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 religious body has ever had the
courage and honesty to insist upon this。 They all pander to
nationalism and to powers and princes。 They exists so to pander。
Every organised religion in the world exists only to exploit and
divert and waste the religious impulse in man。
This conviction that the world kingdom of God is the only true
method of human service； is so clear and final in my own mind； it
seems so inevitably the conviction to which all right…thinking
men must ultimately come； that I feel almost like a looker…on at
a game of blind…man's bluff as I watch the discussion of
synthetic political ideas。 The blind man thrusts his seeking
hands into the oddest corners； he clutches at chairs and
curtains； but at last he must surely find and hold and feel over
and guess the name of the plainly visible quarry。
Some of the French and Italian people I talked to said they were
fighting for 〃Civilisation。〃 That is one name for the kingdom of
God； and I have heard English people use it too。 But much of the
contemporary thought of England stills wanders with its back to
the light。 Most of it is pawing over jerry…built； secondary
things。 I have before me a little book； the joint work of Dr。
Grey and Mr。 Turner； of an ex…public schoolmaster and a
manufacturer； called /Eclipse or Empire？/ （The title
/World Might or Downfall？/ had already been secured in
another quarter。） It is a book that has been enormously
advertised； it has been almost impossible to escape its column…
long advertisements； it is billed upon the hoardings； and it is
on the whole a very able and right…spirited book。 It calls for
more and better education； for more scientific methods； for less
class suspicion and more social explicitness and understanding；
for a franker and fairer treatment of labour。 But why does it
call for these things？ Does it call for them because they are
right？ Because in accomplishing them one serves God？
Not at all。 But because otherwise this strange sprawling empire
of ours will drop back into a secondary place in the world。
These two writers really seem to think that the slack workman；
the slacker wealthy man； the negligent official； the conservative
schoolmaster； the greedy usurer； the comfortable obstructive；
confronted with this alternative； terrified at this idea of
something or other called the Empire being 〃eclipsed；〃 eager for
the continuance of this undefined glory over their fellow…
creatures called 〃Empire；〃 will perceive the error of their ways
and become energetic； devoted； capable。 They think an ideal of
that sort is going to change the daily lives of men。。。。 I
sympathise with their purpose； and I deplore their conception of
motives。 If men will not give themselves for righteousness； they
will not give themselves for a geographical score。 If they will
not work well for the hatred of bad work； they will not work well
for the hatred of Germans。 This 〃Empire〃 idea has been cadging
about the British empire； trying to collect enthusiasm and
devotion； since the days of Disraeli。 It is； I submit； too big
for the mean…spirited； and too tawdry and limited for the fine
and generous。 It leaves out the French and the Italians and the
Belgians and all our blood brotherhood of allies。 It has no
compelling force in it。 We British are not naturally
Imperialist； we are something greateror something less。 For
two years and a half now we have been fighting against
Imperialism in its most extravagant form。 It is a poor incentive
to right living to propose to parody the devil we fight against。
The blind man must lunge again。
For when the right answer is seized it answers not only the
question why men should work for their fellow…men but also why
nation should cease to arm and plan and contrive against nation。
The social problem is only the international problem in retail；
the international problem is only the social one in gross。
My bias rules me altogether here。 I see men in social； in
economic and in international affairs alike； eager to put an end
to conflict； inexpressibl