Vol. 4 No. 24, April 8, 1909
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THE A WEEKLY REVIEW OF POLITICS, LITERATURE, AND ART. No*761 [series Vol. IV. No. 24 THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 1909. [registered G.P.O.]ONE PENNY CONTENTS. PAGE Page NOTES OF THE WEEK . 473 BOOKS AND PERSONS. By Jacob Tonson . 483 THE RISING FLOOD AT CROYDON. By G. R. S. Taylor . 476 BOOK OF THE WEEK: Lessons in Revolution. By M. D. A WORD OF REMEMBRANCE AND CAUTION TO I.L.P. DELE- Eder . 484 GATES . REVIEWS : The Wander Years . 485 477 Eliza Brightwen . THE ECONOMIC TEST OF UNEMPLOYED POLICY. By J. A. 485 The New Word . 487 Hobson . 479 DRAMA : East and West. By Arnold Bennett 1:: 1:: ENGLAND-THE FOREIGNERS' HOME. By F. H. Minett... 487 479 MUSIC : To Mr. Hubert Bath. By Herbert Hughes . 488 THE DESIRE TO OWN. By Cecil Chesterton . 480 CORRESPONDENCE:‘ A. C. Fifield, Cecil Chesterton, C. THE POST : A Story. By Anton Tchekhov 481 Brown, Russell Smart, Clifford Sharp, C. J. Whitby, THE COLONIST AT HOME. By E. L. Allhusen :: :: 483 Marion Crook, J. T. Harris, J. Lindsley, H. Hughes . 489 advised them that as a Labour Party their business NOTES OF THE WEEK. was less to see that the cost of the Navy was reduced EVEN if we were disposed to let the subject of the Navy than to see that the cost fell on the right shoulders. drop, there is no chance of our being allowed. In addi- There is indeed considerable fear that the unpopularity tion, we are not disposed to let it drop. We have, as of the cry for a small Navy may be used to discredit we believe, an overwhelmingly clear case against the the proposal to graduate the tax on unearned incomes, panic-mongers, both Socialist and Jingo ; and every day which issues from the same party. After all, a pro- that passes brings confirmation of our view. There is gramme is no more popular than its most unpopular no doubt whatever that the panic is being most skilfully feature ; and if the Labour Party favours a little Navy, employed by Mr. Balfour and his party ; and we can their other proposals will fall under the same suspicion only stand in admiration while the hosts of triumphant of anti-patriotism and what not. Now, we cannot repeat lies go galloping by. On Monday, on Tuesday, and on too often that as Socialists we. have nothing to gain Wednesday Mr. Balfour spoke at length and with all from a small Navy, either now or at any time. The the external marks of real concern. Yet we are con- reduction of expenditure on the Navy will not put a vinced that in his heart there is not the smallest glimmer penny more into the pockets of the workers or advance of a genuine terror nor the smallest spark of more than the cause of Social Reform a single step. What we political apprehension. In spite of this, his incompar- want is not a little Navy or, for the matter of that, a able eye seizes the opportunity of party advantage, and big Navy. We want an efficient Navy. And as soon on the great wave of popular feeling, for which Mr. as may be we want that Navy internationalised. We Asquith is mainly to blame, Mr. Balfour and his party are told, of course,. that there are insuperable difficulties -with all their reactionary cargo-will be swept into in the way of an international Navy, and that Germany the port of power. in particular intends no such thing. We do not believe * * * it, and even if we did, we should still think it the busi- ness of Socialists to press the idea forward. As a The line was taken by Mr. Roberts, of the Labour matter of fact, the occasion for pressing it was never Party, during the Vote of Censure in the Commons on more opportune than at this moment. Only a few Monday that the whole panic was engineered for poli- weeks ago the first international arbitration court the tical purposes. This is true, but the statement should world has ever seen was set up by the Declaration of not be left in all its nakedness. Not only is it a party London ; and already people are beginning to see, as device, but we can conclusively prove that it is a party even the “Times " remarked, that an international device, and Mr. Roberts should have attempted that arbitration court without an international force to sup- proof. We are very glad indeed that the Labour Party port its decisions is comparatively useless. The logical made up its mind to follow the lead of Jaurès, whose and necessary sequel to the Declaration of London is words on the occasion of a threatened war between the establishment of an international navy, and, later France and Germany we have quoted before. Speaking on, an international army, or, at least, permanent on behalf of the Labour Parties of Germany and Eng- alliances among the leading Powers in these directions. land, Mr. Roberts said “that there should be friendly And we are convinced that the common sense, not to relations between the two countries, and they were pre- say the humanity, of the vast majority of civilised pared to say, should ‘the occasion demand it, that there persons would welcome the proposal, which could easily must be peace between them.” These were the right be made as popular as the now popular cry for bigger words to use, and we are glad the Labour Party used navies and armies. At any rate, however unpopular the them. But they must be followed up by deeds, and we cry might unfortunately be to begin with, it would have hope that the occasion of the forthcoming visit of the the great moral forces on its side, and would finally Labour members to Germany will be employed for wear down the interested opposition of obsolete sabre- the purpose. Mr. Seddon also spoke to excellent effect rattlers. Our advice to the Labour Party is therefore during the same debate. to stick to its guns on the question of joint action with * * * the German party, and to substitute the Socialist’ We confess we do not see, however, the compatibility demand for an international Navy for the Radical cry of this strong and sensible attitude with the attitude of for a small Navy. the Labour Party, both at Croydon and, to judge from + + * the Agenda, at the forthcoming Conference. Mr. Frank We observe that a number of Socialists, including Smith at Croydon was allowed to boast himself a Little Mr. Cecil Chesterton, whose letter to us appears on Navy man, and the official resolution to be proposed another page, are hoping to make capital out of the at the Conference likewise approves of the reduction of present panic by attributing the present state of the armaments. NOW, in this we think they would have Navy (which, by the way, Sir Percy Scott has just been wiser to accept our advice and the advice tendered declared perfect) to the failure of class rule in England. them on Monday by Mr. Chiozza Money. Mr. Money It is an unfortunate argument to employ, since it So THE NEW AGE APRIL 8, 1909 obviously cuts both ways. If the inefficiency of the to whimper that the Germans would one day catch us British Navy demonstrates the failure of class-rule in like “rats in a trap.” Is it credible that a nation that England, the presumably efficient navy of Germany perceives this threatening fate and‘ has the means in its must demonstrate the success of class-rule in Germany. hands to escape it at once-in a single week-by a Both countries are capitalist countries, and both, there- not very bold or dangerous stroke, would remain pas- fore fall under the ban of the Socialist reformer. It IS sive while the trap is being set? If we could believe curious that capitalism should be so incompetent in that the present Government were capable of such in- England and so competent in Germany. That, conceivable folly, not to say treachery, we certainly however, is precisely one of the points that has could not believe that the Opposition would be content never so much as been mentioned in all the oratory to make the subject a party question and win a of the last few weeks. Lieutenant Bilse threw trumpery bye-election on it. The fact is, of course, a strong light on the real state of affairs in the German that whatever the “Observer ” may say, neither Mr. army : so strong that, while it enabled the rest of Asquith nor Mr. Balfour believes any such nonsense. If Europe to realise the folly of attempting to create a they did we may be pretty sure that even in the interests machine out of human beings, mostly fools, it blinded of their class, not to say the nation, the issue of the the German bureaucracy to everything but the need for instant would be not Eight or Four Dreadnoughts to even greater official darkness. Who knows whether the be laid down this year ; but War with Germany this German navy is not as hollow as the German army? week or next. Why are we to suppose that the German bureaucracy * * * are all supermen, and our own oligarchy nincompoops? But we will be infinitely patient with the fools who The assumption is not patriotic, whatever else it are taken in by sound and fury, and concede that no may be: and we strongly suspect that if revelations civilised Power can decently make war merely on the were allowed, we should discover that, oligarchy for excuse of safeguarding a distant future.