coming　up　upon　a　little
trolley　to　the　gun。　　He　sees　the　gunners；　as　drilled　and　precise
as　the　men　he　saw　at　the　forges；　swing　out　the　breech　block　and
run　the　shell；　which　has　met　and　combined　with　its　detonators　and
various　other　industrial　products　since　it　left　the　main　dump；
into　the　gun。　　The　breech　closes　like　a　safe　door；　and　hides　the
shell　from　the　visitor。　　It　is　〃good…bye。〃　　He　receives
exaggerated　warning　of　the　danger　to　his　ears；　stuffs　his　fingers
into　them；　and　opens　his　mouth　as　instructed；　hears　a　loud　but　by
no　means　deafening　report；　and　sees　a　spit　of　flame　near　the
breech。　　Regulations　of　a　severe　character　prevent　his　watching
from　an　aeroplane　the　delivery　of　the　goods　upon　the　customers
opposite。

I　have　already　described　the　method　of　locating　enemy　guns　and　so
forth　by　photography。　　Many　of　the　men　at　this　work　are　like
dentists　rather　than　soldiers；　they　are　busy　in　carefully　lit
rooms；　they　wear　white　overalls；　they　have　clean　hands　and
laboratory　manners。　　The　only　really　romantic　figure　in　the　whole
of　this　process；　the　only　figure　that　has　anything　of　the　old
soldierly　swagger　about　him　still；　is　the　aviator。　　And；　as　one
friend　remarked　to　me　when　I　visited　the　work　of　the　British
flying　corps；　〃The　real　essential　strength　of　this　arm　is　the
organisation　of　its　repairs。　　Here　is　one　of　the　repair　vans
through　which　our　machine　guns　go。　　It　is　a　motor　workshop　on
wheels。　　But　at　any　time　all　this　park；　everything；　can　pack　up
and　move　forward　like　Barnum　and　Bailey's　Circus。　　The　machine
guns　come　through　this　shop　in　rotation；　they　go　out　again；
cleaned；　repaired；　made　new　again。　　Since　we　got　all　that　working
we　have　heard　nothing　of　a　machine　gun　jamming　in　any　air　fight
at　all。〃。。。

The　rest　of　the　career　of　the　shell　after　it　has　left　the　gun　one
must　imagine　chiefly　from　the　incoming　shell　from　the　enemy。　　You
see　suddenly　a　flying　up　of　earth　and　stones　and　anything　else
that　is　movable　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the　shell…burst；　the
instantaneous　unfolding　of　a　dark　cloud　of　dust　and　reddish
smoke；　which　comes　very　quickly　to　a　certain　size　and　then　begins
slowly　to　fray　out　and　blow　away。　　Then；　after　seeing　the　cloud
of　the　burst　you　hear　the　hiss　of　the　shell's　approach；　and
finally　you　are　hit　by　the　sound　of　the　explosion。　　This　is　the
climax　and　end　of　the　life　history　of　any　shell　that　is　not　a　dud
shell。　　Afterwards　the　battered　fuse　may　serve　as　some
journalist's　paper…weight。　　The　rest　is　scrap　iron。

Such　is；　so　to　speak；　the　primary　process　of　modern　warfare。　　I
will　not　draw　the　obvious　pacifist　moral　of　the　intense　folly　of
human　concentration　upon　such　a　process。　　The　Germans　willed　it。
We　Allies　have　but　obeyed　the　German　will　for　warfare　because　we
could　not　do　otherwise；　we　have　taken　up　this　simple　game　of
shell　delivery；　and　we　are　teaching　them　that　we　can　play　it
better；　in　the　hope　that　so　we　and　the　world　may　be　freed　from
the　German　will…t