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What may be the chances of peace and war； at home and abroad； in
the light of these blunt and obvious principles taken in
conjunction with the diplomatic negotiations now going forward at
home and abroad； all that is sufficiently perplexing。
At home in America for the transient time being； the war
administration has under pressure of necessity somewhat loosened
the strangle…hold of the vested interests on the country's
industry； and in so doing it has shocked the safe and sane
business men into a state of indignant trepidation and has at the
same time doubled the country's industrial output。 But all that
has avowedly been only for the transient time being； 〃for the
period of the war；〃 as a distasteful concession to demands that
would not wait。 So that the country now faces a return to the
precarious conditions of a provisional peace on the lines of the
status quo ante。 Already the vested interests are again
tightening their hold and are busily arranging for a return to
business as usual； which means working at cross…purposes as
usual； waste of work and materials as usual； restriction of
output as usual； unemployment as usual； labor quarrels as usual；
competitive selling as usual； mendacious advertising as usual；
waste of superfluities as usual by the kept classes； and
privation as usual for the common man。 All of which may
conceivably be put up with by this people 〃lest a worse evil
befall；〃 All this runs blamelessly in under the rule of Live and
Let Live as interpreted in the light of those enlightened
principles of self…help that have come down from the eighteenth
century and that go to make up the established scheme of law and
order； although it does not meet the needs of the same rule as it
would be enforced by the exigencies of the new order in industry。
Meanwhile； abroad； the gentlemen of the old school who direct
the affairs of the nations are laying down the lines on which
peace is to be established and maintained； with a painstaking
regard for all those national pretensions and discriminations
that have always made for international embroilment； and with an
equally painstaking disregard for all those exigencies of the new
order that call for a de facto observance of the rule of Live and
Let Live。 It is notorious beyond need of specification that the
new order in industry； even more insistently than any industrial
situation that has gone before； calls for a wide and free
intercourse in trade and industry； regardless of national
frontiers and national jealousies。 In this connection a national
frontier； as it is commonly made use of in current statecraft； is
a line of demarkation for working at cross…purposes； for mutual
obstruction and distrust； it is only necessary to recall that the
erection of a new national frontier across any community which
has previously enjoyed the privilege of free intercourse
unburdened with customs frontiers will be felt to be a grievous
burden； and that the erection of such a line of demarkation for
other diplomatic work at mutual cross…purposes is likewise an
unmistakable nuisance。
Yet； in the peace negotiations now going forward the
gentlemen of the old school to whom the affairs of the nations
have been 〃entrusted〃 by shrewd management on their own part
continue to safeguard all this apparatus of mutual defeat and
distrust； and indeed this is the chief or sole object of their
solicitude； as it also is the chief or sole object of those
vested interests for whose benefit the diplomatic gentlemen of
the old school continue to manage the affairs of the nations。
The state of the case is plainly to be seen in the proposals
of those nationalities that are now coming forward with a new
claim to national self…determination； invariably any examination
of the bill of particulars set up by the spokesmen of these
proposed new national establishments will show that the material
point of it all is an endeavor to set up a national apparatus for
working at mutual cross…purposes with their neighbors； to add
something to the waste and confusion caused by the national
discriminations already in force； to violate the rule of Live and
Let Live at some new point and by some further apparatus of
discomfort。
There are nationalities that get along well enough； to all
appearance； without being 〃nations〃 in that militant and
obstructive fashion that is aimed at in these projected creations
of the diplomatic nation…makers。 Such are the Welsh and the
Scotch； for instance。 But it is not the object…lesson of Welsh or
Scottish experience that guides the new projects。 The
nationalities which are now escaping from a rapacious imperialism
of the old order are being organized and managed by the safe and
sane gentlemen of the old school； who have got their notions of
safety and sanity from the diplomatic intrigue of that outworn
imperialism out of which these oppressed nationalities aim to
escape。 And these gentlemen of the old school are making no move
in the direction of tolerance and good will as how should they
when all their conceptions of what is right and expedient are the
diplomatic preconceptions of the old regime。 They； being
gentlemen of the old school； will have none of that amicable and
unassuming nationality which contents the Welsh and the Scotch
who have tried out this matter and have in the end come to hold
fast only so much of their national pretensions as will do no
material harm。 What is aimed at is not a disallowance of bootless
national jealousies； but only a shift from an intolerable
imperialism on a large scale to an ersatz…imperialism drawn on a
smaller scale； conducted on the same general lines of competitive
diplomacy and serving interests of the same general kind
vested interests of business or of privilege。
The projected new nations are not patterned on the Welsh or
the Scottish model； but for all that there is nothing novel in
their design； and how should there be when they are the offspring
of the imagination of these safe and sane gentlemen of the old
school fertilised with the ancient conceptions of imperialistic
diplomacy and national prestige？ In effect it is all drawn to the
scale and pattern already made notorious by the Balkan states。 It
should also be safe to presume that the place and value of these
newly emerging nations in the comity of peoples under the
prospective r間ime of provisional peace will be something not
notably different from what the Balkan states have habitually
placed on view； which may be deprecated by many well…meaning
persons； but which is scarcely to be undone by well…wishing。 The
chances of war and politics have thrown the fortunes of these
projected new nations into the hands of these politic gentlemen
of the old school； and by force of inveterate habit these very
practical persons are unable to conceive that anything else than
a Balkan state is fit to take the place of that imperial rule
that has now fallen into decay。 So Balkan…state national
establishments appear to be the best there is in prospect in the
new world of safe democracy。
So true is this； that even in those instances； such as the
Finns and other fragments of the Russian imperial dominions；
where a newly emerging nation has set out to go on its way
without taking pains to safeguard the grievances of the old
order； even in these instances that should seem to concern no
one but themselves； the gentlemen of the old school who guard the
political institutions of the old order in the world at large
find it impossible to keep their Wands off and to let these
adventurous pilgrims of hope go about their own business in their
own way。 Self…determination proves to be insufferable if it
partakes of the new order rather than of the old； at least so
long as the safe and sane gentlemen of the old school can hinder
it by any means at their command。 It is felt that the vested
interests which underlie the gentlemen of the old school would
not be sufficiently secure in the keeping of these unshorn and
unshaven pilgrims of hope； and the doubt may be well taken。 So
that； within the intellectual horizon of the practical statesmen；
the only safe； sane； and profitable manner of national
establishment and national policy for these newcomers is
something after the familiar fashion of the Balkan states； and it
may also be admitted quite broadly that these newly arriving
peoples commonly are content to seek their national fortunes
along precisely these Balkan state lines； although the Finns and
their like are perhaps to be counted as an unruly exception to
the rule。
These Balkan states； whose spirit； aims； and ways are so
admirable in the eyes of the gentlemanly keepers of the old
political and economic order； are simply a case of imperialism in
the raw。 They are all and several still in the pickpocket stage
of dynastic state…making； comparable with the state of Prussia
before Frederick the Great Pickpocket came to the throne。 And
now； with much sage counsel from the safe and sane statesmen of
the status quo a