war and the future-第34节

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own　class。　　The　mass　of　property　owners　and　influential　people　in
Europe　to…day　no　more　believe　in　the　sacred　right　of　property　to
hold　up　development　and　dictate　terms　than　do　the　more
intelligent　workers。　　The　ideas　of　collective　ends　and　of　the
fiduciary　nature　of　property；　had　been　soaking　through　the
European　community　for　years　before　the　war。　　The　necessity　for
sudden　and　even　violent　co…operations　and　submersions　of
individuality　in　a　common　purpose；　is　rapidly　crystallising　out
these　ideas　into　clear　proposals。

War　is　an　evil　thing；　but　most　people　who　will　not　learn　from
reason　must　have　an　ugly　teacher。　　This　war　has　brought　home　to
everyone　the　supremacy　of　the　public　need　over　every　sort　of
individual　claim。

One　of　the　most　remarkable　things　in　the　British　war　press　is　the
amount　of　space　given　to　the　discussion　of　labour　developments
after　the　war。　　This　in　its　completeness　peculiar　to　the　British
situation。　　Nothing　on　the　same　scale　is　perceptible　in　the　press
of　the　Latin　allies。　　A　great　movement　on　the　part　of　capitalists
and　business　organisers　is　manifest　to　assure　the　worker　of　a
change　of　heart　and　a　will　to　change　method。　　Labour　is
suspicious；　not　foolishly　but　wisely　suspicious。　　But　labour　is
considering　it。

〃National　industrial　syndication；〃　say　the　business　organisers。

〃Guild　socialism；〃　say　the　workers。

There　is　also　a　considerable　amount　of　talking　and　writing　about
〃profit…sharing〃　and　about　giving　the　workers　a　share　in　the
business　direction。　　Neither　of　these　ideas　appeals　to　the
shrewder　heads　among　the　workers。　　So　far　as　direction　goes　their
disposition　is　to　ask　the　captain　to　command　the　ship。　　So　far　as
profits　go；　they　think　the　captain　has　no　more　right　than　the
cabin　boy　to　speculative　gains；　he　should　do　his　work　for　his　pay
whether　it　is　profitable　or　unprofitable　work。　　There　is　little
balm　for　labour　discontent　in　these　schemes　for　making　the　worker
also　an　infinitesimal　profiteer。

During　my　journey　in　Italy　and　France　I　met　several　men　who　were
keenly　interested　in　business　organisation。　　Just　before　I
started　my　friend　N；　who　has　been　the　chief　partner　in　the
building　up　of　a　very　big　and　very　extensively　advertised
American　business；　came　to　see　me　on　his　way　back　to　America。　　He
is　as　interested　in　his　work　as　a　scientific　specialist；　and　as
ready　to　talk　about　it　to　any　intelligent　and　interested　hearer。
He　was　particularly　keen　upon　the　question　of　continuity　in　the
business；　when　it　behoves　the　older　generation　to　let　in　the
younger　to　responsible　management　and　to　efface　themselves。　　He
was　a　man　of　five…and…forty。　　Incidentally　he　mentioned　that　he
had　never　taken　anything　for　his　private　life　out　of　the　great
business　he　had　built　up　but　a　salary；　〃a　good　salary；〃　and　that
now　he　was　gong　to　grant　himself　a　pension。　　〃I　shan't　interfere
any　more。　　I　shall　come　right　away　and　live　in　Europe　for　a　year
so　as　not　to　be　tempted　to　interfere。　　The　boys　have　got　to　run
it　some　day；　and　they　had　better　get　their　experience　while
they're　young　and　capable　of　learning　by　it。　　I　did。〃

I　like　N's　ideas。　　〃Practically；〃　I　said；　〃you've　been　a　public
official。　　You've　treated　your　business　like　a　public　service。〃

That　was　his　idea。

〃Would　you　mind　if　it　was　a　public　service？〃

He　reflected；　and　some　disagreeable　memory　darkened　his　face。
〃Under　the　politicians？〃　　he　said。

I　took　the　train　of　thought　N　had　set　going　abroad　with　me　next
day。　　I　had　the　good　luck　to　meet　men　who　were　interesting
industrially。　　Captain　Pirelli；　my　guide　in　Italy；　has　a　name
familiar　to　every　motorist；　his　name　goes　wherever　cars　go；　spelt
with　a　big　long　capital　P。　　Lieutenant　de　Tessin's　name　will
recall　one　of　the　most　interesting　experiments　in　profit…sharing
to　the　student　of　social　science。　　I　tried　over　N's　problem　on
both　of　them。　　I　found　in　both　their　minds　just　the　same　attitude
as　he　takes　up　towards　his　business。　　They　think　any　businesses
that　are　worthy　of　respect；　the　sorts　of　businesses　that　interest
them；　are　public　functions。　　Money…lenders　and　speculators；
merchants　and　gambling　gentlefolk　may　think　in　terms　of　profit；
capable　business　directors　certainly　do　nothing　of　the　sort。

I　met　a　British　officer　in　France　who　is　also　a　landowner。　　I　got
him　to　talk　about　his　administrative　work　upon　his　property。　　He
was　very　keen　upon　new　methods。　　He　said　he　tried　to　do　his　duty
by　his　land。

〃How　much　land？〃　　I　asked。

〃Just　over　nine　thousand　acres；〃　he　said。

〃But　you　could　manage　forty　or　fifty　thousand　with　little　more
trouble。〃

〃If　I　had　it。　　In　some　ways　it　would　be　easier。〃

〃What　a　waste！〃　　I　said。　　〃Of　course　you　ought　not　to　/own/
these　acres；　what　you　ought　to　be　is　the　agricultural　controller
of　just　as　big　an　estate　of　the　public　lands　as　you　could　manage
with　a　suitable　salary。〃

He　reflected　upon　that　idea。　　He　said　he　did　not　get　much　of　a
salary　out　of　his　land　as　it　was；　and　made　a　regrettable　allusion
to　Mr。　Lloyd　George。　　〃When　a　man　tries　to　do　his　duty　by　his
land；〃　he　said。。。

But　here　running　through　the　thoughts　of　the　Englishman　and　the
Italian　and　the　Frenchman　and　the　American　alike　one　finds　just
the　same　idea　of　a　kind　of　officialdom　in　ownership。　　It　is　an
idea　that　pervades　our　thought　and　public　discussion　to…day
everywhere；　and　it　is　an　idea　that　is　scarcely　traceable　at　all
in　the　thought　of　the　early　half　of　the　nineteenth　century。　　The
idea　of　service　and　responsibility　in　property　has　increased　and
is　increasing；　the　conception　of　〃hold…up；〃　the　usurer's
conception　of　his　right　to　be　bought　out　of　the　way；　fades。　　And
the　process　has　been　enormously　enhanced　by　the　various　big…scale
experiments　in　temporary　socialism　that　have　been　forced　upon　the
belligerent　powers。　　Men　of　the　most　individualistic　quality　are
being　educated　up　to　the　possibilities　of　concerted　collective
action。　　My　friend　and　fellow…student　Y；　inventor　and　business
organiser；　who　used　to　make　the　best　steam　omnibuses　in　the
world；　and　who　is　now　making　all　sorts　of　things　for　the　army；
would　go　pink　with　suspicious　anger　at　the　mere　words　〃inspector〃
or　〃socialism〃　three　or　four　years　ago。　　He　does　not　do　so　now。

A　great　proportion　of　this　sort　of　man；　this　energetic　directive
sort　of　man　in　England；　is　thinking　socialism　to…day。　　They　may
not　be　saying　socialism；　but　they　are　thinking　it。　　When　labour
begins　to　realise　what　is　adrift　it　will　be　divided　between　two
things：　between　appreciative　co…operation；　for　which　guild
socialism　in　particular　has　prepared　its　mind；　and　traditional
suspicion。　　I　will　not　over　to　guess　here　which　will　prevail。


3

The　impression　I　have　of　the　present　mental　process　in　the
European　communities　is　that　while　the　official　class　and　the
/rentier/　class　is　thinking　very　poorly　and　inadequately　and
with　a　merely　obstructive　disposition；　while　the　churches　are
merely　wasting　their　energies　in　futile　self…advertisement；　while
the　labour　mass　is　suspicious　and　disposed　to　make　terms　for
itself　rather　than　come　into　any　large　schemes　of　reconstruction
that　will　abolish　profit　as　a　primary　aim　in　economic　life；　there
is　still　a　very　considerable　movement　towards　such　a
reconstruction。　　Nothing　is　so　misleading　as　a　careless　analogy。
In　the　dead　years　that　followed　the　Napoleonic　wars；　which　are
often　quoted　as　a　precedent　for　expectation　now；　the　spirit　of
collective　service　was　near　its　minimum；　it　was　never　so　strong
and　never　so　manifestly　spreading　and　increasing　as　it　is　to…day。

But　service　to　what？

I　have　my　own　very　strong　preconceptions　here；　and　since　my
temperament　is　sanguine　they　necessarily　colour　my　view。　　I
believe　that　this　impulse　to　collective　service　can　satisfy
itself　only　under　the　formula　that　mankind　is　one　state　of　which
God　is　the　undying　king；　and　that　the　service　of　men's　collective
needs　is　the　true　worship　of　God。　　But　eagerly　as　I　would　grasp
at　any　evidence　that　this　idea　is　being　developed　and　taken　up　by
the　general　consciousness；　I　am　quite　unable　to　persuade　myself
that　anything　of　the　sort　is　going　on。　　I　do　perceive　a　search
for　large　forms　into　which　the　prevalent　impulse　to　devotion　can
be　thrown。　　But　the　organised　religious　bodies；　with　their　creeds
and　badges　and　their　instinct　for　self…preservation　at　any　cost；
stand　between　men　and　their　spiritual　growth　in　just　the　same　way
the　forestallers　stand　between　men　and　food。　　Their　activities　at
present　are　an　almost　intolerable　nuisance。　　One　cannot　say　〃God〃
but　some　tout　is　instantly　seeking　to　pluck　one　into　his
particular　cave　of　flummery　and　orthodoxy。　　What　a　rational　man
means　by　God　is　just　God。　　The　more　you　define　and　argue　about
God　the　more　he　remains　the　same　simple　thing。　　Judaism；
Christianity；　Islam；　modern　Hindu　religious　thought；　all　agree　in
declaring　that　there　is　one　God；　master　and　leader　of　all
mankind；　in　unending　conflict　with　cruelty；　disorder；　folly　and
waste。　　To　my　mind；　it　follows　immediately　that　there　can　be　no
king；　no　government　of　any　sort；　which　is　not　either　a
subordinate　or　a　rebel　government；　a　local　usurpation；　in　the
kingdom　of　God。　　But　no　organised　r