Published the 1st and 15th of each month.

T H E EGOIST
AN INDIVIDUALIST REVIEW.
Formerly the NEW FREEWOMAN.
No.
Editor: Assistant

18.VOL.
HARRIET Editor:

I.
WEAVER.

TUESDAY,

SEPTEMBER

15th, 1914.

SIXPENCE.
Contributing Editor:

SHAW RICHARD

ALDINGTON.

DORA MARSDEN, B.A.

CONTENTS.
PAGE. THE ILLUSION OF ANARCHISM. By FREE VERSE IN ENGLAND. By PAGE. PAGE. WOMEN, CHARITY AND THE LAND

Dora

Marsden

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...
...

...
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341
344

Richard Aldington ...

A HEAVY HEART. From the German

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351 352 353

By Webb

Bolton ...

Hall ... Wright...

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356 357 358

VIEWS AND COMMENTS. FIGHTING PARIS. By Madame

of ...
By

Peter ...
F.

Altenberg ...
T. S.

... ...
...

"DAMAGED GOODS." By Maurice A SOUND OF BLEATING. By

Ciolkowska...
SOME ITALIAN

...
John

346 350

THE WAR AND CIVICS. By Huntly

SONNETS.

Carter
CHINA. By

Felton

...

...

...

354

Josephine

...

THE ILLUSION OF ANARCHISM.

By DORA MARSDEN. ANARCHISTS are a n i n t e r e s t i n g b o d y of people w h o m g o v e r n m e n t s take too s e r i o u s l y a n d w h o , u n f o r t u n a t e l y , do not take themselves seriously enough. G o v e r n m e n t s fear t h e m as hos t i l e , bent on m i s c h i e f : whereas t h e y are h a r m l e s s , after the d i s c o n c e r t i n g h a r m l e s s m a n n e r o f i n f a n t s . F o r the P e o p l e i n d e e d : f o r H u m a n i t y , t h e y c o n ceive t h e m s e l v e s filled w i t h a n ardent p a s s i o n : b u t t o w a r d s the w a y s of h u m a n s w h e n t h e y , as m e n , emerge f r o m out the b l u r r e d composite mass of " H u m a n i t y " t h e y are averse i n the t h o r o u g h g o i n g i m p l a c a b l e w a y possible o n l y to people w h o f r a m e t h e i r d i s l i k e s o n p r i n c i p l e . D o u b t l e s s , i f one were to search the w o r l d over f o r the bitterests o u n d i n g opponents of the t h e o r y t h a t w e are a l l " b o r n i n s i n " w i t h o u r n a t u r a l bent i n h e r e n t l y set t o w a r d s " e v i l , " one w o u l d fix u p o n the a n a r c h i s t s : b u t t h i s i s t h e i r i d i o s y n c r a s y : a f o i l to c o n t r a s t w i t h t h e i r m a i n tenets. T h e i r o p p o s i t i o n penetrates no deeper t h a n a d i s l i k e f o r the phrase, because per haps m o r e c o m m o n p l a c e persons t h a n themselves h a v e espoused i t . I n substance i t forms the b o d y of a n a r c h i s m , a n d a n a r c h i s t s are not separated i n a n y w a y f r o m k i n s h i p w i t h the devout. T h e y b e l o n g to the C h r i s t i a n s ' C h u r c h a n d s h o u l d be r e c o g n i s e d as C h r i s t i a n i t y ' s p i c k e d c h i l d r e n . O n l y q u a l i t y dis tinguishes them from the o r t h o d o x : a distinc t i o n i n w h i c h the advantage is theirs. A s priests a d m i n i s t e r i n g the sacraments they w o u l d not be i l l placed. * * * * A t the b i r t h of every u n i t of life, there is u s h e r e d i n t o e x i s t e n c e a n A r c h i s t . A n A r c h i s t is one w h o seeks to e s t a b l i s h , m a i n t a i n , a n d p r o t e c t b y t h e strongest weapons at h i s d i s p o s a l , the l a w of h i s o w n i n t e r e s t s ; w h i l e t h e p u r p o s e of e v e r y c h u r c h i n s t i t u t i o n s a l l t e a c h i n g a n a r c h i s m as t h e correct s p i r i t i n c o n d u c t i s t o m a k e m e n w i l l i n g to assert, t h a t t h o u g h t h e y are b o r n a n d i n c l i n e d a r c h i s t s , t h e y O U G H T to be a n a r c h i s t s . T h i s is the t r u e m e a n i n g of the s p i r i t o f r e n u n c i a t i o n t h e r o c k o n w h i c h the C h u r c h is b u i l t . T h e " O U G H T " represents t h e i n s t a l l a t i o n of C o n s c i e n c e , t h a t i n n e r s p i r i t u a l p o l i c e set i n a u t h o r i t y b y the w i l l a n d t h e s k i l l of t h e preacher. I t s business is to b i n d the A r c h i s t i c desires w h i c h w o u l d m a i n t a i n a n d press f u r t h e r t h e i r o w n purposes i n f a v o u r of t h e purposes o f w h o m s o e v e r the p r e a c h e r p l e a s e s : G o d : or R i g h t : or the P e o p l e : or t h e A n o i n t e d : o r those set i n Office. W h e t h e r t h e p r e a c h e r or the i n d i v i d u a l ' s desires w i l l p r e v a i l w i l l p i v o t about the s t r e n g t h o f the m a n ' s i n d i v i d u a l v i t a l i t y . I f the m a n is a l i v e , h i s o w n interests are a l i v e , a n d t h e i r i m p o r t a n c e stands to h i m w i t h a n i n t e n s e assertiveness w h i c h corresponds w i t h the l e v e l of h i s o w n v i t a l i t y , of w h i c h t h e s t r e n g t h of h i s o w n interests alone c a n p r o v i d e a sure i n d e x . B e i n g a l i v e , t h e first l i v i n g i n s t i n c t is to i n t e n s i f y the consciousness of l i f e , a n d p r e s s i n g a n interest is j u s t t h i s process of i n t e n s i f y i n g consciousness. A l l growing life-forms are a g g r e s s i v e : " a g g r e s s i v e " is w h a t g r o w i n g m e a n s . E a c h fights for its o w n p l a c e , a n d to e n l a r g e i t , a n d e n l a r g i n g i t is g r o w t h . A n d because l i f e - f o r m s a r e g r e g a r i o u s t h e r e are m y r i a d s of c l a i m s to l a y e x c l u sive h o l d u p o n a n y p l a c e . T h e c l a i m a n t s are m y r i a d : b i r d , beast, p l a n t , i n s e c t , v e r m i n e a c h w i l l assert i t s o w n sole c l a i m o n a n y p l a c e as l o n g as i t is p e r m i t t e d : as w i t n e s s the p u g n a c i t y o f g n a t , weed, a n d flea: the scant c e r e m o n y of t h e h o u s e w i f e ' s b r o o m , the axe w h i c h m a k e s a c l e a r i n g , the s c y t h e , t h e fisherman's net, the s l a u g h t e r - h o u s e b l u d g e o n : a l l assertions of a g g r e s s i v e i n t e r e s t s p r o m p t l y countered b y more powerful interests! T h e w o r l d f a l l s to h i m w h o c a n take i t , i f i n s t i n c t i v e a c t i o n c a n t e l l us a n y t h i n g . * * * *

I t is i n t o t h i s colossal e n c o u n t e r of i n t e r e s t s , i.e., of l i v e s , t h a t the a n a r c h i s t b r e a k s i n w i t h h i s " T h u s f a r a n d no f a r t h e r . L o w e r interests m a y be v e t o e d w i t h o u t q u e s t i o n , or w i t h a r e g r e t f u l s i g h , b u t M A N

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must be immune. MAN as MAN must be p r o t e c t e d : the side of the defenders: but the aggressor h a v i n g won his M a n h o o d is his s h i e l d : to i m m u n i t y his M a n h o o d success, success becomes his defence, and proves an creates a n d confers his R i g h t . The lower creation adequate makeweight. W h i c h is why success succeeds. stands and falls by its might or lack of i t : but M a n h o o d It is easy to defend the defensive side: to hold him confers a protection of its o w n . " W h o guarantees the " i n the r i g h t " at the outset: the defensive is the protection? "The conscience of him who can infringe defendable: it would have been difficult to do otherit. If that fails, then the outraged consciences of other w i s e : since to defend the aggressor is an anomaly i n men, jealous for the d i g n i t y of ' M a n . ' Such an one as terms: the aggressor can only be " j u s t i f i e d " : and only does not hold i n awe the R i g h t s of M a n , who does not success can justify h i m . B u t let the aggressor fail, and bow d o w n to the w o r t h of M a n as M a n , and not merely for P u b l i c O p i n i o n he at once appears diabolical. F o r as a l i v i n g b e i n g , and hold i t Sacred and H o l y , he shall instance, if G e r m a n y is successful now, the German be h e l d to be not of the community of M a n but a monster E m p e r o r w i l l command the a d m i r a t i o n of the w o r l d , and p r e y i n g upon the human fold, fit only to be flung out, will get it. Should G e r m a n y lose there w i l l be none and to foregather w i t h his familiarswolves and strange so poor as to pay h i m reverence. H i s reputation, as monsters." T h a t is the creed of an A n a r c h i s t , whose far as P u b l i c O p i n i o n goes now, lies i n the womb of other name is " H u m a n i t a r i a n . " H i s creed explains t i m e : a matter of accidental forces more or less. The why he loves humanity but disapproves of men whose heinous offence for which the world w i l l hold him a ways please h i m not. F o r men do not act after the demoniacal monster isa miscalculated j u d g m e n t ; that anarchistic fashion one towards another. They are which w i l l make him the H e r o of his Ageits Master friendly and affectionate animals in the m a i n : but will be justa verified judgment. W h i c h explains why interests are as imperative w i t h them as w i t h the tiger a good fight w i l l justify any cause: a good fight being and the ape, and they press them forward, deterred only one which is aggressive and WINS. Thus forces, on by the calculation of the hostility they may arouse by any pretext whatsoever, h a v i n g been mustered for a d i s t u r b i n g the interests which they cross, as cross they test, the question of public repute w i l l p i v o t about a must, since by extending the tentacles of interest is nice estimation of the strength of those forces. Exetheir way of growth. That this is so would be plainer cration is not meted out to the despoilers of art treasures to see if men had single interests (as some men have, as suchonly if the despoiler likewise shows signs of and then it is a l l p l a i n enough). B u t men have many, being the vanquished. L o u v a i n w i l l be a trifle, regretand what might be expected to be a straight course is table but necessary, if the G e r m a n hosts are victorious. a zigzaged line. A n d interests lead not only by way So c o n t r a r i w i s e : any schoolboy may lightly hold the of oppositions: by wrestling for possessions: in love, reputation of Napoleon as to " R i g h t " at his caprice for instance, they lead to a seeming commingling of because of Waterloo. It is W a t e r l o o which separates interest. It is only seeming: the love interest is as Napoleon from A l e x a n d e r and J u l i u s Csar: not the archistic as any other. Into this stimulating clash of bloodstained plains of E u r o p e ; as it is Naseby and powers the anarchist introduces his " l a w " of " t h e Marston M o o r which pales the memory of W e x f o r d and i n v i o l a b i l i t y of i n d i v i d u a l l i b e r t y . " " I t is feasible to Drogheda, and makes C r o m w e l l a K i n g l y H e r o instead p u s h , " he would say, " t h e line of satisfaction of men's of a villainous knave and murderous assassin. On like wantssince being born into life and sin they w i l l not counts, too, was George W a s h i n g t o n a H e r o and wholly renounce thembut only to the lengths where " r i g h t , " while President K r u g e r was a scheming it can be squared with the wants of everyone else. Such seditionist, and " w r o n g . " wants w i l l work out perhaps, and probably merely to * * * * the satisfaction of certain elementary needs: of earthP u b l i c Opinion, therefore, is n o t h i n g more than a room, of sustenance and c l o t h i n g : a title to which are the indefeasible R i g h t s of M a n . Only when these have loose form of alliance founded among non-principals, been assumed to a l l may the interests of any be pushed based on a momentarily felt community of interests on the defensive. The i n i t i a l shock of invasion having further. T o wealth, according to his necessities, each been parried, the passage of time, and especially the has a right; i n return each must serve as he c a n . " It must be acknowledged that it is a creed which lends course of events, w i l l begin to make clear to what extent itself exceeding well to eloquence c a r r y i n g the correct this first apparent community of interest w i t h the defensive was due to mere alarm, and how far it represented noble r i n g with i t ; it makes converts i n c r e a s i n g l y ; and something more permanent. Moreover, i n the account when it wears t h i n i n one garb it readily rehabilitates itself in changed r a i m e n t ; as Christianity, as H u m a n i - of the development of P u b l i c O p i n i o n it is to be recogtarianism, anarchism successfully and continually nised that the very dash and d a r i n g and picturesqueness of the aggressive may actually give b i r t h to an interest seduces P u b l i c Opinion. in which the non-combatants w i l l find themselves * * * * involved by sheer fascination: to such an extent even W h y it should have no difficulty i n d r a w i n g P u b l i c it may be that to be permitted to share i n the general O p i n i o n to its side the nature of P u b l i c Opinion makes risk of the fight will appear a high privilege. A great evident. P u b l i c Opinion intrinsically isbellowing. aggressor w i l l find he can always count on this. The It is the G u a r d i a n of the Status quo: its purpose is to conquerors have been the well-beloved. N a p o l e o n had frighten off any invader who would disturb established the adoration of the men whose lives he was " w a s t i n g . " interests: i t is always, in its first stage, on the side of They would have called it a glorious opportunity enabling good faith, the maintenance of contracts, and fixed them to spend themselves lavishly w i t h a corresponarrangements: it is like a watch-dog b a r k i n g at a l l dingly lavish return i n pleasure. It is indeed a most new-comers, be these friendly or hostile. Its bark is ludicrous error to assume that interests are a l l worse than its bite, however, and flouted or ignored, " m a t e r i a l . " There are interests that are of pleasure, it w i l l always arrive at a temporary halt. The halt is to interests of spiritual expansion, interests of heightened gain time to see what measure of strength the distur- status, quite as compelling as these of m a t e r i a l profit; b i n g force has. P u b l i c Opinion, it is to be noted, is it is indeed doubtful, even among the meaner sort, the affair of non-combatants, and is supposed, there- whether the " m a t e r i a l " interests have so strong a pull Moreover, kinds of interests are very fore, to be also Disinterested Opinion. W h i c h does not as the others. in any way follow. P u b l i c Opinion is i n fact the calcula- unstable, and w i l l develop from one form to another tion of the self-interest of non-combatants. Its primary with extreme r a p i d i t y under the influence of threat or challenge. So, at the appearance of a great personality and involuntary bellowing function is its first instinct who can give body to more spacious interests, even the with intent to warn off disturbers: but if the aggressor perseveres unmoved and proves to be more powerful most intimate intereststhose of n a t i o n a l i t y and k i n than the member of the settled order whom he is attack- shipwill suffer a sea-change: ing, P u b l i c O p i n i o n , i.e., the interests of the non-fighters, " I f my children want, let them b e g for bread, gets ready to come to terms. It gets ready to live at M y E m p e r o r , my E m p e r o r is t a k e n . " ease w i t h a force which apparently has come to stay. I t has poised the merits of the two c l a i m a n t s : and There is bespoken the influence of one E m p e r o r : a peacethe maintenance of the Status quofirst weighted second has welded spirited, jealous and antagonistic

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Stateseven indeed the younger generations of the subdued provinces into a homogeneous unit under the influence of a fantastically adventurous yet l i v i n g dream. B y interests of a different sort E n g l a n d soothed Scotland into unanimity as she is engaged i n soothing the D u t c h in South A f r i c a . Other intereststhose of status and prestigeare the forces which have won for E n g l a n d at this present moment the loose alliance which is implied i n a friendly A m e r i c a n O p i n i o n . T h a t A m e r i cans share a common language and i n a measure a l l the prestige of the E n g l i s h t r a d i t i o n , l i t e r a r y and m i l i tary, implicates the status of A m e r i c a n s w i t h the main tenance of B r i t i s h S t a t u s : they would have hated England readily enough had she given i n d i c a t i o n just now that she was on the point of l o w e r i n g it. * * * * * A t the present time, it is true, E n g l a n d is blushing with the embarrassment of the unfamiliar, by allowing a parrot like press and pulpit to persuade the world that she is now a disinterested fighter in a great and holy Cause. She appears to be beginning to feel herself infected with the preacher's own l i q u i d emotions as she listens how she is going forthnot for her own sake butTO RIGHT THE WRONG, to avenge the weak, to champion civilisation, to suppress the V a n d a l and the H u n , a B a y a r d , a Galahad, the A r m e d Messenger of Peace, waging a spiritual warfare. There is one consolation indeedthe " T o m m i e s " are too far off, and too busy to hear any of it. A n d there is this excuse for the preachers: that they have looked round carefully and have not yet set eyes on any of those likely and tempting bits of territory which hitherto have always been hang ing as bait when E n g l a n d has gone to w a r : i t hasn't occurred to them that this war, far from r e q u i r i n g excuse in poetic babble, was necessary to save E n g l a n d ' s soul from the devastating unconfidence bred i n these years of peace. To please their souls let them call i t a spiritual war: at any rate i t answers a spiritual need, and i n the nick of time: Englishman's need, not B e l gium's, or culture's, or civilisation's, democracy's, and the rest. Twenty years hence the conflict probably would have been too l a t e ; as it now seems likely to prove twenty years too soon for Germany. The cause of the war is G e r m a n disparagement of E n g l i s h spirit: both as to its fire and its intelligence. The Germans believed that, average for average, they were better q u a l i t y : that E n g l i s h prestige was an anachronism, an heritage already sunk to a relic bequeathed from a spiritual past, from whose strength modern E n g l a n d has fallen off: that the nation was devitalised, and as interests can only be held i n proportion to the v i t a l i t y of those who forward them, they could be torn away i f seriously chal lenged by their naturally ordained successors. A n d they had plenty of evidence to support them. The spiritual fire glows out not merely i n one d i r e c t i o n : it is all-per v a d i n g : and German philosophy, German Science, Ger man inventiveness, energy, daring, and pushfulness, provided evidence which a l l the world might see and compare. B y that comparison, Germans had convinced themselves, and were convincing the world and us. They were undermining E n g l i s h confidence, not by their boasts but by their deeds: and naturally, if they excelled in the arts of peace why not in the art of war, where prestige registers an accurate level? They were wear ing down our spiritual resilience: the subtle t h i n g of the spirit which, once lost, is never recaptured. A people which feels this subtle thing departing from it w i l l strike instantly for its preservation, or know itself lost before a blow has been struck. It has seemed a puzzle, and to none more than to E n g l a n d herself, why she has suddenly found herself i n such abnormally good odour. It is an unusual situation for herin these latter days. The explanation is the promptnesshaste almostwith which she entered into the war. It was because she seized the first suggestion of an opportunity to vindicate herself, t h a t she instantly stood upvindicated, rehabili tated w i t h the respect that h a d i n latter days been given her w i t h a questioning grudge. H a d she hesitated it would have been the sufficing sign of weakness, of the i n sensitive l a c k of pride which the world was more than

half expecting, and was more than a l i t t l e shocked not to find. The " f r i e n d l i n e s s " of which she has been the recipient since is the outcome. The explanation applies as much to feeling w i t h i n the limits of the E m p i r e and to malcontents at home, as i n the world outside. A n d the result immediately to follow, one can safely trust, will be equally i n her favour: that is, the b r i l l i a n t vindica tion of B r i t i s h spirit on the seas and the battlefields w i l l speedily have a counterpart i n B r i t i s h l a b o r a t o r i e s : in renewed and confident strength of spirit in E n g l i s h philosophy, literature and art (where i t is needed, G o d w o t ! ) . Confidence, which dare look at plain fact without latent undermining fear, confidence and deeply stirred emotions are the materials which inspire a new spirit in the A r t s . A f t e r the war, because of the warthe Renascence! * * * So, to return to our anarchists, embargoists, humanitarians, culturists, christians, and any other brand of verbalists: the world is to the A r c h i s t s : it is a bundle of interests, and falls to those who can push their own furthest. The sweep of each interest is the v i t a l index of h i m who presses it. A n d interests have this in c o m m o n : the richness of the fruit they bear grows as they push outwards: the passions they excite are then stronger; the images called upthe throb, the colour, vividnessintenser. F o r this, a man has the evidence of his fellows to add to the weight of his o w n : men w i l l even desert their own greyer i n t e r e s t s : greyer because less m a t u r e d : when lured by the fascinating vividness of another's interests f a r - t h r o w n : the great l o r d can always count on having doorkeepers i n abundance. To keep the door has become their p r i m a r y i n t e r e s t : because so, they live i n the vicinity of a bright-glowing strength. Neglect to analyse the meaning of friendly P u b l i c Opinion has misled anarchists as to its real nature and as to what attitudes towards their fellows, men can be persuaded to adopt. C o m b i n a t i o n of interests against a powerful aggressive interest, which is the first stage of P u b l i c Opinion, is a momentary affair, intended to parry the attack of a force which is feared because its strength is unknown. The reverse side to this temporary hostility of P u b l i c Opinion towards the aggressor is the favourable acceptance of the doctrine of non-pushfulness: of anarchism proper. B u t the friendliness is as shortlived as the h o s t i l i t y : since fear of the unknown is not a permanent feature of the public t e m p e r : rather is an accommodating ad justment to strong forces emerging out of the unknown, its permanent characteristic. Friendliness to, and ad miration for, strong interests is the permanent attitude of this world's c h i l d r e n : only v a r i e d by some direct an tagonism born of an opposition to one's own particular personal and private interest. Hence the reason why anarchismembargoism i n a l l its many formsnever penetrates more than skin deep. It is always encouraged by great promise of adherents: always i t finds itself abandoned by men i n earnest w i t h their powers about them: always the w o r l d is for the A r c h i s t s , who disperse and establish " S t a t e s " according as their powers enable them. * * * * So, opposition to the " S t a t e " because it is the " S t a t e " is f u t i l e : a negative, unending fruitless labour. " W h a t I want is my s t a t e : if I am not able to establish that, i t is not m y concern whose State is e s t a b l i s h e d : my business was and still remains the establishing of my own. The w o r l d should be moulded to my desire if I could so mould i t : failing i n that, I am not to imagine that there is to be no w o r l d at a l l : others more powerful than I w i l l see to that. If I do make such an error i t w i l l fall to me to correct i t and pay for i t . " Thus the A r c h i s t . W h e n the curtain rings down on one State automatically i t rises upon another. " T h e State is fallen, l o n g live the S t a t e " t h e furthest-going revolu tionary anarchist cannot get away from that. O n the morrow of his successful revolution he would need to set about finding means to protect his " a n a r c h i s t i c " notions: and would find himself protecting his o w n i n terests w i t h a l l the powers he could command, l i k e a

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v u l g a r A r c h i s t : f o r m u l a t i n g his L a w s and m a i n t a i n i n g his State, u n t i l some franker A r c h i s t a r r i v e d to displace a n d supersede h i m . * * * * The process seems so obvious, and the sequence is so u n f a i l i n g , t h a t one wonders how the humanitarian fallacies g a i n the hearing they do, though the wonder diminishes when one reflects how the major proportion of the h u m a n species holds i t a just grievance that we walk upon our feet and not upon our heads, and that the tendency of falling objects is down and not up. A c c o r d ing, one m i g h t argue, i t is because i t is the human way for men to push their interests outwards that humani tarians step forward and modestly suggest that they should direct them backwards. Object that outwards is the human way and the retort is that inwards is the divine oneand better, higher. A n d there may be some t h i n g too i n a customary confusing of an attitude which refuses to hold laws and interests sacred (i.e., whole, unquestioned, untouched), and that which refuses to re spect the existence of forces, of which L a w s are merely the outward visible index. It is a very general error, but the anarchist is especially the v i c t i m of i t ; the greater intelligence of the A r c h i s t w i l l understand that though laws considered as sacred are foolishness, respect to any and every law is due for just the amount of re t a l i a t o r y force there may be involved i n i t if i t be flouted. Respect for " s a n c t i t y " and respect for " p o w e r " stand at opposite p o l e s : the respecter of the one is the ver balist, of the otherthe A r c h i s t : the egoist. * * * *

A n d there are the illusions about the ways of l o v e : where one seems to desire not one's own interests but another's. A g a i n i t is mere s e e m i n g : the lover is a tyrant kept w i t h i n bounds by the salutary fear that the substance of his desire w i l l slip from his g r a s p : whereas his paramount interest is to retain his hold on it. The " e x p l o i t a t i o n " is nevertheless as sure and as certain as that of the sorriest old rascal who ever coined wealth out of misery. Mother-love, sex-love, w i t h friendship even, it is one and the same. * * * * B u t whatever may be the illusions which lead h i m on, the anarchist's hopes are vain. W a t e r w i l l take to running uphill before men take seriously towards anarchism and humanitarianism. The forces of their being are set the other way. The w i l l to create, to con struct, to set the pattern of their w i l l on the world of events w i l l never be restrained by any s p i r i t u a l embargo, save w i t h those whose w i l l would count for l i t t l e any way. There is some substance, indeed, i n the old market-place cry about levelling " d o w n " instead of " u p . " The embargoists, the anarchists, and a l l the saviours, are bent on l e v e l l i n g - d o w n : they are worrying about the few desiring too m u c h : whereas none can desire enough. The " p r o b l e m s " of the worldwhich are no problemswill be solved by the "down-ando u t s " themselves: by a self-assertion which w i l l scatter their present a l l too apparent anarchism. W h e n it becomes clear to them that i t is only seemly to want the earth, they w i l l feel the stirrings of a power sufficient at least for the acquisition of a few acres.

VIEWS AND COMMENTS.

WHY we E n g l i s h fight: L o r d Rosebery: " T o main t a i n the sanctity of international l a w i n E u r o p e . " The * international law presumably " s h o u l d* b e " immutable and eternal: that, at least, is what the noble l o r d means to fob off on the encouragingly woolly minds of his hearers. H e would not waste the timeor his opportunityto add that the present international law of Europe is i n the E n g l i s h favour: or that the Germans fight precisely to change the international law of Europe into their favour. Whereafter they, too, would fight to m a i n t a i n , immutable and eternal, the sanctity of the international law of Europe. L a w remains such an excellent conjuring property w i t h the crowd: " M u m b o jumbo, L a w and M e s o p o t a m i a " can always be relied upon to work a l l the tricks, and cloak a l l the spoof. It w i l l only be after the "Enlightenment" which is to follow the war that one w i l l be able to make the purplefaced indignants realise that " l a w s " are merely inci dentals: dependent in a l l their variety and change upon the fortunes of the interests of which they are mere indices: that their " s a n c t i t y " depends solely on the might of these interests to keep them sanctus, holy, i.e., " u n b r o k e n . " The "maintenance of the sanctity of the (present) international law of E u r o p e " happens to be our interest, and whether i t remains sacred or not depends upon the power which we hurl against the power of those whose interests would encourage to its violation. The " g o o d " odour of " g o o d f a i t h " is due to the status of those among whom its exercise may be gracious and yet lordly. " G o o d f a i t h " is i n fact the panache of the top most rider: i t is a proud convention among those who can afford it. " B a d f a i t h " is the necessity of the next to the topmost. It is not a grace or an ornament: i t is a weapon: it, too, is l i m i t e d to those who can afford it. G o o d faith, in short, is i n place when evinced towards equals and inferiors: i t is a gracious bounty flowing d o w n w a r d from those above: that is why the heart warms towards i t : bad faith is i n place evidenced towards such as are above, but who are about to be forced below. Its use constitutes the first line of attack of the malcontent, and i t is feared and hated by those who stand high be cause i t is formidable: those highest i n status w i l l see to i t t h a t b a d faith carries a bad name. The violation of B e l g i u m was not, in its essentials, bad faith towards B e l g i u m : its intent was to break faith w i t h France, Russia, and B r i t a i n . W h y not tell true things to the people, oh noble E a r l ! * * A n d next the issue is balanced as between "autocracy and democracy." W h a t an orgy of empty word-sling ing for the u n t h i n k i n g scribblers and sabbath orators! H o w seductive are these catch-phrases which paralyse the m i n d ! If one were an autocrat w i t h the powers of our A l l y , the great A u t o c r a t of a l l the Russians, how one could gratify a fiendish lust. A l l the popular writers might be put into the pillory and twelve keen wits turned loose on them to p r i c k them w i t h questions about the words they use. To have so much power and to miss so exquisite an opportunity argues lack of imagination in our great friend, the A u t o c r a t . The championing of democracy against autocracy forsooth! What's a democrat? A n d what is an autocrat? A democrat is one who is ruled by everybody, every J a c k ' s subject. A n autocrat has at least the d i g n i t y of pretending to rule himself: how many more he rules is at least not his concern, but the concern of those who fail to do likewise: democrats and alienally governed of a l l sorts. Of course there is the t a g about democracy and " t h e w i l l of the people," but, unfortunately, i t won't fit in here, at this crisis. Because, j u d g i n g of the two sides engaged i n this war, the one which was animated by the w i l l of its people happens to be the G e r m a n one. It is provoking, no doubt, but i t is true. F o r many years the K a i s e r ' s people have concurred i n , co-operated with, and sacrificed for, the propagandising of the notion of this w a r ; whereas, in E n g l a n d , the w a r was arranged by a mere handful: its announcement left the majority of Englishmen gasping for words. N o , " d e m o c r a c y versus autocracy," won't do on this seam: you must acquire more sense and have fewer stereotyped phrases, mes a m i s ! * * * * A . G . G . in the " D a i l y N e w s " reflects musingly how a disaster makes evident that a l l things tend for their solution towards Communism, and i n a Communistic anarchist j o u r n a l " F r e e d o m , " P . K . discourses trium phantly on precisely the same subject. H e says that pro phetic anarchist dogma, i n contrast to the bourgeois economist teaching of " T o everyone according to his services," has been a l l these years " T o each according

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to his needs," and that at long last Time has given ver dict i n the Communist favour. H e illustrates by quota tion thus: " L e t any great city be visited to-morrow by a calamitya siege, or the likeand you w i l l see that immediately the C o m m u n i s t idea w i l l come to affirm itself i n life. The question of ' b r e a d , ' of food for a l l , w i l l impose itself upon the community, w h i l e the ques tion as to the remuneration of the services rendered by this or that member of society w i l l be thrust into the background. E v e r y one's needs w i l l be every one's right to his share i n the common store of available food." H e comments: " N o w , Western Europe is l i v i n g through a period of calamity, and we see how the i d e a of Communist kitchens is rapidly spreading everywhere, as a first small step towards a Communistic conception of organisation." H e winds up w i t h : " M a n y comrades are quite right i n seeing i n such kitchens the means to prove to the w o r k i n g men that i n constructive work A n a r c h i s t s can be practical, and even more so than those who pretend to be practical, simply because the latter stifle every revolutionary thought. A good propaganda of the Communist idea is already being made by this supply of food, and the communalisation of housing and c l o t h i n g may follow very soon," which shows how even anarchists when they can w i l l work up the speed for their hobbies. W e l l : to smooth the crease from A . G . G . ' s puzzled brow, and to slacken Prince K r o p o t k i n ' s Communistic pace (if the writer of the " F r e e d o m " leader be indeed that ardent anar chist). The first t h i n g to note about a l l this evidence flattering to Collectivity provided by disaster, is that i t is provided by disaster. Circumstances are not ordi nary, fear is a l l around, and under the influence of fear, it w i l l be noticed a l l animals, from highest to lowest, tend to herd. D u r i n g a thunderstorm the lady newlysettled i n the house across the waya strangerpre sents herself on my doorstep and literally shoves her way i n . She is afraid of thunderthat is allbut suffi cient apparently completely to reverse her normal con duct, and there is no need to pucker one's brow and foresee the necessity of creating a brand-new social polity because of it. T o herd is the normal defensive i n s t i n c t : Communism is defensivethe social impulse which seizes on indivi duals affected by fear. The impulse passes w i t h the passing of the exceptional danger. A s far as present measures give evidence, the observation w i l l not need emphasising that the activity of the collectivist direc tion has lent itself almost exclusively to restrictions. The purpose of the moratorium, for instance, was to prevent individuals pressing for p a y m e n t s ; again, a measure to prevent them offering produce for sale at prices beyond a certain figure; or, one may not pass a sentry without r e p l y i n g to his challenge. The collective Government has tabulated very many things which may not be done: it has had practically nothing to say about what one may do, beyond giving generous advice to get about one's own business, and not expect too much from it, even i n the w a y of restrictions. W h a t the situation amounts to is t h i s : we are a l l l y i n g low be cause faced with a common danger, the danger to trade, and means of livelihood, being as common to employers, and those called " i n d e p e n d e n t , " as much as to " w o r k e rEGOIST.A s . " L i k e outdoor life before a storm, a l l have THE taken to shelter. I t is not an active t i m e : " N o t h i n g d o i n g " is the commonest phrase that is going. Adventure has been paralysed by fear and its conse quences. E v e n A m u n d s e n has abandoned his t r i p to the P o l e , one hears. T h i n g s are shaky enough: the financial measures taken by the Government are to prevent them from b e i n g made worse by panic. These measures re present no t r i u m p h of the human s p i r i t : they are the make-shifts of the moment, made use of, faute de mieux. N o t h i n g w o r t h while is ever done under the influence of fear: the best to which energy can aspire i n such cir

cumstances is to keep things from becoming precipitate while a w a i t i n g a more favourable period. Achievement means adventure, and adventure needs confidence: at present things are paralysed, more or less. W h e n the first shock has passed off we shall begin to sally forth again like insects after rain, units, each bent on prosecuting his i n d i v i d u a l ambitions. Communists should not allow the fact that people have appeared to enjoy the little communist interlude to b l i n d them to the actual origin of that enjoyment: it was not the com munistic measures, whether i n the form of communist kitchens, or otherwise (there are communist kitchens i n every prison and workhouse which do not appear to be very e x h i l a r a t i n g affairs) but che pleasure of excitement at the prospect of change: it was the outcome of the excitement, and not of the kitchens, though i n their huggermugger moments, when t i r e d and worried, they would doubtless allow that such kitchens were a boon indeed. A t heart men are a l l children: not " s t a t e s m e n . " Life is for fun. Only when we are thoroughly brow beaten by the solemnities do we seriously affect that i t is otherwise. * * * * L o r d Curzon was confiding to an astonished audience the other evening that never i n the history of the E m p i r e had such a condition of opinion as existed at present, been witnessed: that there existed no dissentient voice. " N o n e is for a party, but a l l are for the S t a t e , " he told them. H e meant, of course, that the old orthodox parties' lights were for the moment b u r n i n g d i m . It would be a p i t y for him to delude himself into t h i n k i n g , or to encourage others to delude themselves that men can ever cease to be " f o r " P a r t y N o . 1. F o r , while men are pleased just now to be " f o r " the State, i t would be folly to imagine that the State is " f o r " us. The State is for itselfthe assignations of its bodycorporate are for those of its members whose powers keep it stable: that is, which give i t its meaning as " The S t a t e . " To consider that we are a l l respected members of the body is to run i n face of the evidence. F o r i n stance, the State is now spending for its own preserva tion, w i t h " o u r " tacit consent, and out of " o u r " money, of course, a sum v a r y i n g from a m i l l i o n sterling per day, upwards. Incidentally, it is relying for its v i t a l needs upon an unlimited proffering of the very lives of individuals from among its non-respected members. Y e t the circulation system of this enterprising corpus is so defective that i t would turn a century of ways before consenting to devote a few p a l t r y millions to an i n demnification of the most elementary character of the dependents of those whose lives i t is freely using. The life-blood flows very easily to the head of this corpus: it is very sluggish i n flowing back to replenish, i n any measure, the depleted members. T h i s is the inevitable fashion of these vast "bodies-corporate," and the wise among the non-respected members w i l l recognise this well i n advance, and, while d r a w i n g from the " g r e a t b o d y " what pleasure they are able, they w i l l prepare to look to themselves for a l l that is v i t a l to them. They w i l l not be deluded by verbal expressions of L o v e and Recognising A p p r o v a l , extracted from the " g r e a t b o d y " while i t was i n need of them, and while they were medi t a t i n g g i v i n g up their a l l i n its service. The charac teristic which has developed into a consummate art w i t h "corporate-bodies," is a fine forgetfulness of its nonpowerful servers. * * * * A note on some correspondence i n the last issue of correspondent protests against the v a l i d i t y of recognition of " c l a s s e s , " and says " F o r the true egoist there are no classes." H e might just as well say there are no orange-boxes or pigeon-holes, or deny that there exists any system of nomenclature and identification. Classification is an inevitable proceed i n g w i t h the p o t e n t i a l i t y of vast usefulness: a t h i n g is " c l a s s e d , " for instance, merely by n a m i n g it, which process places it under a c e r t a i n recognised divisionan obviously necessary proceeding i n a m u l t i p l e w o r l d . Classification has fallen into contempt because of b a d classifying, i.e., m a k i n g one certain feature the classify-

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i n g c r i t e r i o n , and then proceeding to swear that a l l things c o m i n g under the d i v i s i o n are possessed of a thousand and one features which were never indicated or intended i n the grouping of the class. If, for instance, one were to make a " c l a s s " of " m e n acceptable for s e r v i c e " out of a l l able-bodied males of ages ranging from 18 to 30, and then were to proceed to press in for active service a l l the old women and children because these latter speak E n g l i s h , as do the able-bodied men aforementioned, one would get a p a r t i a l hang of the t r i c k which has made " c l a s s i f i c a t i o n " a suspected mental activity. " O n e - e y e d " men is a sound classificat i o n : the nature of the odious process which lias brought classing into contempt is that which would insinuate into the class the assumption that " t h e y are all therefore treacherously i n c l i n e d . " S o : the classification of wage-earners is as sound as that of " a p p l e s " or " o n e eyed m e n " : it brings under a division a l l such as work for an a r b i t r a r y return upon enterprises for whose initiation and direction the responsibility has been assumed brothers p r i o r to their engagement on them. The descriptive-label of "defective i n i t i a t i v e " attached to wageearners is as pertinent and essential to their designation as the description of a certain k i n d of fruit is to the designation of the class " A p p l e . " In short: a wageearner is one who labours on a job not i n i t i a t e d by himself. The remark of the correspondent to the effect that a p a r t i c u l a r wage-earner shows initiative by entering the correspondence columns of this paper, while it may be true, is yet wholly beside the point. The defective initiative implied in the classification of wage-earner extends no further than the area of his activity of wagee a r n i n g : which is quite sufficient to make clear the fact we intended to make clear, i.e., the difference of status of classbetween an " e m p l o y e r " and those whom he "employs." D. M.

FIGHTING PARIS.
AUGUST 5.Some of the newspapers this morning announce that E n g l a n d has declared war on Germany, others that Germany has declared war on England. Whose is the " G r e a t I l l u s i o n " now? The Echo de Paris publishes a fine commentary by M . Maurice Barres on the speech pronounced by M . V i v i a n i (Minister of F o r e i g n Affairs) at the Chamber yesterday where he describes the events which have given rise to the present situation. " T h i s w a r , " he writes, " w i l l b r i n g about a resurrection. Let us turn to the men to whom we owe it. I am t h i n k i n g of the men I know and whom I have constantly esteemed. Y e t , neither I nor others have always understood their grey, monotonous lives. F o r these A u g u s t days of 1914 they have sacrificed thirty, forty yearsa whole life's activity. This moment when, surrounded by their trusting men. they protect our frontiers . . . is their r e w a r d . " F o r at last the turn of the military has come after long periods of neglect or most tepid popularity. But a few weeks ago the army pleaded for better recognitionalways obstinately refused by the Governmentand better support in its efforts. Yesterday, as we sat at a c a f opposite the Ecole M i l i t a i r e , we were struck with the changed appearance of the officers going to and fro, their confident step, their serene though earnest expressions. The F r e n c h officer is, usually, an attractive man, extremely intelligent and cultivated (his examinations are of the most arduous), of a fine rectitude, sober i n his conduct, modest, and who, if he were given better chances instead of being literally crushed as he has been w i t h i n recent years, would never acquire that morgue and haughtiness which characterises the m i l i t a r y element in countries where it is more predominant. A quest after supplies this morning showed that meat is still to be had at the usual prices, but that butter is more difficult to procure. A n afternoon paper confirms E n g l a n d ' s declaration of war on G e r m a n y and announces fighting in B e l g i u m . A poor G e r m a n woman l i v i n g in P a r i s has committed suicide by t h r o w i n g herself out of a window. The sun sets i n hot flames this evening. At noon there was a thunderstorm. E a c h day or night since the mobilisation it has rained sufficiently to temper

the atmosphere. To-night as I look at the sky laden with stars I wonder how they can continue to shine, how the sky can continue its even life w i t h men a few hours away a n n i h i l a t i n g each other. A n d a l l nature continues serene, indifferent and at peace. A s the night advances the sky becomes sinister, cold, moonlit, streaked w i t h ragged, fast-travelling c l o u d s : the sky in a battle-picture. H . S. C. had his service boots hobnailed according to orders to-day. OBSERVATIONS.War not only consists i n fighting. is not only soldiers, guns, bombs. It means war everywhere, individually and collectively, w i t h i n and without. We hear lonely trains whistle sadly by (the whistle sounds different to what it does at other times) and as each passes the rumour of cheers reaches us. A t seven o'clock I heard a drum and a bell. O n i n q u i r y I find the town-crier announces that the B e l g i a n M i n i s t e r requests all mobilisable Belgians to return to their country without delay. In one of the recent papers we read the Tsar advised Russians living i n France to join the French ranks as thus they would serve their own country quite as well as by returning homean impossibility at present. Foreigners i n P a r i s are organising volunteer troopsthe B r i t i s h . Greeks, Italians, etc. A group of Germans announced that, being disgusted with their country, they would be ready to fight on the F r e n c h side. But New Zealanders. Canadians who have never set foot on English soil, are ready to cross Oceans to come to the M o t h e r Country's assistance. AUGUST 6.Not much news i n the morning paper. The rule that no war news may be published except such as is supplied by the Ministere de la Guerre and that no paper may appear until the W a r Office has revised the final proof, moreover that no street-cries w i l l be allowed, was received with applause at the Chamber of Deputies, and notably from the press gallery, the day before yesterday. A n o t h e r article by M . M a u r i c e Barrs in the Echo de Paris. Out for provisions. The only people you see in the streets are very old men. or very young ones or women, or officers i n motors and soldiers leading horses or d r i v i n g waggons. No butter to be had but I find cream-cheese, gruyere and meat at the usual prices. Coffee has run out i n this locality but some was found for us in the neighbourhood. W e were occupied with house-work this morning, being without assistance, and H . S. C. set order i n his papers, books and drawings. Rather a painful task, and it is sad to see a l l the work begun and plans for future work. Bought a papier timbr for a legal document. A t the post office notices inform the public that no money orders are received for Belgium, no letters, telegrams or money orders for Germany, A u s t r i a and dependent countries, that all telegrams including inland must be w r i t t e n i n plain, unambiguous language and i n F r e n c h or E n g l i s h only and that their delivery is not assured. M e t M m e . R. whose husband, an officer, is at Troves, and her son, a soldier, at Chartres, each w i t h his regiment, w a i t i n g to advance. In the afternoon to Paris to D r . C.'s who is organising employment for the " u n m o b i l i s a b l e . " that is, women, and men who are " r e f o r m e d " (i.e., exempt from service by the medical examination); and then to Mlle. O ' B . ' s the Polish painter. F i n d her in distress at having to leave P a r i s b y police order for some concentration-camp i n the South as she is of A u s t r i a n citizenship. This is very- unjust as the F r e n c h are not yet at war with A u s t r i a , the A u s t r i a n A m b a s s a d o r being s t i l l i n P a r i s and the F r e n c h one i n V i e n n a . She says her femme de mnage has refused to continue to serve her. Mlle. B . ' s mother was F r e n c h and she belongs to a l l the leading F r e n c h A r t societies. Thence to an address which has been given us where classes are held i n first aid to the wounded. The influx of candidates here is enormous. Women are practising bandage-making i n the passages, on the stair case, on the balconies. W h i l e passing the church of Saint Franois X a v i e r we saw many hundreds of soldiers forming a compact blue mass (for their red caps were hidden under blue coverings) and horses w a i t i n g to be inspected. In the N o r t h East, whence they are doubtless bound, t h i n g s are s t i r r i n g villages and on the point of t a k i n g Lige. The con-

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ductor on our crowded tramcar, a handsome man, tells us he is l e a v i n g to-morrow. H e collects his fares no less dutifully. A nice-looking little soldier, w i t h delicate features, blue eyes and a fair moustache, says, i n a country d r a w l : " J e ne sais pas o c'est que je v a i s ; je saurai o c'est quand je pars." A n d then, w i t h a certain r e l i s h : " W e w i l l have those Germans this time, and why? Because they w i l l have nothing to eat." " T h e y w i l l have to eat each other," is someone's comment. " A l l the better, like that there w i l l be less of them to deal w i t h . " A good many foreigners on the Boulevard Montparnasse where the artist-haunted cafs are crowded. The afternoon paper now appearing announces good news: that L o r d K i t c h e n e r has been appointed M i n i s t e r for W a r . A t last. To the publisher G . C . ' s . Here we meet the poet C . G . , who tells us he came back from his holidays in the South to the sound of the tocsin which was rung a l l over the provinces on the announcement of mobilisation. Though at the end of his term he hopes there may still be something for him to do. Here everyone is cheerful. M r . G . C . , who is expecting his call and leaves a l i t t l e family behind him, rubs his hands with glee. B e i n g very anglophile he is enchanted at the turn things have taken. Here we learn that the poet G . C. C. left this m o r n i n g for Amiens, which is as much as to say Belgium. J . V . , author of " L e s Hasards de l a G u e r r e , " w i t h whom we were in England recently furthering " c o r d i a l i t y " w i t h France, has also left for the front. The writers A . M . and F . B . are also at their respective posts. The painter R. V . tells us how some Austrians and Germans were last night given notice by the police to leave the house in which he lives. Out they had to go as soon as they had been satisfactorily questioned, and it appears this was done with great equity. One of them, just as he was on the threshold of the outer door, asked for leave to return to his studio to fetch something he had forgotten; it was granted h i m ; then followed a noise: he had shot himself. H e was married to a Frenchwoman and had lived long i n France. One of the other expelled ones was a poor little A u s t r i a n painter who earned his l i v i n g by cobbling shoes. B y the way, two nights ago at an hotel-restaurant quite near us at B . , a mana F r e n c h mankilled his child, wounded his wife and k i l l e d himself at the prospect of having to go to the front and leave them. The innkeeper, whose four sons were a l l bearing arms, quaintly remarked to the dying woman that her husband might have chosen another place in which to perpetrate his deed. W e went to a caf on the Boulevard Saint M i c h e l which we found almost as animated as at usual times. Every one looked cheerful, doubtless because the news i n the papers is favourable, indeed we are only given favourable news and by minute dosesthree little items doled out one at a time for each of the three editions, morning, noon, and evening. It is strange how the misfortune of these becomes the fortune of those. Thus a little paper published at luncheon-time, which has dragged out a precarious and very obscure existence up to now, is having the time of its career. No train for civilians at the Gare Montparnasse and as we have more than an hour to wait before one leaves on another line we dine i n town and have a very good meal at the customary price. We are not starving yet but it was rather revolting to see a huge woman decked out i n loud clothes eating like a famished w i l d beast and laughing and j o k i n g as though it were holiday-time. W e saw a waggon bearing soldiers on which were written the words " V i c h y - E t a t " ; we also saw one of the B o n March delivery vans requisitioned by military. N o trams after eight o'clock so we w a l k e d part-way and finished by cab. There are soldiers at a l l the cafs and wine-shops but none are drunk. In fact no one is. " M a g i c C i t y " has been turned into temporary barracks and it is strange to see the soldiers among the plaster-of-paris figures of nude women as we did this afternoon. A t B . Station the tickets are collected by the station-master who wears a band round his left arm to show he does his duty on r a i l w a y service. O n the w a l k home we broke into conversation w i t h a y o u n g m a n who said he was just back from B e l g i u m (it had taken h i m from Sunday t i l l this Thursday to travel

from Lige to Paris). H e had seen no papers since Sunday m o r n i n g at Brussels. H e told us that B e l g i u m positively is in a state of war and that the p a t r i o t i s m of the Belgians is as magnificent as the methods of the Germans are unheard-of. H e told us how old men, on hearing the Germans were in their country, went forth with their guns, facing certain death, for the Germans shoot every armed private individual they meet. H e had already learnt on Sunday at Brussels what we only learnt to-day, namely, that there are some eight hundred G e r m a n wounded and prisoners in Belgium. H e said the Germans really were ferocious. H e also told us that at some station he and a friendI believe the French consul at Breslauwere placed under m i l i t a r y guard and that one of the G e r m a n non-commissioned officers, on seeing him smile at something that was remarked by one of them said that to laugh i n the presence of a German officer was an insult to h i m and if he smiled again he would be shot then and there. This French consul had told h i m that i n G e r m a n y it was said that P a r i s was i n revolt and M . Poincar had been murdered. The young man who t o l d us these things was a welleducated young Belgian, an aviator, who had put his services at the disposal of the F r e n c h army. It has not been possible to distribute uniforms to a l l yet and a middle-aged man i n civilian's clothes wearing eyeglasses, whose only m i l i t a r y accoutrement was a gun, was sentinel on our r a i l w a y bridge to-day. M a n y men go about with the red cap and their usual clothes just to show they are mobilised. Onlookers applaud on seeing small detachments of soldiery pass. One of some soldiers who were leading horses up our h i l l to-day along the Paris-Versaille road, the highway used by Louis X I V . , among the cobbles of which we found one into which had been cut the date 1753, the last time it was paved, no doubtwaved to us and said goodhumouredly " A u - R e v o i r . " AUGUST 7.This is the first anniversary of the day the law for three years' m i l i t a r y service was carried, and only just carried, for had Jaurs, Herv and other socialists had their way the number of men under the flags now would have been less by some 300,000, and where should we have been? It fell upon General Pau, now commander of one section of the army, who is said to be a hero in the field, to e x p l a i n the expediency of three years' service in the presence of a most hostile House. It is the opponents of practical measuresall unanimously patriotic to-day. of coursewho have armed the Germans against us and who should be put as near as possible the range of G e r m a n guns i n the place of the guiltless ones there now. They are much worse enemies to a country than foreigners. A n d there is another class of no less dangerous traitor. D i d not a G e r m a n paper say just before hostilities broke o u t : ' ' F r o m a country where justice is exercised i n such fashion (referring to the C a i l l a u x case) we have nothing to fear." France knows how to command respect i n moments of great crisessuch as the present onebut it would be to its advantage if at other times it could manage to keep its scum under. The neglect has to be paid for sooner or later. If you look a little impressive people do not insult y o u ; if you look " e a s y - g o i n g " you w i l l have to b r i n g retaliation forces into action which you might have been spared by the former precaution. Germany has always understood the value of impressing ("imponieren," as they say). P o u r i n g r a i n to-day. H . S. C. goes to P a r i s to inquire into the nature of the service which w i l l be required of h i m . F o r m a l l y he is excluded from the fighting ranks, and as inexperienced men are not wanted he w i l l have to be satisfied with the " a u x i l i a r y " employment to which he is entitled when his turn comes. The post brings a letter saying D r . D e N. joined his regiment on M o n d a y and a card, posted yesterday, from E n g l a n d . B u t no news from M. or N . I wonder how long I shall be cut off from them. The town-crier is calling for the " t e r r i t o r i a l a r t i l l e r y . " The older men of the locality have assumed the policing of the place. M i s s Isadora D u n c a n has offered the large house she occupies here to the R e d Cross Society as a hospital. The paper speaks of another suicide on the part of a G e r m a n resident in Paris. O n the drawn

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shutters or w i n d o w s of closed shops one may r e a d : " C l o s e d because the patron and his employs have gone to fight for t h e i r c o u n t r y . " A little red, white and blue l a b e l shows the words " M a i s o n Franaise" specially p r i n t e d for the occasion and used p a r t i c u l a r l y where the owner's name may seem foreign. W o r d s reminiscent of G e r m a n y and A u s t r i a are blotted out. Our B e l g i a n aviator-friend told us that the F r e n c h consul at B r e s l a u t o l d h i m the people in Germany are terror-struck by this w a r and a s k i n g themselves into w h a t trap they are b e i n g led. T h i s morning's paper says there was not a single case i n the c a p i t a l yesterday of insubordination or delinquency i n connection with the mobilisation. To n o t e : a few days before the mobilisation order a dog I h a d never heard before howled most p i t e o u s l y ; i t howled just before the declaration of war. M y G e r m a n servant, I remember, observed that there surely must be some one dying. To-day H . S. C. brought the painter R. V . home to lunch, and for the first time for a fortnight we t a l k e d " s h o p . " H . S. C. and M r . R. V . went to see an official as to whether the latter could not be employed in map-drawing, for if he is not accepted for active service he may as well make himself useful i n some branch where he is competent, instead of i n potato-peeling or pan washing. A notice at the post-office announces that no telegrams are sent, whether inland or abroad, without having been p r i m a r i l y examined by the police commissary. The censorship on soldiers' letters is such that a lady here on opening a letter she thought from her son found i n the place of i t a slip of paper on which was w r i t t e n i n a strange hand, " I am at D i j o n , " obviously a substitute for the o r i g i n a l communication. H . S. C. returned w i t h the disappointing news that no mapdesigning is being done just now at the W a r Office. A t M . he saw a house on which three flags had been painted, the F r e n c h , the B r i t i s h and the Russian. O n returning through the village, he saw a man on a ladder adding a fourth flag: the Belgian. AUGUST 8.The last week's strain now begins to make itself felt and we are exhausted. The papers announce the landing of B r i t i s h troops i n B e l g i u m ; also that the gates of P a r i s w i l l be closed at 6 p.m. and not opened again t i l l 6 a.m. The P a r i s Daily Mail publishes the E m p e r o r of Germany's proclamation. Weather very fine. A m very anxious re M . and N . , from whom I have no news, and E n g l i s h residents in Germany are, I hear, in great distress. Georges Carpentier, the boxer, has returned from E n g l a n d and joined the ranks. H e had not done his service yet. E v e n i n g paper announces that C h i n a has declared its n e u t r a l i t y ! SUNDAY, AUGUST 9.The morning papers announce the occupation by F r e n c h troops of the A l s a t i a n town of Mulhausen. A r t i c l e s i n the Echo de Paris by Maurice Barrs and the Comte A l b e r t de M u n , the latter of whom recalls the great difference between the start of this war and the last, for he was at Metz forty-four years ago on 22nd July. H e entitles his article " L ' A u r o r e " : " I quite realise," he writes, " t h a t you think I am a l l o w i n g myself to be carried away by an excess of enthusiasm! Too rapid joys make you tremble and cause you to anticipate a turn i n fortune! A n d you fear the illusions which lost us i n the ann terrible! A n d you are right. M y old heart, too ready to throb, must be quieted, and we must not, by too hasty hopes, risk the discouragement of an always redoubtable awakening. Yes, indeed, let us be wise and temperate. W e may, however, without compromising ourselves, be permitted to consider the unexpected spectacle before us. A n d firstly, do not let us mention 1870. N o t h i n g that we see to-day recalls it. The mobilisation order is a week old Forty-four years ago that was given out on the 22nd J u l y . I was at M e t z : we were leaving for the frontier. A r o u n d us there was disorganisation i n the commands, in the management, in every movement. The Emperor arrived looking pale, defeat written on his tragic face. The troops marched past h i m singing theyesterday forbidden, to-day commandedMarseillaise to evoke the ancestors of '92. B u t each one's heart was troubled, each one's soul anxious. A n d yet, a fortnight later, on 6th A u g u s t , the spirit of this magnificent army was such that only the i n i t i a t i v e of F a i l l y and the determination

of B a z a i n e were needed to make victories of W o e r t h and Forbach. To-day e v e r y t h i n g is accomplished w i t h admirable method. N o t an accident has d i s t u r b e d the progress of the m o b i l i s a t i o n up to now, its eighth day. The whole machine is i n regular w o r k i n g order, and, already, the offensive has been t a k e n on the A l s a t i a n as on the B e l g i a n frontier." M a u r i c e Barrs calls his article "Rsurrection." A neighbour has brought us a little store of potatoes. The weather is very fine but not too hotweather favourable to victory. A n aeroplane has just flown past at a very great height. The afternoon is so fine that one has the greatest difficulty in realising that the w o r l d is i n arms. M e a n w h i l e our fruit is ripening. W a l k e d to S. to inquire after a lady, a G e r m a n subject, I h a d s t i l l seen the day previous to mobilisation, for whom we felt some anxiety. F o u n d she had left. L i t t l e news i n the evening papers, except the great event that Montenegro has t a k e n to arms. AUGUST 10.Great penury of news. The papers repeat the same items over and over again. German soldiers starving i n B e l g i u m ; success of F r e n c h bayonet charges.The R e p u b l i c of H a i t i is desirous of making its absolute neutrality k n o w n . V e r y fine weather. H . S. C. tells me a pretty story: A small boy on seeing a funeral procession amble past, observed: " E h bien, i l n'est pas curieux, celui-l." A n d M r . V . saw, scrawled in chalk on the shutters of a cobbler's l i t t l e shop: " L e Sergent Seppe and et le C a p o r a l C h a u v i n sont partis dfendre l a p a t r i e . " There is also an anecdote being hawked about, wherein a midinette asks her sweetheart not to forget to b r i n g her a couple of G e r m a n helmets to use as flower pots. One letter yesterday, one to-day, but no news from or about M . and N . W e r e lucky i n catching a t r a i n for town. A t the stations along the line the soldiers were h a v i n g their noon-day meal, p l a y i n g cards, or napping. Some had washed their clothes and hung them out to dry. In P a r i s we saw a woman tram-conductor. She wore a cap and neat black dress, and the satchel was slung from her shoulder. The wives of men at the front have been taken to replace them and have been very quickly d r i l l e d to their duties. The char-abancs which take people to the races replace the requisitioned motor-buses. The horses, three abreast, jingle their bells as usual, and the conductor alights to invite fares. The terminus points are indicated i n rough chalk lettering together with the fare: 5 0 c., for instance, from Saint L a z a r e to the G a r d e de L y o n , along the boulevards. Thus, the most obsolete things come back into their own again some time or other. A t M . and Mme. F . R. V . ' s we hear the poet G . - C . C. has w r i t t e n , and says that at his request he has left A m i e n s and police service there for the more active ranks. Everyone here concerned at events and M m e . V . p a r t i c u l a r l y troubled, as are a l l women now, that there is no outlet for their activities, and the best they can do is to sit still and wait. Thence, in a t e r r i b l y crowded underground, to Saint Lazare to inquire after young D r . M , who was not there being probably a soldier by nowand where the concierge, who had never seen us before, button-holed us to relate us her anxieties both as concerned her young tenant and her husband. C a l l i n g , in the name of a young friend of ours, at an i n s t i t u t i o n claiming to find employment for those whose husbands or fathers are with the colours, we found the lists were closed on the six thousandth application. Thence, w i t h the greatest difficulty, the heat being intense and trams very rare, to Passy, to see M . and M m e . S. V . H e r e I glance, for the first time since the mobilisation, at a review. The first name I alight upon is that of the poet G . - C . C . , in an article, quoting also a poem by F . R. V . , and mentioning THE EGOIST. We heard that T u r p i n ' s latest invention (the M . T u r p i n who invented monolith), w h i c h he has kept secret for years, preferring to forego financial benefit in the eventual interests of his own country, was sent from V e r s a i l l e s to the front yesterday. M e t M l l e . O . B . ' s sister, by the way, this m o r n i n g , and h e a r d that they have, through exceptional influence, obtained permission to remain i n P a r i s . N e w s i n papers always scarce; incident between J a p a n and G e r m a n y ; G e r m a n ship destroyed by B r i t i s h . B y boat, slowly and w i t h changes, home. Sunset very fine. B o u g h t the last

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croissants, the bakers ceasing to make fancy bread and pastry from to-day. A t a caf, where we took some refreshment, women, instead of waiters, attended the customers. W e saw an ambulance motor stationed before the P r i n t e m p s being p i l e d up w i t h packets of cotton wool, dozens of cradles for legs and other sadly suggestive surgical implements. W e also saw several R e d Cross nurses about i n the streets. I n a w i n d o w at the Galeries Lafayette w a x figures w i t h the mincing faces and gestures more becoming to another type of costume, have been dressed up i n R e d Cross uniforms. AUGUST 11.Weather continues very fine. Papers absolutely deficient i n news, but i n the locality there is a report that wounded w i l l be directed here and that many have already been sent to different towns i n the provinces. Several letters from E n g l a n d this morning bearing the postmark for the 8th. B e i n g deficient i n news we fall back upon local incidents and anecdotes. We heard to-day of a woman who said she had never mourned her three dead sons more than now. H . S . C , met someone who told h i m one of the generals now at the front thought this; war would cost France a m i l l i o n of men. H a d ourselves vaccinated this evening, this pre caution having been advised the population. D r . M . tells us a patient of his received a letter from his brother to-day saying they had had a march which lasted from mid-day to midnight. AUGUST 12.Card at last from N . posted i n Switzer land on the 8th. A letter from E n g l a n d posted on the 9th. Less news than ever i n the papers. To Paris. H e a t overpowering. In the course of to-day we heard the followng items supplied from well-informed sources: that no less than 2,500 spies and rioters have been courtmartialled since the beginning of the mobilisation. Indeed the number of spies employed by the G e r m a n Government seems to pass belief. I am told for instance about a dealer i n tripe under whose shop near an i m portant railway bridge here i n Paris was an elaborate tunnelling through which he could blow the bridge up at a moment's notice. A t A n t w e r p there was a little German tradesman who had hidden uniforms and weapons enough to arm 2,000 German soldiers. W e were told, too, that there were many G e r m a n prisoners taken in Belgium i n barracks here. The other morning, at 1 a.m., the boulevards were evacuated by order and i t is thought this was effected for the easier transit of the prisoners. AUGUST 13.Weather continues v e r y hot. Of news less than ever. One is inclined to believe this war is a l l a hoax. A number of soldiers, we were told a thousand, were bivouacking near us to-day. They had come from a distant province. O n calling at a R e d Cross hospital near here we were told no wounded have arrived or are announced to arrive. The ladies i n charge seem sorry for this. The occasion is one for the exercise of much superflous zeal and self-advertisement through philan thropy. One feels it is better to be out of it. Declara tion of war between France and E n g l a n d w i t h A u s t r i a at last announced. W e heard that the men who, up to now, covered the frontier lines are now replaced by reserve forces. C a r d from a soldier-friend who is w i t h his corps i n N o r m a n d y and happy doing the cooking for his comrades. The M e t r o now runs u n t i l 9 p.m. and the order for the early closing of the P a r i s gates removed. We also learnt from a private source that a deficit of twenty-five per cent. (deserters, unfit, etc.) had been expected i n the t e r r i t o r i a l and reserve forces and that the actual figures are hardly one per cent. AUGUST 14.Heat continues intense. P o o r soldiers! H . S. C. heard an officer of the reserve forces say to his children who were seeing h i m off at the s t a t i o n : " S m i l e , children, smile." Supplies increasing and prices low, but few stalls open at the market. M . A l b e r t de M u n , commenting i n to-day's Echo de Paris upon a F r e n c h a r t i l l e r y victory, w r i t e s : " I t is not the heavy a r t i l l e r y which wins battles, it is the field gun. Therefore let us love a n d glorify our pretty (!) 75 for it is henceforth master of the fight." I had occasion to-day to look over an album of photos taken and collected i n the T r a n s v a a l war, photos of entrenchments filled w i t h strings of corpses, like l a r k s on a skewer, battlefields

dotted w i t h dead and other reminiscences of t h a t event brought back by M . R. D . , attach alternately to the B r i t i s h and Boer forces. W e asked him what he thought of the B r i t i s h army and he said they were excellent at attack and had no fear of cold steel. The opinion of the generals at the front is that the war w i l l last some time, perhaps ten months. AUGUST 15.The man whom H . S. C. saw adding a B e l g i a n flag to those of the three allied countries has w r i t t e n beneath i t " S a l u t l'Hroisme B e l g e . " A cobbler i n M . has put a notice on his door on which he "has drawn a French flag i n coloured chalks and w r i t t e n underneath: " L e cordonnier est sous les drapeaux." B i l l s have been printed i n the three national colours bearing the words " M a i s o n franaise." Ideal soldiers' weather, a violent thunderstorm overnight having con siderably cooled the air. AUGUST 16.The papers announce the Tsar's procla mation giving autonomy to P o l a n d and the interdiction of the sale of absinthe. This last measure, which the Chamber has never dared or wished to b r i n g into force, is an instance of the advantages of autocratic rule. Such a reform introduced at this particular moment is symptomatic of the extraordinary spring there is at the back of this country of which i t may truly be said that it is never lost. Other pieces of encouraging news this morning are the t a k i n g of the A l s a t i a n town of Thann and of the first G e r m a n flag. AUGUST 17.Japan's ultimatum to Germany. I ob serve how terribly chauvinistic the papers have become and how they insist on G e r m a n " a t r o c i t i e s . " It is sad that patriotism, like other human qualities, must eventually degenerate. H o w this war affects France, in contrast to its repercussion i n E n g l a n d , is shown by the fact that a l l literary publications have ceased. Beyond the daily papers (reduced i n size) no reading matter appears, neither magazines, nor reviews, nor books of any k i n d . M a p s are the only printed matter people buy besides the daily papers. A m o n g the numerous advertisers for employment i n the " M a t i n " the other day was a poor fashion a r t i s t ! A l l the museums are closed, and, of course, the theatres. A German (the secretary of an acquaintance), who has been sent to a concentration camp, writes to say he is very well treated. A n E n g l i s h friend tells me the fol lowing story: H e happened to be at a coast town i n N o r m a n d y on A u g u s t 1, and the change i n events neces sitated his immediate return to the capital, but travel l i n g had become impossible for civilians. Y e t , with the assistance of consul, passports, and what not, he obtained authority from the commissary of police to leave, and only the station-master's permission remained to be secured. This he obtained from h i m for a par ticular t r a i n one afternoon. O n arriving at the station to take his t r a i n the station-master he had interviewed had been replaced by another, who refused the permis sion accorded by his colleague i n the morning. No plea, no display of official authorisations could prevail upon h i m u n t i l it occurred to my friend to use the fol l o w i n g argument: " S u p p o s i n g , M o n s i e u r , " said he, " t h e E n g l i s h had not kept their promise to assist your country, what would you s a y ? " The reply to this was immediate access to the hitherto forbidden train. There you have the F r e n c h character i n a nutshell. This reasoning people is always more easily moved by an appeal to sentiment than to sense. A t the station from which we took the t r a i n to town to-day we found the doors g i v i n g access to the platform were kept locked u n t i l the a r r i v a l of the train. On inquiry as to the motive, we heard the line had been blown up a day or two ago. B y whom? B y G e r m a n spies, of whom three, of seven who had been conspiring together i n the neigh bourhood, h a d been taken. This reported epidemic of spies would be incredible were we not given tangible proofs of this k i n d , for one has difficulty i n believing i n a n y t h i n g so utterly fantastic as a spy. W e have been t o l d that among these a member of a celebrated J e w i s h millionaire family has been under arrest, and that a well-known F r a n c o - B e l g i a n nobleman is suspected of treason. The large, open p l a i n surrounding the Clment-Bayard aeroplane garage at Issy is now cleared

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of the hundreds of requisitioned motors which were to be seen stationed there recently. P a r i s struck us as b r i g h t a n d optimistic. O f course, it is not the usual P a r i s , but more like a p r o v i n c i a l town. H a w k e r s were s e l l i n g the K a i s e r ' s w i l l , c r y i n g " A c h e t e z le testament et le faire part de G u i l l a u m e , ses dernires paroles, ses dernires volonts, deux sous," adding, " I l n'est pas mort, l a v. . . . , i l est crev comme un cochon." Means of t r a n s i t s t i l l very a w k w a r d . O n one tram the conductor was a woman. A t the offices of " L ' A r t D c o r a t i f " M . Roches has had w r i t t e n on his shutters " F e r m jusqu' l a v i c t o i r e . " In the same street, a l i t t l e further down, M . Fischbacher, the publisher, has t a k e n precautions against possible misunderstandings b y h a v i n g his public affirmation that he is of FrenchA l s a t i a n o r i g i n , and that he and his family have served in the F r e n c h armies and navies vised by the Commissary of Police.The prettiest story going about just now is the one about the B e l g i a n who said he no longer went out w i t h his gun but with a slice of bread and butter. " T h e n the G e r m a n soldiers are sure to follow m e ! " (To be continued.)
MURIEL CIOLKOWSKA.

A PRELIMINARY SONNET TO THE GARLAND OF MONTHS. By FOLGORE DA SAN GEMIGNANO. To a noble company of Sienese. To the noble and courteous band and to a l l their members wheresoever they are, for they are always gay, I give hounds, hawks and money for spending. Sumpter-nags, quails caught i n flight, braches, swift beagles and greyhounds I give: i n this k i n g d o m I crown Niccolo l o r d because he is the flower of the city of Siena. Tingoccio, A t a i n d i Togno, and A n c h a i a n o and Bartolo and M u g a v e r o and F a i n o t t o , who are like the sons of k i n g B a n , More gallant and courteous than L a n c e l o t , i f need be, with lance in hand ye would joust at Camelot. January. I give y o u i n the month of J a n u a r y banquets with fires of k i n d l e d herbs, rooms and beds w i t h deft embroideries, silk sheets and coverlets of vair, Sweetmeats and comfits and sharp m i x e d wine, robes from D o u a i and from Rascia. Thus ye shall be defended when Scirocco, Gherbino and T r a m o n t a n a arise. A n d from time to time i n the day y o u shall go out and cast the white, beatiful snow at the girls standing about. A n d when the company is wearied y o u shall return to your banquet and there refresh the gallant band.

SOME ITALIAN SONNETS.

(EARLY TRECENTO.)

IHAVEtranslated these sonnetsin spite of Rossetti's beautiful renderingfor the following reasons. I believe that les jeunes are too interested i n their own careers and too little interested i n literature. (I am February. not a " g o o d e x a m p l e , " merely a reactionary.) A n artist who does not care for art disinterestedly cannot have F o r F e b r u a r y I give you good sport of deer, of wild t h a t lively interest i n life which everyone accepts as a goats and of boars, short gowns w i t h high boots, and fundamental condition of artistic work. This does not company to delight and please y o u ; mean an advocacy of pedantry n o r of the unimaginative Hounds on the leash and hounds to follow the scent, attempts at criticism by the B r i t i s h reviewers; but we and your purses filled w i t h money to the shame of misers all rather want to see squashed the type of artist who and hoarders or of any who grudge at our band. has only a personal and l i m i t e d interest i n the arts. In the evening you shall return w i t h your men burIt is extremely good for us with our somewhat stupendened with game, happy and cheerful and s i n g i n g : dous vanities to take a peep at the work of remote craftsThen let the wine be d r a w n and the kitchen steam, men and to realise how easily they excel us. It is for and be a l l of you s p a r k l i n g until y o u r first sleep and this reason that one regrets that boisterous rejection then repose t i l l morning. of a l l other art than their own which is one of the March. acutest features of les jeunes and perhaps their greatest weakness. F o r M a r c h I give you fishing of eels, of trout, of lampreys and salmon, of sharks, of dolphins, of sturgeon These translations are i n prose, while the originals and every other fish i n the r i v e r ; are sonnets. It is quite probable that Folgore " f e l t " W i t h fishermen and little boats i n a row, barques, these things as sonnets, and because the sonnet was a yachts and galleons, which w i l l bear you at any time v i t a l form i n his day he was right to employ it. This to any port you please. is not so to-day when a sonnet is either a pastiche or M a y the port be full of palaces and everything else a tour de force. H a r d l y any sonnets since the sevenyou need and a l l kinds of pleasing people. teenth centuryexcept Wordsworth'shave any organic B u t let it have no church or convent; leave the crazy originality. They are pastiches of trecento, Petrarchan, monks to their preaching for they have too many lies R o n s a r d i a n , Shakespearian, or M i l t o n i c sonnets. Even and too little truth. M i l t o n ' s sonnets are Italianate. Rossetti, the best of modern sonnetteers, merely expressed the trecento i n April. the language of Shakespeare and W a r d o u r Street. In In A p r i l I give you the gentle country-side a l l flowerF r a n c e , though they have had Beaudelaire and ing with fresh fair grass, fountains of water which shall Mallarm, the sonnet is dead. not weary you, ladies and maidens for your c o m p a n y ; I n F r a n c e , too, they have long realised that prose is A m b l i n g palfreys, destriers of S p a i n and people the only method of translating poetry. A translator's clothed in F r e n c h fashions, songs, and Provenal dances emotion is seldom intense enough for h i m to create with new instruments from Germany. genuine poetic rhythmsand a l l false poetic rhythms A n d round about there shall be many gardens for you are boring, hence the general tedium of " p o e t i c " transall to recline, and each one w i t h reverence shall incline lations. O n the other hand prose translations are somebefore times better than their originalsfor instance, That gentle one to whom I gave the crown of the Chateaubriand's M i l t o n and Mallarm's version of Poe, finest precious stones like those of Prester J o h n or the while L o u y s ' Meleager is only less than the Greek in K i n g of Babylon. d i g n i t y of language, not i n style and feeling. The funMay. damental lack i n M i l t o n and Poe a mastery of style is supplied by the more artistically subtle, though less F o r M a y I give you horses, a l l of them easy on the powerfully creative Frenchman. bit, a l l ambling, straight t r o t t i n g , w i t h chest-armour and head-stalls with bells, It w i l l be noted w i t h pleasure by some of the writers in these columns that F o l g o r e ' s interest lies i n his exact Banners, and cloaks w i t h many designs and silks of rendering of detaila phrase much worked but very all colours, your shields like those of jousters, violet, expressive. Rossetti, i n t r y i n g to torture his E n g l i s h rose, and the flower which dazzles a l l men. into sonnet form, has omitted some of the most picturB r e a k and shatter armour and lances while on window esque of these details, though, to do him justice, he has and balcony fruit shall r a i n up and garlands d o w n ; translated some lines b r i l l i a n t l y . H e was also unfortuA n d youthful maidens and y o u n g men shall kiss each nate i n not possessing the extremely scholarly text and other on the mouth and cheeks, discoursing together of essay of G. Navone. love and happiness.

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June. F o r June I give you a little mountain covered w i t h fair l i t t l e trees, t h i r t y villas and twelve towers surrounding a little citadel W h i c h i n its midst shall have a little fountain with a thousand branches and rivulets cutting through gardens and little lawns to refresh the minute short grass. Oranges, citrons, dates and lemons and a l l savoury fruits shall be made into long arches for the w a l k s ; A n d the people there shall be so amorous, shall do each other so much courtesy that they w i l l be held gracious by a l l the world. (To be continued.)
JOHN FELTON.

FREE VERSE IN ENGLAND.

By RICHARD ALDINGTON. WE must abandon the term " v e r s l i b r e , " which even in France has lost a l l meaning. It has been suggested that we should use the words " p o e m s i n unrhymed cadence," but " f r e e v e r s e " is at once more English and more explicit. Because above all things the artist must be freefree in his intelligence, in his life, and in his art. To say that the artist should be free does not mean that he should work without standards; it means that he should create his own standards. There is a constant tendency for the arts to become stereotyped i n content and i n expression; this is due to the influence of the public, which hates to think. Hence its opposition to originality, to unheard-of principles, to innovations in technique. The artist has constantly to react against this t y r a n n y ; he is betrayed by the mass of avaricious mediocrities who value the remunerations they receive more than the purity of their art. Moreoversince it is a truism that a l l which has once been true w i l l become false and that a l l which was once false w i l l become truethe artist has to deny and disprove principles erected by his ancestors i n order to keep intact their great common principle of freedom. There is a tyranny of novelty as there is a tyranny of antiquity. It is as stupid and contemptible to be a stereotyped Vorticist as i t is to be a stereotyped Academician. In art the important thing is the individual. When two individuals agree on a few points they can raise h e l l ; when ten agree they change the art history of their century. (In art as i n life the rarest t h i n g is the individual.) It is just as well to keep these obvious principles of artistic liberty i n one's mind i n considering the question of free verse i n England. F r e e verse might easily become as much of a shibboleth as academic verse. At present i t is largely treated as an inexcusable affectat i o n ; I demand that it receive as much or more attention than academic verse on the ground that its use is, at present, a sign of individuality. There is no reason to suppose that this subject is too occult or too technical for the layman. I t had first to be discussed by those whose chief business i n life it i s ; but now the curtain should be d r a w n ; there is no mystery. W h a t , then, is the difference between the new free verse and the old rhymed, accented verse? N o t , obviously, the commonplace idiotic remark of the journalist that free verse is merely prose cut into different lengths. The man who says that has no ear for p o e t r y ; he is unable to distinguish between the free verse written by an artist and its imitation by an amateur. F o r the essential difference between free verse and accented verse is just this: the old accented verse forced the poet to abandon some of his individuality, most of his accuracy and a l l his style in order to wedge his emotions into some preconceived and sometimes childish f o r m a l i t y ; free verse permits the poet a l l his i n d i v i d a l i t y because he creates his cadence instead of copying other people's, a l l his accuracy because w i t h his cadence flowing naturally he tends to write naturally and there-

fore w i t h precision, and a l l his style because style consists in concentration, and exactness which could only be obtained rarely i n the old forms. Such free verse is not prose. The cadence is more rapid and more marked, its " r h y t h m i c constant," shorter, and more regular. It isor it ought to beabout five times more concentrated than the best prose and about six times more emotional. Good prose solemnly bears you to perfection like a deliberately-advancing elephant; good poetry whirls you away like E l i j a h ' s chariot or a r a c i n g automobile. The finest E n g l i s h poets have been stunted by their medival versification. The best Greek poetsAlcman, Sappho, Alcaeus, Ibycus, A n a c r e o n even, and the A t t i c dramatists i n their lyric chorusesused a k i n d of free verse, which is perhaps the finest poetry we have. I am aware that G e r m a n professors have laboriously worked out the scansion of this p o e t r y ; I have compared their scansion w i t h that of certain E n g l i s h free verse poems and if anything the E n g l i s h poems are more regular. There was a tradition of L a t i n free verse through most of the M i d d l e Agesthe first two books of the Imitatio are the last specimen of this. Complicated accented metres were invented by the Provenals, who, as a rule, have nothing to say and say it badly. Hence their need of extraneous virtuosity. Hence the deplorable result of their influence on England. Thus you w i l l find even god-Shakespeare w r i t i n g (for the sake of rhyme and some rag-time metre) lines like: " T o her let us garlands b r i n g , " and: "To and: and this troop come thou not near,"

" E v e n to thy pure and most loving breast," (not to multiply instances) B e n Jonson babbles: " B u t might I of Jove's nectar sup," and Swinburne ( t r y i n g to be Hellenic): "But me the hot and hungry days devour." These are phrases which no one would dream of including i n any decent piece of prose; why then, i f poetry is the higher art, should they be permitted i n poetry? I should think that among our famous poetic writers M i l t o n , Shelley and Tennyson have the worst style, because they constantly use the prettiest or the most polysyllabic words instead of the exact word, they write impossible sentences, they used inaccurate detail and more inaccurate generalities (usually quoted i n almanacs) and rhetorical phraseswhich any fool can doinstead of getting down some real observation, some accurate expression of emotion. A n d they are desperately pedagogical. Thus (I quote from memory) M i l t o n : " . . . H i m the A l m i g h t y power H u r l e d headlong flaming from t h ' aetherial skies W i t h hideous ruin and combustion down To bottomless perdition . . . " Now consider that gem. " H i m the A l m i g h t y , etc.," is not E n g l i s h at allit is an attempt to graft a Greek construction upon our uninflected language. " A e t h e r i a l s k i e s " is good, very g o o d ; so is " m o b l e d queen," though. A n d then, fancy using a word like " c o m b u s t i o n , " an inaccurate epithet, " w i t h hideous ruin," and a misstatement, " t o bottomless p e r d i t i o n , " for the whole point of the poem is that perdition has got a bottom and that the angels fell into i t ; i f on the other hand M i l t o n meant "endless d a m n a t i o n " he should have said what he meant and not used a loose adjective like " b o t t o m l e s s , " applicable only to Corregio's cherubs! M i n d , I don't say that M i l t o n would have been any better if he had employed free verse; but had he done so, the necessity for concentration might have struck h i m , from that the absolute importance of accuracy, and thencewho knows he might have discovered poetic style? Shelleywhose poetry every young poet should endeavour to forgethad to say " A sensitive plant in a

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garden g r e w , " instead of " A sensitive plant grew in a g a r d e n , " w h i c h is the n a t u r a l w a y to make that state ment. I d o n ' t want to say that these menTennyson i n cludedhave not w r i t t e n poetry, and fine poetry. I am out to destroy their reputations to a certain e x t e n t ; I point out their infamously bad w r i t i n g so as to try and get people to consider these poets and modern poets i n t e l l i g e n t l y and c r i t i c a l l y , instead of w i t h a b l i n d uncritical a d m i r a t i o n for the established men and with an equally b l i n d , equally u n c r i t i c a l scorn for the new, unestablished poets. Y o u can accuse me of p i c k i n g out a few bad lines from a thousand good ones. W e l l , let the accuser take d o w n hisdoubtless dustypoets and consider them carefully i n the light of the principles enunciated above he w i l l find them h o r r i b l y lacking. I take Shakespeare to be on my own side, because he wrote direct, clear, speakable E n g l i s h i n his lyrics, I meanhe almost always employs the mot juste, he has i n d i v i d u a l cadence, he has a n a t u r a l unpedagogical outlook. Shakespeare wrote " C o m e unto these yellow sands," and " C o m e away, D e a t h , " and a dozen other perfect little songs. T h a t is why he is our greatest lyric poet. The others come off only i n spots. P o e t r y to-day, by the nature of things, cannot be as l i g h t and song-like as Shakespeare's lyrics, because our life is not so l i g h t and song-like. B u t some of the poets of to-day have created a genre which is the expression of their age, a poetry w i t h Shakespeare's intensity and without his occasionally banal cadence. Moreover, it is singularly individualthe result of the artistic use of free verse. These new poems are w r i t t e n so that no good prose w r i t e r would refuse to own t h e m ; they are more concentrated and more intense than the best prose. They have, therefore, the virtues of the best prose and something besides, i.e., their intensity and concentra tion. That, I take it, is the difference between good prose and good poetry. G o o d prose, a i m i n g at com pleteness, gives y o u vast quantities of irrelevant and often b o r i n g detailed observations in order to lead up to an effect; good poetry gives the same effect i n a stronger degree by p i c k i n g out essentials and rendering them v i v i d l y and exactly. It is more difficult to write good poetry than good prose. T a k e this piece of free verse: " G o d s of the sea; Ino, L e a v i n g w a r m meads F o r the green, grey-green fastnesses Of the great deeps; A n d Palemon, B r i g h t striker of sea-shaft, Hear me." (H. D.) (I select this because i t is not superficially modern.) E x c e p t for the use of the word " m e a d s " that sentence is stylistically perfect. It has the accuracy of epithet and of construction which we seek i n good prose; yet it has more intensity and concentration, and a queer swift cadence. I take another example from someone outside my own crowd: "Transposition. I am blown like a leaf H i t h e r and thither. The city about me Resolves itself into sound of many voices, R u s t l i n g and fluttering, Leaves shaken by the breeze. A m i l l i o n forces ignore me, I know not why, I am drunken w i t h it a l l . Suddenly I feel an immense w i l l S t o r e d up hitherto and unconscious t i l l this instant, P r o t e c t i n g my body Across a street, in the face of a l l its traffic . . . "
JOHN GOULD FLETCHER.

interesting to read than the t r a d i t i o n a l poetry of to-day. T h a t is perhaps my final argument for free versea personal onethat i n the majority of cases I find it more interesting, more s t i m u l a t i n g and more o r i g i n a l than any form of modern E n g l i s h literature.

A HEAVY HEART.
IN the m i d s t of meadows and orchards, there stands an immense yellow house. It is a girls' school for " E n g l i s h young ladies." There are a great many " h o l y s i s t e r s " i n it, and a great deal of home-sickness. The fathers often came to visit their little daughters. " F a t h e r , I am glad to see y o u . " The simple music of " F a t h e r , I am g l a d to see y o u , " is l i k e the sound of hymns deep down i n their little hearts. A n d i n " G o o d bye, father," these die away like arpeggios on the harp. * * * * It was a rainy N o v e m b e r Sunday. I was sitting in the dear little w a r m caf, smoking and dreaming. . . . A fine t a l l man came i n w i t h a wonderful little g i r l . She was really an angel without wings, i n a green velvet coat. The man sat down at my table. " B r i n g some illustrated papers for the c h i l d , " said he to the waiter. " N o , thank you, father, I don't want a n y " said the angel without wings. Silence. H e r father s a i d : " W h a t is the m a t t e r ? " " N o t h i n g " said the child. Then the father said, " H o w far on are y o u i n mathe matics?" H e thought: " L e t us talk of something of general interest. I n learning, one finds one's self." " C a p i t a l and Interest," said the angel, " W h a t is it? W h a t does i t mean? I haven't an idea. W h a t is the use of C a p i t a l and Interest? I don't understand i t ! " " L o n g hairshort i n t e l l i g e n c e , " said her father, smiling and stroking her fair hair, which shone like silk. " Y e s , indeed," said she. Silence. . . . I never saw such a sad little face. It quivered just like a shrub under the weight of snow. It was like hearing E l e a n o r a Duse say: " O h , " or like G e m i n a Bellincini when she sings. The father thought: " B r a i n - w o r k is a diversion. A n d anyhow i t can't hurt. One can rock the soul to sleep. Interest has to be awakened. Of course, i t is still s l u m b e r i n g . " H e s a i d : " C a p i t a l and Interest! O h , it is most exciting. A t one time i t was m y strong p o i n t . " ( A gleam of his past C a p i t a l and Interest happiness flitted over his countenance.) " F o r instancewait a momentfor instance, somebody buys a house. A r e you l i s t e n i n g ? " " O h , yes, somebody buys a house." " F o r instance, the house you were born i n at Grz." (He made the thing more arresting by ingeniously bring ing learning and family affairs into somewhat close con nection.) " I t costs 20,000 florins. H o w much must he receive as interest i n order that i t may b r i n g i n 5 per cent.?" Said the angel: " N o one can know that. . . . Father, does Uncle V i c t o r come often to see u s ? " " N o , very seldom. W h e n he does come, he always sits in your empty room. L i s t e n , 20,000 gulden. How much is 5 per cent, on 20,000 gulden? W e l l , surely as many times 5 gulden as 100 goes into 20,000. That is simple, isn't i t ? " " O h , y e s " said the child, and could not make out why Uncle V i c t o r came so seldom. The father went o n : " S o how much must he receive? W e l l , 1,000 guldenquite s i m p l e . " " Y e s , 1,000 gulden. F a t h e r , does the b i g white lamp in the dining-room still smoke when it is l i g h t e d ? " " O f course. N o w have y o u got an idea of how to reckon C a p i t a l and I n t e r e s t ? " " O h , yes. B u t why does C a p i t a l bear Interest a t all? F o r it isn't like a pear tree. It is quite d e a d m o n e y ! "

The only error i n that is the phrase " I know not w h y " though even that is debatable. Whether you like that sort of poetry or not i t is quite obvious that its style apart from its contentmake i t much easier and more

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" S i l l y l i t t l e t h i n g , " said the father, and thought to himself: " A f t e r a l l , i t is the business of the s c h o o l . " Silence. She said softly: " I want to come home to y o u ! " " C o m e , you are a sensible little g i r l , aren't y o u ? " Two tears ran slowly down her cheeks. Deliverance! Tears! Home-sickness which had become gleaming p e a r l s ! Then she said s m i l i n g : " D a d d y , there are three little girls i n the school. The eldest of them is allowed to eat three cakes, the younger, only two, and the youngest, one. They are as strictly dieted as t h a t ! I wonder i f the amount w i l l be increased next y e a r ? " The father smiled. " Y o u see what cheery times y o u have." " H o w do you mean, cheery? W e look at i t l i k e that because it is funny. B u t surely the ludicrous is not the c h e e r f u l ? " " L i t t l e philosopher," said the proud and happy father, but he saw by the shining wet eyes of his little daughter that Philosophy and Life are two separate things. She turned red, then pale, pale, then red. It was like a struggle on her sweet face. U p o n it was written " G o o d - b y e , father, oh, good-bye." I should like to have said to the father: " S i r , look at this facelike that of the V i r g i n M a r y . H e r little heart is b r e a k i n g ! " H e would have answered me, " M y dear S i r , c'est l a v i e ! Such is L i f e ! E v e r y b o d y cannot sit i n a caf dreaming their time a w a y " The father s a i d : " H o w far on are you i n h i s t o r y ? " H e was t h i n k i n g : " S h e must be d i s t r a c t e d ; that is my principle." " W e are i n E g y p t , " said the little girl. " O h , i n E g y p t , " said the father, as though he thought that land really could fulfil the needs of any body. H e seemed frankly astonished to think that one could want anything more than E g y p t . " T h e P y r a m i d s , " said he, " t h e Mummies. King Sesostris Cheops! Then come the Assyrians, then the Babylonians." H e thought to himself, " T h e more I go on, the better." " R e a l l y , " said the child, as who should say: " N a t i o n s which are over and done w i t h " " W h e n do you have d a n c i n g , " said the father, think ing to himself, " D a n c i n g is a cheerful subject." "To-day." "When?" " D i r e c t l y after you have gonethen comes dancing from 7 to 8 . " " O h , dancing is very healthy. Only, mind y o u do your dancing thoroughly." When the man got up to go away and bowed to me i n a friendly manner, I said, " S i r , excuse me, oh, please excuse me. I have a great favour to ask of y o u " " O f me? W h a t is i t ? " " O h , please let your little daughter off her dancing lesson to-day." H e looked at me and shook my hand. " I t is granted." " H o w is it you understand me, strange m a n ? " said the angel to me, with her glistening eyes. " G o on out," said the man to the child. T h e n he said to m e : " E x c u s e me, do you think that is a right principle?" " Y e s , indeed," said I, " i n the things of the soul, the only principle is to have no p r i n c i p l e s . "
PETER ALTENBERG.

(Translated from the German by E . H . W . )

NOTICE TO READERS. W e regret being obliged to suspend publication of the concluding chapters of the serial story " A P o r t r a i t of the A r t i s t as a Y o u n g M a n , " by M r . James Joyce, and the series " L i b e r a t i o n s : Studies of I n d i v i d u a l i t y i n Contemporary M u s i c , " by M r . L e i g h H e n r y . The writers are i n A u s t r i a and G e r m a n y respectively, and unable to send the M S S . E D .

THOUGHTFUL persons who live i n towns and cities cannot altogether avoid a certain association with the interests of those places. Wherever one turns to-day such persons are discussing the prevalent ques tions. N o w t h a t universal war is engulfing one form of c i v i l i s a t i o n , w h a t form of civilisation w i l l arise when men have emerged cleansed and chastened from the ordeal of this w a r ? W h a t new seeds of the reconstruc tion of society were being sown when war broke out, and which seed is most l i k e l y to come to fruition? Only these questions are of profound interest just now, and perhaps only those books which afford an answer to them are of immediate value. The writer, therefore, who fixes our attention on the possible answer and shows us, not only the fruitful seed, but its unbroken and ever-broadening growth and development is, i n a sense, our benefactor. M r . V i c t o r V . Branford comes forward w i t h an answer, and his aim to forecast a possible (sociological) future as the inevitable outcome of our highest (sociological) experiences i n the past and present, compels our closest attention. A n y o n e not k n o w i n g the exact point of the sociological thread where the war obscured it, nor the fine thread underlying the chaos of war, nor the exact point at which the thread w i l l emerge, may trace i t under the guidance of "Interpretations and F o r e c a s t s " (Duckworth). I t makes no difference that the book reveals the author as, before a l l things, a theoretician. The thing of c a p i t a l importance is that he is a sound theoretician on his own sociological ground. A s we know, sound practice, if it be anything more than mere rule of thumb, requires sound theory. M r . Branford's views on social reconstruction are the result, as his book shows, of his own very wide historical knowledge, and of the researches of a long line of sociologists from A r i s t o t l e to Geddes, i n whom the theoretician is greater than the practician. H e , for instance, avows his i n debtedness to Professor Geddes as, some day, no doubt, Professor Geddes w i l l avow his indebtedness to M r . Branford. It may be objected that a good theoretician is not necessarily a good practician. Descartes was not necessarily a good optician because he made optical discoveries. A g a i n , some persons think that the two are not united. W h e n H a r v e y found the circulation of the blood he lost his patients. Perhaps there is some opposition between the mental qualities each requires. Though practice presupposes i n the practician the power to compare the prophecies and discoveries of sociolo gists, i t does not ask of him a profound vision, a very deep knowledge of theoretical basis, or the power to draw true inferences from facts around h i m . N o r m a l l y the theoretician comes first, seeing that i t is the busi ness of the practician to apply w h a t is first felt, seen, or conceived i n theory. Seeing, i n fact, precedes doing, just as feeling precedes seeing. I am led to point to this precedence of the theoretician by the dislike which some persons display towards the theoretical sociologist. Such persons have heard that the forecasts made by sociologists of this sort are not free from error. So if reluctantly they admit that Comte was wonderfully correct when he prophesied the decay of Parliaments (seen now i n the increasing and almost autocratic power of the Cabinet), they also claim t h a t Spencer was t a l k i n g nonsense when he prophesied the increase of individualism. C e r t a i n l y the present trend towards social unity as seen i n civics and some guild suggestions would seem to substantiate their c l a i m ; it surely looks like the re-organisation of society on an associated, i n place of its e x i s t i n g individualistic, basis. But might not this represent a fresh start at individualism? There are civicists and social economists who would have us believe so. W e are told, for i n stance, that a guild movement is necessary to enable the individual to reaffirm himself and to escape from the servile state imposed upon h i m by a tyrant society, to one of full self-possession. I n fact, advance in the modern guild sense involves the development of the i n dividual. Perhaps the guild man w i l l shrug his shoulders at the implied individualistic basis and say,

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the advance must be made b y w a y of associated life. Of course i t requires less effort to t h i n k in terms of associat i o n seeing t h a t association has become the keynote of even the vilest commercialism. H o w e v e r , it is hardly necessary to p o i n t out t h a t THE EGOIST does not favour this queer roundabout w a y of a t t a i n i n g to full possession of one's eternal inheritance. Its title implies that we have each the k i n g d o m of grace w i t h i n us and should enter upon i t f o r t h w i t h . The k e y to the k i n g d o m is self-subsistence. Besides Spencer's apparent fault of scientific p r e v i s i o n , the opponents of sociological theory m i g h t place G a l t o n ' s theory of heredity, w h i c h is now superseded b y that of M e n d e l . Possibly, too, they could point t o a fault or two i n forecast emerging from Professor Geddes's wonderful insight and power of interpretation. I t is at this point that M r . Branford's book becomes of greatest interest. Briefly, the book is an interpret a t i o n and forecast of civic reconstruction. I t affirms the a w a k e n i n g of a civic consciousness, and attempts to foretell where this awakening w i l l l e a d us. Its very chapter headings, " T h e Perfect C i t i z e n , " " T h e C i t i z e n as S o c i o l o g i s t , " " T h e C i t i z e n as P s y c h o l o g i s t , " " T h e Medival C i t i z e n , " and so on, announce the a r r i v a l of the city and and the citizen. Its very phrases and terms, " C i t i e s have awakened to self-consciousness," " T r a n s f o r m a t i o n s i n men and affairs," " A gospel of the good r a c e , " " T h i s vision of a city b e a u t i f u l , " these and others exude civicness. Indeed, it opens w i t h the question, " W h a t i s a city, and who are c i t i z e n s ? " F o r answer i t turns first to A r i s t o t l e ' s theory, shows us the misconception and m i s a p p l i c a t i o n of the theory, the fraud which has resulted i n the State being exalted where the c i t y should be, the consequent neglect of the latter, the restoration of the root ideal of A r i s t o t l e , the current sociological tendencies and initiative shown i n the r e t u r n to cities and a rising sense of inter-civic solidarity. So running through this series of related lectures is an abstract theory of civics, suggestions for its a p p l i c a i o n to concrete questions, and a consideration of the c a r r y i n g out of results thus obtained i n the corresponding art of government. C i v i c politics form the prophetical part of the book. In short, this b i g volume of h i s t o r i c a l and prophetic exposition embodies a very important forecast of civic reconstruction and history. In d o i n g so it casts the horoscope of Professor Geddes, whose whole life and labour is intended to be a prediction of coming civic history. Whether the Geddesian prophecies w i l l be entirely fulfilled is doubtful, and this for three reasons: (1) Great cities, like London, have got beyond the city and citizen stage of development; (2) G e r m a n y is about to prove the failure of an attempt to manufacture ideal citizens for a specific purpose (in this case a political one); (3) the war w i l l b r i n g about a confederation of kingdoms likely to alter the whole trend of human thought and action. However, as I said, there is a thread of survival and tendency underlying the chaos of war, and this thread, wrongly, I think, seen i n the Settlement Movement, may be traced i n M r . B r a n f o r d ' s book alike by the theoretical sociologist, the p o l i t i c a l publicist a i m i n g to educate public opinion, and the p r a c t i c a l statesman. Of course, the practical statesman ought to study the book for, as a rule, he knows nothing about sociology.
HUNTLY CARTER.

as great as that of the U n i t e d States. H e r a r e a is 1,500,000 square miles. O f her t o t a l p o p u l a t i o n 380,000,000 are dependent upon her own resources; 20,000,000 belong to the dependencies. A l m o s t a l l of C h i n a is well-settled, h a v i n g about 280 people to the square mile on the average. B u t the density of population varies i n the different provinces. A large portion of the east and south contains only about 150 people to the square mile, while the great fertile plains i n the north-east have an average of 450. I n the P r o v i n c e of Shangtung we find 600 or 700 to the square mile. There is a great contrast between the people of C h i n a and those of Teutonic e x t r a c t i o n to the west, who were ardent lovers of l i b e r t y and t h e i r country. The Chinese possess little n a t i o n a l spirit or feeling. This is due to two leading causes. The first is, that the dialects are so unlike i n the different provinces that the natives of one can scarcely understand those of another. Perhaps the very imperfect means of communication is responsible for this dissimilarity of speech. The same would be true i n A m e r i c a if the people of the A t l a n t i c coast had scant means of communicating w i t h the Pacific coast. I n t i m e the languages of the two coasts would become very u n l i k e each other. It seems to me that our spoken language is much easier than E n g l i s h except that the accents are very difficult. We have certain tones m e a n i n g certain things. A certain word pronounced i n one tone may mean one t h i n g ; the same w o r d pronounced i n another tone may mean something wholly different. The missionaries have adopted the method of using English letters to spell Chinese words. F r o m these Romanised words the missionaries learn the language, but owing to the difficulty of pronunciation a great many mistakes are made. F o r instance: the w o r d a means " p u s h " ; tease h i m ; " y o u can do something," etc. Thus you see we have a fixed toneit is not like yours. If you say " g o o d " i n an ordinary tone i t means " g o o d ; ' ' if you emphasise it, i t still means " g o o d . " This change in tone, however, would make a totally different effect in Chinese. F o r instance, the w o r d " g a u " 6poken in one tone i n H i n g l u i a dialect means " a noble g e n t l e m a n " ; in another tone i t means " d o g , " so when a stranger, as he thinks, may be speaking of " a noble g e n t l e m a n " may use the w r o n g tone and boldly assert that he is a " n o b l e d o g . " Such a mistake i n this country would probably involve the perpetrator i n a free for a l l fight. There is another word " t u n g , " i n one tone meaning " s o u p " , i n another " s u g a r . " I n a book on China written by a missionary he tells of a mistake commonly made. " A n honourable missionary of our acquaintance who was careless of his tone, t o l d his cook, as he thought, to buy a hen o r rooster and make soup; but using the wrong tone he really t o l d h i m to buy a fowl and make sugar. This cook went and asked another lady i f they had a way of m a k i n g sugar out of fowls in America." This lack of a language capable of b e i n g understood in all parts of China is one reason w h y she does not possess a national spirit and lacks union. M o r e o v e r the average C h i n a m a n concerns himself little w i t h governmental affairs; he attends to his own private business and is content. There is, however, another cause. C h i n a has always been under the government of one master, except at the time of the Seven Kingdoms. As a l l of you know our p r i n c i p a l food is r i c e : it is to us what bread is to you. F i s h , sweet potatoes and other vegetables form a considerable p a r t of our diet. F r u i t is plentiful throughout the year. Peaches, plums, pears and several kinds of oranges abound i n the region of H i n g l u i a . We have no lemons, cherries, nor berries of any kind. Great quantities of oranges, ginger and various kinds of vegetables are preserved i n sugar and exported to other parts of C h i n a . W e have no muskmelons nor beets. Tomatoes are l i m i t e d to one k i n d , which, no larger than cherries, are called " s n a k e ' s eggs." These grow wild and are never used as food. B r e a d is not used by the Chinese. W h e a t flour is used in m a k i n g fancy kinds of cakes. O u r meats differ very

CHINA.
By F. T. S. ISHALLtry to tell here something of life in my native land, l e a v i n g the problems of her present existence and future progress to those men who have made a deeper study of those conditions i n which she is living to-day. I may even give a few personal incidents as i l l u s t r a t i v e of home-life in China, and the way one of our race views life i n A m e r i c a . C h i n a is regarded as a great empire. A n d so it is. H e r population is about 400,000,000, or about five times

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little from yours. P o r k , beef, and goat-flesh, geese, ducks, chickens and fish furnish our a n i m a l food. A l o n g the coast there are plenty of good oysters which can be bought at the low price of 3 or 4 cents a pound. To an A m e r i c a n the C h i n a m a n ' s skilful use of the chopsticks is a most interesting sight. M a n y suppose that a stick is held i n each hand, but i n reality the two sticks are held i n one hand. They are light and cheap, and i n every way as serviceable as your knife and fork. These latter implements never appear on our tables at meal time. W h e n we first saw the missionaries using forks and knives we thought they were fighting each other. Our table dishes and methods of serving food are so simple that dishwater need not be slopped for an hour after eating i n order to clean the dishes for the next meal. L i k e y o u we have several small dishes of vegetables, fish, etc., besides a large quantity of rice put into a vessel by itself. E a c h person puts some of this into a bowl, held in the left hand close to the chin, and w i t h the chopsticks actively engaged i n the right hand, the contents stream through the air and disappear. Whenever the vegetables or fish are desired the chop sticks plunge into the common dishes, and drag forth the sought-for morsel. The prevalence of the common dishes and the lack of i n d i v i d u a l plates enables a Chinese lady to " d o " her dishes i n a hurry. Husband, wife and children often eat at the same table. In the villages the people eat their meals generally i n different placessome carrying bowls of rice and visiting their neighbours. Suppose you should see M r s . S m i t h dropping i n about noon, in one hand carrying a bowl of potatoes and i n the other a slice of b r e a d ! W o u l d y o u not be astonished? B u t with us it is a common occurrence. O n festive occasions the women do not eat with the men, there being friends present. The houses of C h i n a are generally one-storey high, built of wood, brick, or cement. The roof is made of tiles, but never of shingles. F o r a floor the poor classes must pound the ground down. The richer classes enjoy brick floors. W o o d is rarely used for this purpose. These dwelling-houses have wooden windowsno glass being used among the better class of people. In many places the walls of the dwelling-houses are windowless; the sleeping rooms rarely have windows. In the villages the people keep domestic animals i n the houses. E a c h family usually adopts a goat, pig or cow, and generously shares the room with them. That old song, " T h e y kept the pig i n the p a r l o u r , " applies to the Chinese as well as to the Irish. A visit to a Chinese home w i l l probably find i t very rich i n a great many fragrant odours, which you w i l l never forget. Our houses are full of cracks, and poorly suited to our climate, although C h i n a is not subjected to sudden extremes of heat or cold. The great variety of weathers which overwhelm this country i n unwelcome profusion we know little of. W h e n winter comes i t comes at a certain time and stays u n t i l spring begins. This regularity of our climatic changes is probably due to our i m p e r i a l almanac, which marks the sequence of the seasons. I n this country, which is democratic, you do as you please largely, and your weather has become contaminated by long association, and likewise does as it pleases. The buds may appear on your trees and then get discouraged by a couple of weeks of cold and snow. In certain latitudes of C h i n a the trees leave at the same t i m e ; certain insects and bugs appear every year on the same day, and no cold sends them off repent ing of their premature coming. A n d i n the northern part of C h i n a we are glad t h a t we are surely through w i t h a dismal and uncomfortable cold season. In the winter we don't have stoves or furnaces for heating purposes; instead, we put on several more layers of clothing. Consequently the coal-man doesn't have us at his mercy during the cold season. W e often carry w i t h us, however, a portable furnace, containing embers or coals, w i t h which we w a r m ourselves from time to time. Y o u r grandmothers used to do the same t h i n g when they went to church years ago. W e are always cold i n winter. M y people have not yet learned

the value of ventilation, and we huddle together i n order to keep warm. B u t some day it w i l l be different. C h i n a has immense quantities of coal, and when y o u are looking over your rubbish piles for the last lump of coal in this country, we w i l l just begin to touch our immense supplies. If we haven't passed an A m e r i c a n exclusion act by that time, y o u may come over to throw out your frozen bones before our glowing fires. We wash our clothes, for we like to be neat as well as y o u , but clothing is expensive, so we wash i t as little as possible. W e have bathing houses, but we rarely go near them. " D o y o u wash your child every d a y ? " said an inquisitive foreign lady to a Chinese mother, who was seen throwing shovelfuls of dust over her c h i l d and then wiping it off with an old broom. " W a s h him every d a y ! " was the indignant response; he has never been washed since he was b o r n . " The Chinese reverse the motto that " S o a p is cheaper than d i r t , " and say that " D i r t is cheaper than soap," which we must admit contains much truth, especially i n C h i n a , the land of economy. W e must sacrifice soap and most A m e r i c a n necessities i n order to make our small wages cover our daily expenses. A n d you w i l l not wonder that economy is reduced to such a perfect system when I tell you what our wages are, and of the great contest among the sixteen kingdoms at the downfall of the Tsin dynasty when C h i n a was temporarily divided. M y people are never roused by the possibility of benefits which a change of government might m e a n ; they never feel t h r i l l e d by a desireburning and enduringto keep their country from p a r t i t i o n among the powers. F o r them the mastery is fixed and they live apart from it. M a n y have asked, how can the land support so many people? The answer lies i n the temperature, fertility and kinds of food required by my people. The climate and soil admit of two and sometimes three crops to be grown on the same land i n one year. Our diet is simple. Vegetables, grains and fish are our p r i n c i p a l foods. M a n y ponds and canals have been made for the purpose of raising fish. Foods of a l l kinds do not cost as much as they do i n this country. R i c e at 2 cts. a pound, beef 3 cts., eggs 5 cts. a dozen would cause any housewife i n this country to believe that she was i n a heavenly dream. Carpenters and masons receive from twenty to thirty cents per day, and must board themselves. M e n and women who do coarse work i n the fields and houseservants earn four or five dollars a month. School teachers get from 60 to 80 dollars a year. A s i n this country school-teachers are very much over-paid. P o o r women who have small feet must engage i n some indoor employment. M a n y of them are employed by needle manufacturers to d r i l l , polish, file and sharpen needles. Others take i n needlework from clothing stores. Some make paper money for a living, selling i t to the idolworshippers. The wages which women receive for work done at home vary largely, owing to different degrees of s k i l l and speedfrom five to ten cents per day. W h a t part of this they can't spend, they b a r r e l up and stow away i n the cellar. The farming of C h i n a is of two k i n d s : garden and field farming. Garden-farming is carried on i n the sandy places and near the hill-sides and valleys. Field-farming is i n the swampy places a n d near the canals and brooks. These are only patches, usually containing three acres. We have no large farms such as are found i n A m e r i c a . In the springtime the farmers burn lime for fertilizer. They use bone, soot and ashes ground to powder, which are claimed to be very valuable. The p r i n c i p a l fertilizer, however, is one usually overlooked i n this country. Y o u r barbers destroy their clippings, but i n m y country the hair shaved from the heads and chins of the millions of Chinamen is carefully collected and sold to the farmers. This makes our land so fertile that we can almost raise paint brushes and hair mattresses. Rice is planted early i n the spring. The farmer changes the water u n t i l the l i t t l e sprouts appear. N o w he takes them up and dries them i n the sunshine. The rice is now ready for p l a n t i n g i n the field. W h e n the stem has shot up half-way to the knees the farmer pulls i t up by the roots and a second transplanting finds it arranged i n

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hills i n other fields. N o w the drought comes. There must be i r r i g a t i o n , so a l l members of the family lend a hand i n b r i n g i n g the water over the fields. L a t e r i n the spring the farmer plants peanuts, beans, wheat and sweet-potatoes. Sometimes the ground is dug by hand. If the field is large enough it is plowed w i t h the unequal yoke of an ass and ox. In many rude country places the farmer cannot afford to raise cattle for p l o u g h i n g his field. H i s wife is accordingly har nessed and the field is tilled. W e found, y o u see, the horseless plow long before i t was used on your western prairies, though we have not applied steam to i t as yet. L i k e a l l nations we have our own peculiar customs. W e are on the opposite side of the world from you, and small wonder is i t t h a t our manners and usages are t o t a l l y unlike yours. Perhaps i n many instances you w i l l a d m i t that our customs are more sensible t h a n yoursthat we are practical and economical. A clever traveller, who has spent a month or two w i l l tell amidst the laughter of his audience how the C h i n a m a n wears a long pig-tail hanging from the crown of his h e a d ; how he puts his chief guest on his left hand, the place of h o n o u r ; how he actually writes from right to left and i n lines running from top to bottom, and begins to read from the w r o n g end of a b o o k ; that he orders his ser vant to whiten his shoes, and wears white for m o u r n i n g ; that a dutiful son presents his father with a handsome coffin as a birthday present. H o w must A m e r i c a n customs appear to us? They are equally as funny. Y o u cut off your hair just as our monks do. The ladies like our Chinamen wear l o n g c l o a k s ; they b i n d their waist as if they were hungry. Sometime ago I remember a Chinese woman talked with an A m e r i c a n lady about the private life i n A m e r i c a . " W h y do y o u women wear long garments like my hus b a n d ? " and " w h a t is the cost of your g a r m e n t ? " The lady missionary replied, " W e A m e r i c a n ladies always wear long garments; it is the style. Most of us work i n the house and not on the f a r m . " The Chinese woman then asked, " W h y do y o u women b i n d your waists so small? A r e y o u hungry or are you sick? I sometimes wonder that you w a r n us against our foot-binding custom and you do not think about b i n d i n g your waist so small. Does i t hurt you very m u c h ? " The missionary hesitated in answering her. Then she went on, saying that " o u r house is very poor, very d i r t y ; yours is very c l e a n . " A g a i n she began w i t h her questions: " H o w old are y o u ? " " H o w long have you been i n C h i n a ? " " W h y do you women have no black eyes and h a i r s ? " " H a v e they faded o u t ? " A n d her questions knew no limit. So y o u see A m e r i c a n customs are curious to the Chinese. Y o u think a Chinaman is peculiar because he does not t r i m his finger nails. This is only one way of showing that he is an honourable gentleman. O u r cue is our national mode of hair-dressing. Sometimes a cue is not long enough to suit the owner. False hair is then employed to make it longer and prettier. W e do not call this addition a switch, and a lot of course, couldn't be w o r n that way. Once my hair came out after I had t y p h o i d fever and I used a cuea false one, very long and of course very pretty. I am very glad that I do not use one nowit is a continual nuisance. M a n y have asked me if I can go back without a cue. In former days there was a law forbidding the cutting of cues, but the law is no longer in force. The custom of wearing cues was not due to superstition, but rather to the fact that we were defeated by Tartars. It was not a Chinese fashion originally. The first emperor of the present dynasty who began to reign in 1644, having usurped the D r a g o n Throne, determined to make the tonsure of M a n c h u r i a , his native country, the sign and proof of the submission of the Chinese people to his authority. H e therefore ordered them to shave a l l of the head except a circular portion on the crown four or five inches in diameter. F r o m that time until quite recently the C h i n a m e n were compelled to wear cues. T o keep his t o i l e t up-to-date, so to speak, a cue-wearing China man must shave his head once in every ten or fifteen days. The l i t e r a r y man shaves his head oftener. (To be continued.)

WOMEN, CHARITY AND THE LAND.

AS women are every day t a k i n g a more active part in public affairs, the question of how to deal with poverty without the evils and hopeless insuffi ciency of charity comes home to them. Unless they know how to secure to every man and woman an opportunity to work, without disturbing legitimate business, they are no better equipped to deal with the situation than the men are. A n " o p p o r t u n i t y to w o r k " does not mean sawing wood or selling books for a meal or a n i g h t ' s lodging. It means a chance for men and women to earn a l i v i n g by the occupation one is best fitted to follow. It means, in short, being ensured l i b e r t y and the pursuit of happi ness, for no other means than someone's labour has yet been discovered to ensure these things. A l l natural opportunities of getting wages originate in the land, and are of value only as l a b o u r is applied to them. H e n r y George claims that the Single T a x on L a n d Values w i l l secure an opportunity to earn a l i v i n g for every man and woman without d i s t u r b i n g trade and commerce. T h a t as a result poverty w i l l disappear and w i t h i t w i l l go the need of charity. Voters are legislators, though they never serve in the Assemblies, and i t is certainly the duty of every legis lator to know whether poverty and unemployment may be destroyed and whether any system of t a x a t i o n could effect this change. T h a t is why every prospective voter should make a careful study of the Single T a x as part of her preparation for intelligent voting. A t present, few women have a n y t h i n g better to offer than more and better organised charities. B u t in many cases at least, instead of preventing poverty and reck less waste, organised c h a n t y has increased it. Charity is a palliative designed to sustain the status quo i n our social institutions, for, on account of the last resort fur nished by charity, women especially are induced to tolerate the conditions to which we have brought Society. The time is past when, as Professor W a r n e r has said, " C h a r i t y was a method of saving one's soul, a sort of fire insurance against the contingencies of the future l i f e ; " that is only because so many have ceased to believe in the fire. It is now insurance of another kind insurance against social tornadoes. B u t for charity men would long ago have swept away the whole order of things as i t now exists. T h a t is the only logical excuse for the socialistic State a i d to c h a r i t i e s ; for no real dis tinction can be shown between g i v i n g free corn and free amusements, free education and free surgical help, or free shelter. W h a t would be the effect upon the people of our great cities, especially upon sympathetic women, if on some bitter morning fifty people should be found frozen to death on the park benches? The public m i n d would be shocked out of tolerating the blessings of things as they a r e ; yet many of the poor of this great c i t y go where they had better be frozen to death. O u r police lodginghouses save the body but destroy the soul. A well organised C h a r i t y Society would have prevented the French Revolution. C h a r i t y Organisations have done one good t h i n g for u s : they have collected statistics and discredited the o l d claim that the m a i n cause of poverty is drunkenness. It is the other waythe main cause of drunkenness is the unnatural con ditions of poverty and wealth. They have also shown conclusively that the cause of poverty is not laziness; one-third of those who apply for assist ance to our Society for I m p r o v i n g the C o n d i t i o n of the Poor need no help, but an o p p o r t u n i t y to work. W h e n the P i l g r i m Fathers came to this country they brought little and found n o t h i n g herebut land. Suppose some one had submitted to them t h a t he w a s out of w o r k ; those austere toilers would have laughed at him. They would have s a i d : " C u t up t h a t w o o d ; d i g o u t those stones; spade t h a t field." A s l o n g as men can get the land there is no lack of work, and to supply the wants of those who work the l a n d gives employment to a l l others.

September 15, 1914

THE

EGOIST

357

B u t we allow individuals to monopolise the land. T h i s is the cause of poverty and charity. What are we going to do about i t ? D i v i d e the l a n d anew? T h a t w o u l d do no good. The sensible and natural course is where anyone has a monopoly of any k i n d , let h i m pay to the rest of the community its reasonable v a l u e ; as i n law, when property is d i v i d e d among heirs, if one takes a l l the land, he pays the others who take none. W h a t we need is access to the land. Make i t unprofitable to hold n a t u r a l opportunities without using them. T a x l a n d and other n a t u r a l monopolies up to their full rental value, and as they increase i n value let the taxes increase p r o p o r t i o n a t e l y ; then i t won't pay to hold land idle " f o r a r i s e , " and speculation i n l a n d w i l l cease. If we destroy speculation i n land, and remove the artificial barriers from the places to work, and cease to fine men for w o r k i n g by t a x i n g wealth, i t w i l l be as absurd for a m a n to be " o u t of w o r k " as i t would be for him to be out of air. Idle lands mean idle hands, and it w i l l not alter that fact to comfort ourselves w i t h the wicked perversion of the words of Jesus that the " P o o r we shall have always w i t h us." We shall have the poor w i t h us just as long as we create them. W h e n the boundless opportunities of Nature for employment are thrown open so t h a t men can employ themselves, if only i n the simple ways that A d a m and Robinson Crusoe employed themselves, then, again i n the S c r i p t u r a l words, " T h e r e shall be no more poor." That is the faith that inspired the N e w M a n and the N e w W o m a n to work for true reform. Miss J u l i a A . K e l l o g g has re-introduced us to P a t r i c k E d w a r d Dove's " H u m a n P r o g r e s s i o n " i n an abridgment. T h i s book, by a Scotchman, anticipates H e n r y George's theory by a generation, and those who have not been able to accept H e n r y George's Single T a x w i l l be interested i n a woman's account of the taxation of land values in a readable form.
BOLTON HALL.

DAMAGED GOODS.*
THE publication of M B r i e u x ' s " D a m a g e d G o o d s " in a paper cover at a shilling certainly marks a stage i n the curious history of E n g l i s h puritanism. It seems from the preface which M r s . B e r n a r d Shaw gives to this edition that a few years ago, when this play was first translated, and before M . B r i e u x had been elected to the Academy, no publisher i n L o n d o n or N e w Y o r k would soil his spotless fame by publishing the work. But presently M . B r i e u x became a member of the French Academy. Then the difficulty disappeared. The sight of the braided coat of the A c a d e m i c i a n put courage into the trembling hearts of the t i m i d publishers, and the book was issued i n L o n d o n and i n N e w York. B u t that was the expensive volume including two more plays. N o w B a l h a m has its " D a m a g e d G o o d s " for a shilling. I hope B a l h a m w i l l be a l l the better for it. Perhaps the members of that respectable suburb w i l l buy copies darkly at dead of night as i t were (like the ladypoor dearwho asked for a copy at a booksellers, but requested that i t be well wrapped up as i t wasn't the k i n d of thing to be seen w i t h ! ) , or perhaps young B a l h a m w i l l buy its copies and flaunt the modest cover before its fellow tram passengers and feel ever so " a d v a n c e d . " A n y w a y , the sensation of the publication w i l l not last long. If for some strange whim it became highly improper ever to mention influenza (say), then a play i n which the author had the audacity to mention influenza would have some importance u n t i l influenza came to be mentioned daily as a matter of course whenever necessary. Then, unless the play had some other claim to i m m o r t a l i t y i t would sink into oblivion. So M . B r i e u x ' s play. We honour M . B r i e u x just at present for daring to write
* A P l a y by B r i e u x . Translated by J o h n Pollock, with a Preface by B e r n a r d Shaw and a foreword by M r s . B e r n a r d Shaw. Wrappers. F i f i e l d , 1s. net.

a play about syphilisthough I imagine the d a r i n g is not so splendid i n his country as i t seems here, for, some years ago, I bought a copy of " L e s Avaris" (Damaged Goods) i n a penny edition, which was sold me without blushes by a small newsagent i n Brest but when we come to talk of syphilis sensibly I imagine we shall forget the play. F o r plays, after a l l , like a l l works of art, are concerned w i t h the soul of man. This is a play of the body and not of the soul. P r o b a b l y M . B r i e u x knows this, and would say that he wrote his play w i t h a purpose, and that with the accomplishment of that purpose its task is done. If so, a l l honour to him. H e is, however, from that point of view, a l i t t l e unfortunate i n his E n g l i s h sponsors. The preface to this shilling edition contains a quotation from a speech by M r . B e r n a r d Shaw, i n which he says that " E u r o p e has to-day a Sophocles i n the person of Eugene B r i e u x , " and goes on to discover similarities between " D a m a g e d G o o d s " and " d i p u s Rex." I n much the same way d i d Samuel B u t l e r compare F r o s t ' s " L i v e s of E m i n e n t C h r i s t i a n s " with W o r d s w o r t h ' s " L u c y . " B u t B u t l e r begins w i t h a confession " t h a t I do not see the resemblance here at the present, but if I try to develop my perception I shall doubtless ere long find a remarkably s t r i k i n g o n e ! " W h a t a pity M r . Shaw d i d not allow himself to be even more indebted to B u t l e r to whom he confesses already to owe so m u c h ! Certainly " D a m a g e d G o o d s " develops steadily and tragically (if rather melodramatically) for two acts, though without regard to that best beloved of A t t i c tragedy: unity of time. B u t fancy a Sophoclean drama in which a good t h i r d ( A c t 3) consisted of a l o n g moralising on the p a r t of Chorus (all the principals being banished from the stage and forgotten), the leader calling members of his troup to give evidence on behalf of his pet theory, none but convenient answers being allowed! But let us hope that the shilling public w i l l buy the shilling edition and profit by it. It is i n their ranks that the ignorance islet us hope they w i l l a v a i l themselves of this shillingsworth of enlightenment. , F o r t u n a t e l y the people of E n g l a n d , like the people of any country (I mean, of course, the poor people), do not need it. They have never had any part i n the conspiracy for the suppression of certain subjects. They have always wisely insisted i n discussing everything w i t h perfect unconcern. So they may keep their shillings, of which, G o d knows, they have sufficient need.
MAURICE WEBB.

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358

THE
A SOUND OF BLEATING.

EGOIST

September 15, 1914

AFTER an abstinence of many months I have ventured to read three Suffragist papers at a sitting. I am left w i t h the sound as of a b l e a t i n g of sheep in m y ears. B l e a t , bleat, B L E A T , it has got on to my nerves. B l e a t , bleat, B L E A T , I w i l l give it to THE
EGOIST to get r i d of it. . . . A n d some of it is too

choice to be lost. T a k e first, as a representative effort, this from " T h e C o m m o n C a u s e " (August 28th), the organ of the nonmilitant National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies: " A M E R I C A N SUFFRAGISTS A P P E A L TO WOMEN OF T H E W O R L D T O D E M A N D PEACE. " T h e cloud of a great international war darkens a l l E u r o p e , a n d the shadow of the conflict hangs over a l l the nations of the w o r l d , ensuring disaster to a l l people and the t u r n i n g back of civilisation for a century to come. " D u r i n g the past hundred years women have given their t o i l not only to motherhood and the cares of family life, but also to the b u i l d i n g up of the great industries of every country. They have devoted thought and energy and have made great sacrifices to develop education and establish reforms for the betterment of humanity. H u n d r e d s of thousands have sacrificed their lives to the life-giving vocation of motherhood. Y e t , without one thought of the sufferings and sacrifices of mothers who have reared sons, or of the tremendous burdens that war w i l l impose on women, who w i l l have to do their own work a n d the work of the men called to the field of b a t t l e ; without consideration of the little children who w i l l have to be t a k e n from school or from play for i n d u s t r i a l t o i l , thus wantonly imposed on them b y the Government whose duty i t is to protect and shield t h e m ; this curse of a medival w a r is thrust upon those whose w i l l a n d wish have n o t been consulted. " I s i t that hundreds of thousands of their sons may go down to death before the terrible machinery of modern war that the nations c a l l upon women to give their youth, their years of t o i l and their labour for a higher civilisation? H a v e they reared sons only to become prey to the ambition of K i n g s and exploiters? Shall the strongest a n d noblest of the races of men be sacrificed and only the weak and maimed left to perpetuate mankind? " T h e Suffragists of the U n i t e d States call upon the women of the world to rise i n protest against this unspeakable wrong and to show w a r crazed men that between the contending armies there stand thousands of women and children who are the innocent victims of men's unbridled a m b i t i o n s ; that under the heels of each advancing army are crushed the lives, the hopes, the happiness of countless women whose rights have been ignored, whose homes have been blighted, and whose honor w i l l be sacrificed if this unholy w a r does not cease, and reason and justice take the place of hate, revenge, and greed. This is not a national issue; i t involves a l l humanity. " L e t the women of every nation involved i n the w a r make their men understand that the highest patriotism lies i n conserving life, wealth, and energy; and that the war means not conservatism, but destruction of a l l that is best i n civilisation. " A copy of this appeal has been sent by the officers of the N a t i o n a l A m e r i c a n W o m a n Suffrage A s s o c i a t i o n to the organised Suffragists of twenty-six countries." A s an example of confused t h i n k i n g and woman-them a r t y r feeling, that is rather good, and needs no further comment. Then
THE CHILDREN

among us who . . . have become n a t u r a l i s e d B r i t o n s rather than return to their country at this juncture. W h i l e B r i t i s h women are passed over as unfit to exercise the vote these strangers of alien b i r t h w i l l have a voice in c o n t r o l l i n g the affairs of the n a t i o n a n d the E m p i r e , " w i l l , I take i t , be asked whether the w a r is, or is not, to continue. " T h e position of non-combatants is sad enough o w i n g to lack of employment, etc., but the price that the women are c a l l e d upon to pay i n countries that are actually the scene of w a r is intolerable i n an age that boasts of i t s civilisation, culture and h u m a n i t y . " " W e dissent entirely from a w r i t e r i n the ' L o n d o n M a i l ' who says that the w a r ' m a y teach the Suffragists the powerlessness of the vote i n great issues.' . . . The failure of the country to achieve a n y t h i n g i n any issue under a male suffrage does not prove the powerlessness of the vote, but merely the powerlessness of men's votes unaided by w o m e n ' s . " Suffragists are nothing if not ingenious. " W e have felt compelled, even at this solemn moment of o u r country's history, to draw attention to the artificial view t a k e n i n some quarters of the woman's share i n t h a t suffering whose g r i m shadow is already f a l l i n g upon us. W e hold i t to be our duty to guard the honour and the status of women at a l l times, whether i n peace or w a r ; and we consider that i t is i n the best interests of the State that we should do so now, since the recognition of woman's true place and position is never so important as when the State is i n urgent need of the help of its daughters as w e l l as i t s sons." " I t rejoices us to know that although the w a r is none of t h e i r " (women's) " m a k i n g (since the voteless can have no responsibility i n the matter) they are as fully determined as the men to see the t h i n g through, whatever the consequences to themselves." " A s Suffragists it is our business to point out and to emphasise the fact that the suffering of w a r , which falls on every member of the community from the gallant soldier at the front to the starved baby i n the tenement, pierces with peculiar poignancy the hearts of those who are powerless to make or unmake wars, the women who, whatever they give or do or endure for their country's sake, are still left k n o c k i n g vainly at the door of the nation's council chamber. W a r without the consent of those whom i t ravages is a tyranny even more intolerable than mere government without consent." * * * * I am contemplating the formation of a Societymembership to be open to a l l " r i g h t - m i n d e d " men and womenfor the Suppression of a l l Sudden and Widespread Calamities. W e shall abolish storms, floods, fires, earthquakes, human, vegetable a n d mineral nature. We shall fall down and pray to the hills not to cover us, to the waters n o t to engulf us. W e shall pass resolutions determining that there must be no more such disasters. It is monstrous, these earthquakes, this burying alive of thousands of innocentthink of i t , innocent women, and helpless little children. Y o u say that men suffer, may be get buried too? B u t then, did not they build the houses? M e n b u i l d houses, a n d women get buried i n them. Is i t fair? W o m e n of the w o r l d , I say, why let these things happen to y o u r sisters? Get the vote and a l l w i l l be well. T h a t is what is wanted, to cure a l l i l l s T H E V O T E , for ever and ever, world without end, A m e n .
JOSEPHINE WRIGHT.

THE SONG OF THE SOCK. Stitch, stitch, s t i t c h ! The women are there i n a flock, " Y o u do the l e g and I ' l l do the foot L e t ' s a l l be useful though w e c a n ' t shoot." A n d they sang the song of the sock. F o r when b y w a r their country's h i t E n g l i s h ladies always k n i t . ( W i t h apologies to THOMAS HOOD a n d one unknown). J. W.

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September 15, 1914

THE

EGOIST

359

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