heartbreak house-第5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！


Gallipoli　landing。　I　will　not　go　so　far　as　to　say　that　our
civilians　were　delighted　to　have　such　exciting　news　to　read　at
breakfast。　But　I　cannot　pretend　that　I　noticed　either　in　the
papers；　or　in　general　intercourse；　any　feeling　beyond　the　usual
one　that　the　cinema　show　at　the　front　was　going　splendidly；　and
that　our　boys　were　the　bravest　of　the　brave。　Suddenly　there　came
the　news　that　an　Atlantic　liner；　the　Lusitania；　had　been
torpedoed；　and　that　several　well…known　first…class　passengers；
including　a　famous　theatrical　manager　and　the　author　of　a　popular
farce；　had　been　drowned；　among　others。　The　others　included　Sir
Hugh　Lane；　but　as　he　had　only　laid　the　country　under　great
obligations　in　the　sphere　of　the　fine　arts；　no　great　stress　was
laid　on　that　loss。　Immediately　an　amazing　frenzy　swept　through
the　country。　Men　who　up　to　that　time　had　kept　their　heads　now
lost　them　utterly。　〃Killing　saloon　passengers！　What　next？〃　was
the　essence　of　the　whole　agitation；　but　it　is　far　too　trivial　a
phrase　to　convey　the　faintest　notion　of　the　rage　which　possessed
us。　To　me；　with　my　mind　full　of　the　hideous　cost　of　Neuve
Chapelle；　Ypres；　and　the　Gallipoli　landing；　the　fuss　about　the
Lusitania　seemed　almost　a　heartless　impertinence；　though　I　was
well　acquainted　personally　with　the　three　best…known　victims；　and
understood；　better　perhaps　than　most　people；　the　misfortune　of
the　death　of　Lane。　I　even　found　a　grim　satisfaction；　very
intelligible　to　all　soldiers；　in　the　fact　that　the　civilians　who
found　the　war　such　splendid　British　sport　should　get　a　sharp
taste　of　what　it　was　to　the　actual　combatants。　I　expressed　my
impatience　very　freely；　and　found　that　my　very　straightforward
and　natural　feeling　in　the　matter　was　received　as　a　monstrous　and
heartless　paradox。　When　I　asked　those　who　gaped　at　me　whether
they　had　anything　to　say　about　the　holocaust　of　Festubert；　they
gaped　wider　than　before；　having　totally　forgotten　it；　or　rather；
having　never　realized　it。　They　were　not　heartless　anymore　than　I
was；　but　the　big　catastrophe　was　too　big　for　them　to　grasp；　and
the　little　one　had　been　just　the　right　size　for　them。　I　was　not
surprised。　Have　I　not　seen　a　public　body　for　just　the　same　reason
pass　a　vote　for　？0；000　without　a　word；　and　then　spend　three
special　meetings；　prolonged　into　the　night；　over　an　item　of　seven
shillings　for　refreshments？



Little　Minds　and　Big　Battles

Nobody　will　be　able　to　understand　the　vagaries　of　public　feeling
during　the　war　unless　they　bear　constantly　in　mind　that　the　war
in　its　entire　magnitude　did　not　exist　for　the　average　civilian。
He　could　not　conceive　even　a　battle；　much　less　a　campaign。　To　the
suburbs　the　war　was　nothing　but　a　suburban　squabble。　To　the　miner
and　navvy　it　was　only　a　series　of　bayonet　fights　between　German
champions　and　English　ones。　The　enormity　of　it　was　quite　beyond
most　of　us。　Its　episodes　had　to　be　reduced　to　the　dimensions　of　a
railway　accident　or　a　shipwreck　before　it　could　produce　any
effect　on　our　minds　at　all。　To　us　the　ridiculous　bombardments　of
Scarborough　and　Ramsgate　were　colossal　tragedies；　and　the　battle
of　Jutland　a　mere　ballad。　The　words　〃after　thorough　artillery
preparation〃　in　the　news　from　the　front　meant　nothing　to　us；　but
when　our　seaside　trippers　learned　that　an　elderly　gentleman　at
breakfast　in　a　week…end　marine　hotel　had　been　interrupted　by　a
bomb　dropping　into　his　egg…cup；　their　wrath　and　horror　knew　no
bounds。　They　declared　that　this　would　put　a　new　spirit　into　the
army；　and　had　no　suspicion　that　the　soldiers　in　the　trenches
roared　with　laughter　over　it　for　days；　and　told　each　other　that
it　would　do　the　blighters　at　home　good　to　have　a　taste　of　what
the　army　was　up　against。　Sometimes　the　smallness　of　view　was
pathetic。　A　man　would　work　at　home　regardless　of　the　call　〃to
make　the　world　safe　for　democracy。〃　His　brother　would　be　killed
at　the　front。　Immediately　he　would　throw　up　his　work　and　take　up
the　war　as　a　family　blood　feud　against　the　Germans。　Sometimes　it
was　comic。　A　wounded　man；　entitled　to　his　discharge；　would　return
to　the　trenches　with　a　grim　determination　to　find　the　Hun　who　had
wounded　him　and　pay　him　out　for　it。

It　is　impossible　to　estimate　what　proportion　of　us；　in　khaki　or
out　of　it；　grasped　the　war　and　its　political　antecedents　as　a
whole　in　the　light　of　any　philosophy　of　history　or　knowledge　of
what　war　is。　I　doubt　whether　it　was　as　high　as　our　proportion　of
higher　mathematicians。　But　there　can　be　no　doubt　that　it　was
prodigiously　outnumbered　by　the　comparatively　ignorant　and
childish。　Remember　that　these　people　had　to　be　stimulated　to　make
the　sacrifices　demanded　by　the　war；　and　that　this　could　not　be
done　by　appeals　to　a　knowledge　which　they　did　not　possess；　and　a
comprehension　of　which　they　were　incapable。　When　the　armistice　at
last　set　me　free　to　tell　the　truth　about　the　war　at　the　following
general　election；　a　soldier　said　to　a　candidate　whom　I　was
supporting；　〃If　I　had　known　all　that　in　1914；　they　would　never
have　got　me　into　khaki。〃　And　that；　of　course；　was　precisely　why
it　had　been　necessary　to　stuff　him　with　a　romance　that　any
diplomatist　would　have　laughed　at。　Thus　the　natural　confusion　of
ignorance　was　increased　by　a　deliberately　propagated　confusion　of
nursery　bogey　stories　and　melodramatic　nonsense；　which　at　last
overreached　itself　and　made　it　impossible　to　stop　the　war　before
we　had　not　only　achieved　the　triumph　of　vanquishing　the　German
army　and　thereby　overthrowing　its　militarist　monarchy；　but　made
the　very　serious　mistake　of　ruining　the　centre　of　Europe；　a　thing
that　no　sane　European　State　could　afford　to　do。



The　Dumb　Capables　and　the　Noisy　Incapables

Confronted　with　this　picture　of　insensate　delusion　and　folly；　the
critical　reader　will　immediately　counterplead　that　England　all
this　time　was　conducting　a　war　which　involved　the　organization　of
several　millions　of　fighting　men　and　of　the　workers　who　were
supplying　them　with　provisions；　munitions；　and　transport；　and
that　this　could　not　have　been　done　by　a　mob　of　hysterical
ranters。　This　is　fortunately　true。　To　pass　from　the　newspaper
offices　and　political　platforms　and　club　fenders　and　suburban
drawing…rooms　to　the　Army　and　the　munition　factories　was　to　pass
from　Bedlam　to　the　busiest　and　sanest　of　workaday　worlds。　It　was
to　rediscover　England；　and　find　solid　ground　for　the　faith　of
those　who　still　believed　in　her。　But　a　necessary　condition　of
this　efficiency　was　that　those　who　were　efficient　should　give　all
their　time　to　their　business　and　leave　the　rabble　raving　to　its
heart's　content。　Indeed　the　raving　was　useful　to　the　efficient；
because；　as　it　was　always　wide　of　the　mark；　it　often　distracted
attention　very　conveniently　from　operations　that　would　have　been
defeated　or　hindered　by　publicity。　A　precept　which　I　endeavored
vainly　to　popularize　early　in　the　war；　〃If　you　have　anything　to
do　go　and　do　it：　if　not；　for　heaven's　sake　get　out　of　the　way；〃
was　only　half　carried　out。　Certainly　the　capable　people　went　and
did　it；　but　the　incapables　would　by　no　means　get　out　of　the　way：
they　fussed　and　bawled　and　were　only　prevented　from　getting　very
seriously　into　the　way　by　the　blessed　fact　that　they　never　knew
where　the　way　was。　Thus　whilst　all　the　efficiency　of　England　was
silent　and　invisible；　all　its　imbecility　was　deafening　the
heavens　with　its　clamor　and　blotting　out　the　sun　with　its　dust。
It　was　also　unfortunately　intimidating　the　Government　by　its
blusterings　into　using　the　irresistible　powers　of　the　State　to
intimidate　the　sensible　people；　thus　enabling　a　despicable
minority　of　would…be　lynchers　to　set　up　a　reign　of　terror　which
could　at　any　time　have　been　broken　by　a　single　stern　word　from　a
responsible　minister。　But　our　ministers　had　not　that　sort　of
courage：　neither　Heartbreak　House　nor　Horseback　Hall　had　bred　it；
much　less　the　suburbs。　When　matters　at　last　came　to　the　looting
of　shops　by　criminals　under　patriotic　pretexts；　it　was　the　police
force　and　not　the　Government　that　put　its　foot　down。　There　was
even　one　deplorable　moment；　during　the　submarine　scare；　in　which
the　Government　yielded　to　a　childish　cry　for　the　maltreatment　of
naval　prisoners　of　war；　and；　to　our　great　disgrace；　was　forced　by
the　enemy　to　behave　itself。　And　yet　behind　all　this　public
blundering　and　misconduct　and　futile　mischief；　the　effective
England　was　carrying　on　with　the　most　formidable　capacity　and
activity。　The　ostensible　England　was　making　the　empire　sick　with
its　incontinences；　its　ignorances；　its　ferocities；　its　panics；
and　its　endless　and　intolerable　blarings　of　Allied　national
anthems　in　season　and　out。　The　esoteric　England　was　proceeding
irresistibly　to　the　conquest　of　Europe。



The　Practical　Business　Men

》From　the　beginning　the　useless　people　set　up　a　shriek　for
〃practical　business　men。〃　By　this　they　meant　men　who　had　become
rich　by　placing　their　personal　interests　before　those　of　the
country；　and　measuring　the　success　of　every　activity　by　the
pecuniary　profit　it　brought　to　them　and　to　those　on　whom　they
depended　for　their　supplies　of　capital。　The　pitiable　failure　of
some　conspicuous　samples　from　the　first　batch　we　tried　of　these
poor　devils　helped　to　give　t