the story of mankind-第93章

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of　the　Rheims　cathedral　which　only　yesterday　was　destroyed

by　German　guns　as　we　look　upon　a　photograph　of　the　Acropolis

ruined　two　hundred　and　fifty　years　ago　during　a　war

between　the　Turks　and　the　Venetians。　They　will　regard　the

fear　of　death；　which　is　still　common　among　many　people；　as　a

childish　superstition　which　was　perhaps　natural　in　a　race　of

men　who　had　burned　witches　as　late　as　the　year　1692。　Even

our　hospitals　and　our　laboratories　and　our　operating　rooms

of　which　we　are　so　proud　will　look　like　slightly　improved

workshops　of　alchemists　and　mediaeval　surgeons。



And　the　reason　for　all　this　is　simple。　We　modern　men　and

women　are　not　‘‘modern''　at　all。　On　the　contrary　we　still

belong　to　the　last　generations　of　the　cave…dwellers。　The　foundation

for　a　new　era　was　laid　but　yesterday。　The　human　race

was　given　its　first　chance　to　become　truly　civilised　when　it　took

courage　to　question　all　things　and　made　‘‘knowledge　and

understanding''　the　foundation　upon　which　to　create　a　more

reasonable　and　sensible　society　of　human　beings。　The　Great

War　was　the　‘‘growing…pain''　of　this　new　world。



For　a　long　time　to　come　people　will　write　mighty　books　to

prove　that　this　or　that　or　the　other　person　brought　about　the

war。　The　Socialists　will　publish　volumes　in　which　they　will　ac…

cuse　the　‘‘capitalists''　of　having　brought　about　the　war　for　‘‘commercial

gain。''　The　capitalists　will　answer　that　they　lost　infinitely

more　through　the　war　than　they　madethat　their　children

were　among　the　first　to　go　and　fight　and　be　killedand

they　will　show　how　in　every　country　the　bankers　tried　their

very　best　to　avert　the　outbreak　of　hostilities。　French　historians

will　go　through　the　register　of　German　sins　from　the

days　of　Charlemagne　until　the　days　of　William　of　Hohenzollern

and　German　historians　will　return　the　compliment　and

will　go　through　the　list　of　French　horrors　from　the　days　of

Charlemagne　until　the　days　of　President　Poincare。　And

then　they　will　establish　to　their　own　satisfaction　that　the　other

fellow　was　guilty　of　‘‘causing　the　war。''　Statesmen；　dead　and

not　yet　dead；　in　all　countries　will　take　to　their　typewriters　and

they　will　explain　how　they　tried　to　avert　hostilities　and　how

their　wicked　opponents　forced　them　into　it。



The　historian；　a　hundred　years　hence；　will　not　bother　about

these　apologies　and　vindications。　He　will　understand　the　real

nature　of　the　underlying　causes　and　he　will　know　that　personal

ambitions　and　personal　wickedness　and　personal　greed　had　very

little　to　do　with　the　final　outburst。　The　original　mistake；　which

was　responsible　for　all　this　misery；　was　committed　when　our

scientists　began　to　create　a　new　world　of　steel　and　iron　and

chemistry　and　electricity　and　forgot　that　the　human　mind　is

slower　than　the　proverbial　turtle；　is　lazier　than　the　well…known

sloth；　and　marches　from　one　hundred　to　three　hundred　years

behind　the　small　group　of　courageous　leaders。



A　Zulu　in　a　frock　coat　is　still　a　Zulu。　A　dog　trained　to　ride

a　bicycle　and　smoke　a　pipe　is　still　a　dog。　And　a　human　being

with　the　mind　of　a　sixteenth　century　tradesman　driving　a　1921

Rolls…Royce　is　still　a　human　being　with　the　mind　of　a　sixteenth

century　tradesman。



If　you　do　not　understand　this　at　first；　read　it　again。　It

will　become　clearer　to　you　in　a　moment　and　it　will　explain

many　things　that　have　happened　these　last　six　years。



Perhaps　I　may　give　you　another；　more　familiar；　example；

to　show　you　what　I　mean。　In　the　movie　theatres；　jokes　and

funny　remarks　are　often　thrown　upon　the　screen。　Watch　the

audience　the　next　time　you　have　a　chance。　A　few　people　seem

almost　to　inhale　the　words。　It　takes　them　but　a　second　to　read

the　lines。　Others　are　a　bit　slower。　Still　others　take　from

twenty　to　thirty　seconds。　Finally　those　men　and　women　who

do　not　read　any　more　than　they　can　help；　get　the　point　when

the　brighter　ones　among　the　audience　have　already　begun　to

decipher　the　next　cut…in。　It　is　not　different　in　human　life；

as　I　shall　now　show　you。



In　a　former　chapter　I　have　told　you　how　the　idea　of　the

Roman　Empire　continued　to　live　for　a　thousand　years　after

the　death　of　the　last　Roman　Emperor。　It　caused　the　establishment

of　a　large　number　of　‘‘imitation　empires。''　It　gave　the

Bishops　of　Rome　a　chance　to　make　themselves　the　head　of　the

entire　church；　because　they　represented　the　idea　of　Roman

world…supremacy。　It　drove　a　number　of　perfectly　harmless

barbarian　chieftains　into　a　career　of　crime　and　endless　warfare

because　they　were　for　ever　under　the　spell　of　this　magic

word　‘‘Rome。''　All　these　people；　Popes；　Emperors　and　plain

fighting　men　were　not　very　different　from　you　or　me。　But

they　lived　in　a　world　where　the　Roman　tradition　was　a　vital

issue　something　livingsomething　which　was　remembered

clearly　both　by　the　father　and　the　son　and　the　grandson。　And

so　they　struggled　and　sacrificed　themselves　for　a　cause　which

to…day　would　not　find　a　dozen　recruits。



In　still　another　chapter　I　have　told　you　how　the　great　religious

wars　took　place　more　than　a　century　after　the　first　open

act　of　the　Reformation　and　if　you　will　compare　the　chapter

on　the　Thirty　Years　War　with　that　on　Inventions；　you　will　see

that　this　ghastly　butchery　took　place　at　a　time　when　the　first

clumsy　steam　engines　were　already　puffing　in　the　laboratories

of　a　number　of　French　and　German　and　English　scientists。

But　the　world　at　large　took　no　interest　in　these　strange

contraptions；　and　went　on　with　a　grand　theological　discussion

which　to…day　causes　yawns；　but　no　anger。



And　so　it　goes。　A　thousand　years　from　now；　the　historian

will　use　the　same　words　about　Europe　of　the　out…going　nine…

teenth　century；　and　he　will　see　how　men　were　engaged　upon

terrific　nationalistic　struggles　while　the　laboratories　all　around

them　were　filled　with　serious　folk　who　cared　not　one　whit　for

politics　as　long　as　they　could　force　nature　to　surrender　a　few

more　of　her　million　secrets。



You　will　gradually　begin　to　understand　what　I　am　driving

at。　The　engineer　and　the　scientist　and　the　chemist；　within　a

single　generation；　filled　Europe　and　America　and　Asia　with

their　vast　machines；　with　their　telegraphs；　their　flying　machines；

their　coal…tar　products。　They　created　a　new　world　in　which

time　and　space　were　reduced　to　complete　insignificance。　They

invented　new　products　and　they　made　these　so　cheap　that　almost

every　one　could　buy　them。　I　have　told　you　all　this　before

but　it　certainly　will　bear　repeating。



To　keep　the　ever　increasing　number　of　factories　going；　the

owners；　who　had　also　become　the　rulers　of　the　land；　needed　raw

materials　and　coal。　Especially　coal。　Meanwhile　the　mass　of

the　people　were　still　thinking　in　terms　of　the　sixteenth　and

seventeenth　centuries　and　clinging　to　the　old　notions　of　the

state　as　a　dynastic　or　political　organisation。　This　clumsy　mediaeval

institution　was　then　suddenly　called　upon　to　handle　the

highly　modern　problems　of　a　mechanical　and　industrial　world。

It　did　its　best；　according　to　the　rules　of　the　game　which　had

been　laid　down　centuries　before。　The　different　states　created

enormous　armies　and　gigantic　navies　which　were　used　for　the

purpose　of　acquiring　new　possessions　in　distant　lands。　Whereever｛sic｝

there　was　a　tiny　bit　of　land　left；　there　arose　an　English　or

a　French　or　a　German　or　a　Russian　colony。　If　the　natives

objected；　they　were　killed。　In　most　cases　they　did　not　object；

and　were　allowed　to　live　peacefully；　provided　they　did　not

interfere　with　the　diamond　mines　or　the　coal　mines　or　the　oil

mines　or　the　gold　mines　or　the　rubber　plantations；　and　they

derived　many　benefits　from　the　foreign　occupation。



Sometimes　it　happened　that　two　states　in　search　of　raw

materials　wanted　the　same　piece　of　land　at　the　same　time。

Then　there　was　a　war。　This　occurred　fifteen　years　ago　when

Russia　and　Japan　fought　for　the　possession　of　certain　terri…

tories　which　belonged　to　the　Chinese　people。　Such　conflicts；

however；