heartbreak house-第3节

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scribe　and　speaker　I　too　was　under　the　most　serious　public
obligation　to　keep　my　grip　on　realities；　but　this　did　not　save　me
from　a　considerable　degree　of　hyperaesthesia。　There　were　of
course　some　happy　people　to　whom　the　war　meant　nothing：　all
political　and　general　matters　lying　outside　their　little　circle
of　interest。　But　the　ordinary　war…conscious　civilian　went　mad；
the　main　symptom　being　a　conviction　that　the　whole　order　of
nature　had　been　reversed。　All　foods；　he　felt；　must　now　be
adulterated。　All　schools　must　be　closed。　No　advertisements　must
be　sent　to　the　newspapers；　of　which　new　editions　must　appear　and
be　bought　up　every　ten　minutes。　Travelling　must　be　stopped；　or；
that　being　impossible；　greatly　hindered。　All　pretences　about　fine
art　and　culture　and　the　like　must　be　flung　off　as　an　intolerable
affectation；　and　the　picture　galleries　and　museums　and　schools　at
once　occupied　by　war　workers。　The　British　Museum　itself　was　saved
only　by　a　hair's　breadth。　The　sincerity　of　all　this；　and　of　much
more　which　would　not　be　believed　if　I　chronicled　it；　may　be
established　by　one　conclusive　instance　of　the　general　craziness。
Men　were　seized　with　the　illusion　that　they　could　win　the　war　by
giving　away　money。　And　they　not　only　subscribed　millions　to　Funds
of　all　sorts　with　no　discoverable　object；　and　to　ridiculous
voluntary　organizations　for　doing　what　was　plainly　the　business
of　the　civil　and　military　authorities；　but　actually　handed　out
money　to　any　thief　in　the　street　who　had　the　presence　of　mind　to
pretend　that　he　（or　she）　was　〃collecting〃　it　for　the　annihilation
of　the　enemy。　Swindlers　were　emboldened　to　take　offices；　label
themselves　Anti…Enemy　Leagues；　and　simply　pocket　the　money　that
was　heaped　on　them。　Attractively　dressed　young　women　found　that
they　had　nothing　to　do　but　parade　the　streets；　collecting…box　in
hand；　and　live　gloriously　on　the　profits。　Many　months　elapsed
before；　as　a　first　sign　of　returning　sanity；　the　police　swept　an
Anti…Enemy　secretary　into　prison　pour　encourages　les　autres；　and
the　passionate　penny　collecting　of　the　Flag　Days　was　brought
under　some　sort　of　regulation。



Madness　in　Court

The　demoralization　did　not　spare　the　Law　Courts。　Soldiers　were
acquitted；　even　on　fully　proved　indictments　for　wilful　murder；
until　at　last　the　judges　and　magistrates　had　to　announce　that
what　was　called　the　Unwritten　Law；　which　meant　simply　that　a
soldier　could　do　what　he　liked　with　impunity　in　civil　life；　was
not　the　law　of　the　land；　and　that　a　Victoria　Cross　did　not　carry
with　it　a　perpetual　plenary　indulgence。　Unfortunately　the
insanity　of　the　juries　and　magistrates　did　not　always　manifest
itself　in　indulgence。　No　person　unlucky　enough　to　be　charged　with
any　sort　of　conduct；　however　reasonable　and　salutary；　that　did
not　smack　of　war　delirium；　had　the　slightest　chance　of　acquittal。
There　were　in　the　country；　too；　a　certain　number　of　people　who
had　conscientious　objections　to　war　as　criminal　or　unchristian。
The　Act　of　Parliament　introducing　Compulsory　Military　Service
thoughtlessly　exempted　these　persons；　merely　requiring　them　to
prove　the　genuineness　of　their　convictions。　Those　who　did　so　were
very　ill…advised　from　the　point　of　view　of　their　own　personal
interest；　for　they　were　persecuted　with　savage　logicality　in
spite　of　the　law；　whilst　those　who　made　no　pretence　of　having　any
objection　to　war　at　all；　and　had　not　only　had　military　training
in　Officers'　Training　Corps；　but　had　proclaimed　on　public
occasions　that　they　were　perfectly　ready　to　engage　in　civil　war
on　behalf　of　their　political　opinions；　were　allowed　the　benefit
of　the　Act　on　the　ground　that　they　did　not　approve　of　this
particular　war。　For　the　Christians　there　was　no　mercy。　In　cases
where　the　evidence　as　to　their　being　killed　by　ill　treatment　was
so　unequivocal　that　the　verdict　would　certainly　have　been　one　of
wilful　murder　had　the　prejudice　of　the　coroner's　jury　been　on　the
other　side；　their　tormentors　were　gratuitously　declared　to　be
blameless。　There　was　only　one　virtue；　pugnacity：　only　one　vice；
pacifism。　That　is　an　essential　condition　of　war；　but　the
Government　had　not　the　courage　to　legislate　accordingly；　and　its
law　was　set　aside　for　Lynch　law。

The　climax　of　legal　lawlessness　was　reached　in　France。　The
greatest　Socialist　statesman　in　Europe；　Jaures；　was　shot　and
killed　by　a　gentleman　who　resented　his　efforts　to　avert　the　war。
M。　Clemenceau　was　shot　by　another　gentleman　of　less　popular
opinions；　and　happily　came　off　no　worse　than　having　to　spend　a
precautionary　couple　of　days　in　bed。　The　slayer　of　Jaures　was
recklessly　acquitted：　the　would…be　slayer　of　M。　Clemenceau　was
carefully　found　guilty。　There　is　no　reason　to　doubt　that　the　same
thing　would　have　happened　in　England　if　the　war　had　begun　with　a
successful　attempt　to　assassinate　Keir　Hardie；　and　ended　with　an
unsuccessful　one　to　assassinate　Mr　Lloyd　George。



The　Long　Arm　of　War

The　pestilence　which　is　the　usual　accompaniment　of　war　was　called
influenza。　Whether　it　was　really　a　war　pestilence　or　not　was　made
doubtful　by　the　fact　that　it　did　its　worst　in　places　remote　from
the　battlefields；　notably　on　the　west　coast　of　North　America　and
in　India。　But　the　moral　pestilence；　which　was　unquestionably　a
war　pestilence；　reproduced　this　phenomenon。　One　would　have
supposed　that　the　war　fever　would　have　raged　most　furiously　in
the　countries　actually　under　fire；　and　that　the　others　would　be
more　reasonable。　Belgium　and　Flanders；　where　over　large　districts
literally　not　one　stone　was　left　upon　another　as　the　opposed
armies　drove　each　other　back　and　forward　over　it　after　terrific
preliminary　bombardments；　might　have　been　pardoned　for　relieving
their　feelings　more　emphatically　than　by　shrugging　their
shoulders　and　saying；　〃C'est　la　guerre。〃　England；　inviolate　for
so　many　centuries　that　the　swoop　of　war　on　her　homesteads　had
long　ceased　to　be　more　credible　than　a　return　of　the　Flood；　could
hardly　be　expected　to　keep　her　temper　sweet　when　she　knew　at　last
what　it　was　to　hide　in　cellars　and　underground　railway　stations；
or　lie　quaking　in　bed；　whilst　bombs　crashed；　houses　crumbled；　and
aircraft　guns　distributed　shrapnel　on　friend　and　foe　alike　until
certain　shop　windows　in　London；　formerly　full　of　fashionable
hats；　were　filled　with　steel　helmets。　Slain　and　mutilated　women
and　children；　and　burnt　and　wrecked　dwellings；　excuse　a　good　deal
of　violent　language；　and　produce　a　wrath　on　which　many　suns　go
down　before　it　is　appeased。　Yet　it　was　in　the　United　States　of
America　where　nobody　slept　the　worse　for　the　war；　that　the　war
fever　went　beyond　all　sense　and　reason。　In　European　Courts　there
was　vindictive　illegality：　in　American　Courts　there　was　raving
lunacy。　It　is　not　for　me　to　chronicle　the　extravagances　of　an
Ally：　let　some　candid　American　do　that。　I　can　only　say　that　to　us
sitting　in　our　gardens　in　England；　with　the　guns　in　France　making
themselves　felt　by　a　throb　in　the　air　as　unmistakeable　as　an
audible　sound；　or　with　tightening　hearts　studying　the　phases　of
the　moon　in　London　in　their　bearing　on　the　chances　whether　our
houses　would　be　standing　or　ourselves　alive　next　morning；　the
newspaper　accounts　of　the　sentences　American　Courts　were　passing
on　young　girls　and　old　men　alike　for　the　expression　of　opinions
which　were　being　uttered　amid　thundering　applause　before　huge
audiences　in　England；　and　the　more　private　records　of　the　methods
by　which　the　American　War　Loans　were　raised；　were　so　amazing　that
they　put　the　guns　and　the　possibilities　of　a　raid　clean　out　of
our　heads　for　the　moment。



The　Rabid　Watchdogs　of　Liberty

Not　content　with　these　rancorous　abuses　of　the　existing　law；　the
war　maniacs　made　a　frantic　rush　to　abolish　all　constitutional
guarantees　of　liberty　and　well…being。　The　ordinary　law　was
superseded　by　Acts　under　which　newspapers　were　seized　and　their
printing　machinery　destroyed　by　simple　police　raids　a　la　Russe；
and　persons　arrested　and　shot　without　any　pretence　of　trial　by
jury　or　publicity　of　procedure　or　evidence。　Though　it　was
urgently　necessary　that　production　should　be　increased　by　the
most　scientific　organization　and　economy　of　labor；　and　though　no
fact　was　better　established　than　that　excessive　duration　and
intensity　of　toil　reduces　production　heavily　instead　of
increasing　it；　the　factory　laws　were　suspended；　and　men　and　women
recklessly　over…worked　until　the　loss　of　their　efficiency　became
too　glaring　to　be　ignored。　Remonstrances　and　warnings　were　met
either　with　an　accusation　of　pro…Germanism　or　the　formula；
〃Remember　that　we　are　at　war　now。〃　I　have　said　that　men　assumed
that　war　had　reversed　the　order　of　nature；　and　that　all　was　lost
unless　we　did　the　exact　opposite　of　everything　we　had　found
necessary　and　beneficial　in　peace。　But　the　truth　was　worse　than
that。　The　war　did　not　change　men's　minds　in　any　such　impossible
way。　What　really　happened　was　that　the　impact　of　physical　death
and　destruction；　the　one　reality　that　every　fool　can　understand；
tore　off　the　masks　of　education；　art；　science　and　religion　from
our　ignorance　and　barbarism；　and　left　us　glorying　grotesquely　in
the　licence　suddenly　accorded　to　our　vilest　passions　and　most
abject　te