heartbreak house-第7部分

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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　the　whole　public　side　of　the　war　an
air　of　monstrous　and　hopeless　farce。　They　proved　not　only　that
they　were　useless　for　public　work；　but　that　in　a　well…ordered
nation　they　would　never　have　been　allowed　to　control　private
enterprise。



How　the　Fools　shouted　the　Wise　Men　down

Thus；　like　a　fertile　country　flooded　with　mud；　England　showed　no
sign　of　her　greatness　in　the　days　when　she　was　putting　forth　all
her　strength　to　save　herself　from　the　worst　consequences　of　her
littleness。　Most　of　the　men　of　action；　occupied　to　the　last　hour
of　their　time　with　urgent　practical　work；　had　to　leave　to　idler
people；　or　to　professional　rhetoricians；　the　presentation　of　the
war　to　the　reason　and　imagination　of　the　country　and　the　world　in
speeches；　poems；　manifestoes；　picture　posters；　and　newspaper
articles。　I　have　had　the　privilege　of　hearing　some　of　our　ablest
commanders　talking　about　their　work；　and　I　have　shared　the　common
lot　of　reading　the　accounts　of　that　work　given　to　the　world　by
the　newspapers。　No　two　experiences　could　be　more　different。　But
in　the　end　the　talkers　obtained　a　dangerous　ascendancy　over　the
rank　and　file　of　the　men　of　action；　for　though　the　great　men　of
action　are　always　inveterate　talkers　and　often　very　clever
writers；　and　therefore　cannot　have　their　minds　formed　for　them　by
others；　the　average　man　of　action；　like　the　average　fighter　with
the　bayonet；　can　give　no　account　of　himself　in　words　even　to
himself；　and　is　apt　to　pick　up　and　accept　what　he　reads　about
himself　and　other　people　in　the　papers；　except　when　the　writer　is
rash　enough　to　commit　himself　on　technical　points。　It　was　not
uncommon　during　the　war　to　hear　a　soldier；　or　a　civilian　engaged
on　war　work；　describing　events　within　his　own　experience　that
reduced　to　utter　absurdity　the　ravings　and　maunderings　of　his
daily　paper；　and　yet　echo　the　opinions　of　that　paper　like　a
parrot。　Thus；　to　escape　from　the　prevailing　confusion　and　folly；
it　was　not　enough　to　seek　the　company　of　the　ordinary　man　of
action：　one　had　to　get　into　contact　with　the　master　spirits。　This
was　a　privilege　which　only　a　handful　of　people　could　enjoy。　For
the　unprivileged　citizen　there　was　no　escape。　To　him　the　whole
country　seemed　mad；　futile；　silly；　incompetent；　with　no　hope　of
victory　except　the　hope　that　the　enemy　might　be　just　as　mad。　Only
by　very　resolute　reflection　and　reasoning　could　he　reassure
himself　that　if　there　was　nothing　more　solid　beneath　their
appalling　appearances　the　war　could　not　possibly　have　gone　on　for
a　single　day　without　a　total　breakdown　of　its　organization。



The　Mad　Election

Happy　were　the　fools　and　the　thoughtless　men　of　action　in　those
days。　The　worst　of　it　was　that　the　fools　　were　very　strongly
represented　in　parliament；　as　fools　not　only　elect　fools；　but　can
persuade　men　of　action　to　elect　them　too。　The　election　that
immediately　followed　the　armistice　was　perhaps　the　maddest　that
has　ever　taken　place。　Soldiers　who　had　done　voluntary　and　heroic
service　in　the　field　were　defeated　by　persons　who　had　apparently
never　run　a　risk　or　spent　a　farthing　that　they　could　avoid；　and
who　even　had　in　the　course　of　the　election　to　apologize　publicly
for　bawling　Pacifist　or　Pro…German　at　their　opponent。　Party
leaders　seek　such　followers；　who　can　always　be　depended　on　to
walk　tamely　into　the　lobby　at　the　party　whip's　orders；　provided
the　leader　will　make　their　seats　safe　for　them　by　the　process
which　was　called；　in　derisive　reference　to　the　war　rationing
system；　〃giving　them　the　coupon。〃　Other　incidents　were　so
grotesque　that　I　cannot　mention　them　without　enabling　the　reader
to　identify　the　parties；　which　would　not　be　fair；　as　they　were　no
more　to　blame　than　thousands　of　others　who　must　necessarily　be
nameless。　The　general　result　was　patently　absurd；　and　the
electorate；　disgusted　at　its　own　work；　instantly　recoiled　to　the
opposite　extreme；　and　cast　out　all　the　coupon　candidates　at　the
earliest　bye…elections　by　equally　silly　majorities。　But　the
mischief　of　the　general　election　could　not