"SALVAGING CIVILISATION."

Thames Star, Volume LVII, Issue 14741, 22 August 1921, Page 6

"SALVAGING CIVILISATION."

THE RASHNESS OF MR. H. G. WELLS. (By Robert Blatchford.) (Arguing the Wolves of the World into Sheep would Transform Them into Kilkenny Cats). I have been reading Mr Wells's new book, "The Salvaging of Civilisation, and the criticisms of . that book, and I don't know whether I ought to laugh or to sigh. Perhaps our readers can help me. I have tried both. Mr Wells says that unless kind take counsel together civilisation will destroy itself. . Many thoughtful and honest people agree with him. Others don't, and -those who don't are condescendingly expostulatory or vitriolically sarcastic. I need not elaborate this part of Mr Wells's case. We all know what we are promised in the next war. If we agree with Mr Wells that wars will be waged not against arm. ies but against peoples, and that the new arms of science will increase the horrors of war a hundred-fold, and if we agree with Mr Wells's critics and opponents that war cannot be abolished, then we have to admit that civilisation is in danger. REJECTING POPULAR REMEDIES Mr Wells, recognising the danger, proceeds to discuss the remedies. There are two popular remedies at present. One is the League of Nations, which is to substitute judicial inquiry and arbitration for war. The other is to form alliances, complete for command of the air, and make our battleships air-tight. Mr Wells rejects both those remedies. Instead-of alliances of certain Powers, or a League of all the Powers, he asks us to abandon nationalism, to abolish frontiers, and to form the whole world into one commonwealth. This proposal has been received in many quarters with mocking rail, lery and hilarious derision. "What? Abolish the French-Army and the British Navy! Pool the British Empire! Neglect the colour line! Reduce all religions to a common denominator! Draw the nations of the world, black and yellow and red and white, into a common brotherboo! How Utopian, how ingenuous.

how naive, how funny!" * * * The idea is Utopian, it is ingenuous, it is naive, and, heaven knows, it is funny. But it is no more Utopian, or in. genuous, or naive, or funny than the teachings of Buddha, Plato and Jesus. It'is as queer and as impossible as the. messages of the best and wisiest of the.world's poets, prophets and philosophers in all ages. It is i as old as the Sermon on the Mount. Mr Wells is not the first who has advised the beating of spears into pruning-hooks. He is not the first who envisaged a future in which the lion should lie down with the lamb. War is wicked, war is wasteful, war is dreadful, war is foolish. Who will deny it? And the only way in which the nations can abloish war is by ceasing to- fight. Mr Well's premises are undeniable, his logic is quite sound. His remedy, if adopted, could harly fail. Alas! that fatal ; "if"! Mr Wells's optimism is maginficent. It is amazing. He has all the brave, serene assurance of 'a - boy. I can sympathise with him. I have myself been . younger. 1 have in past years built some jolly New Jerusalems on the unstable founations of human nature. But I have retired from thosUtopia business. My dear Wells, you should see my cabbages. " „ COUNSEL. OF PERFECTION. As I say, it is that disheartening, that unsurmountable "if" that bars the way to Zion. If the nations would amalgamate and live as citizens of the world our- civilisation would be safe. If the nations would not fight tJiere woiud bo no war. As a counsel of perfection Mr Wells's plan is admirable. As a Contribution to practical politics it is premature. Mankind are not wise enough nor good enough to live up to a doctrine of "universal brotherhood. They will profess it, many of them, but they will not attemept to reduce the profession to practice, and they will not be really nice and kind to men who ask that words shall be translated into deeds. I know that, and if Mr Wells doe's not know it he-is going the right way to learn.

" Abolish armies and navies, erase all frontiers, burn all flags, and estblish as one nation the Brotherhood of Man. England and Ireland, France and Germany, America and Japa, Zulus and Boers, Jews and Christians, negroes-and whites, Bulgaria and Serbia, Turkey and Armenia, Russia and Poland, Royalist and Republican, Bolshevist and Soi cialist, Protestant and Catholic, Moslem and Hindu! All*these are to be blended into one fraternity. They are to be ono world-State. But how is it to be accomplished, and when? * *; * I'm afraid Mr Wells feels about mankind as Mrs Poyser felt about the bishop: that he "had not been properly argued with." I used to feel like that. I used to believe that if you could demonstrate a theory to the people they would accept it. Most boys are like that. Mr Wells remains unnaturally, enviably young.

But, name of a name, how young, for not only does he ask the snarling wolf packs to become sheep, but he wants a new Bible. This demand is the second half of his case, and I suppose the new Bible is to be one of tho means of getting the wolves into the fold. I said that I had laughed . and sighed. I sighed over the first half of the book, and I laughed over the second.

Not long ago Mr Wells performed a useful public service: he wrote an outline history of the world. His object was to give a sketch of history from the beginning. He pushed back the historical records beyond the 4000 years boundary for a few millions of years. He linked up the farrago of legends, libels and old wives' tales we call history with the troglodyte and the tree man and tried to present a coherent and com. prehensive human picture. He had his reward. From that day a swarm of historical specialists have been gnashing their teeth and burning to rain down gobbets of his mangled flesh upon the viewless winds. Specialists are like that y ,

AFTER THAT—THE DELUGE." I have known a mild-voiced, bald-headed .antiquarian specialist walk the floor for hours praying for the "right invective," hoping against hope that he might be inspired to compress the venom of St- Ernuphus his curse into one blightingly poisonous phrase. And now Mr Wells proposes to produce a new Bible! I laughed. I could not help it. Mr Wells proposes to base the ethical part of his new Bible on selected portions of the Old Testament. Morals are to be based on history and science and the world is to accept and study the Whole Duty of Man.

After that—the deluge. Mr Wells, greatly daring, is going to ask all the antagonistic, jealous, dogmatic and irreconcilible religions of the earth to give up the faiths of the fathers and accept a new Bible, partly based upon the Protestant version of the Bible of the Jews!

I will not harp upon the consequences to Mr Wells. If he thinks he would enjoy being metaphorically grilled over green faggots, one can only admire his courage and marvel at his taste. But I would beseech him to consider the calamities that would fall upon mankind as the result of his rash act. Why, the attempt to circulate and establish such a new book, if seriously attempted on a large scale, would plunge the whole world into sanguinary and implacable religious wars. I can think of nothing so certain to divide and infuriate the nations as an attempt to convert them all to one religion, and to confine their faith to one alien Bible. "Pledge me. with steep down draughts of liquid fire!" Oh, Mr Wells. Your plan for arguing the wolves into sheep would transform them into Kilkenny cats. The world has many good books. The trouble is that it does not read them, or if it reads them will not heed them. The great mass of the world's inhabitants do not read.

I have just glanced over one Sunday and two daily papers: the news, the articles, and the advertisements. Do not forget the advertisements. Study also the pictures. Then think of Mr Wells's new Bible. There has been some excitement in Paris over a novel whim of the Parisian ladies for going out with no stockings on. A stiff Press bat. tie ensued over the bare-leg innovation, and the anti-nude papers claimed a victory because the ladies who went bare-legged to Chantilly races got caught in a storm and had to go home for their stockings.

: WHAT THE WORLD WANTS. When I read Mr Wells's plans for the construction of this new Bible I could not get those French ladies out of my head. All through Mr Wells's earnest * exposition of his new great plan those saucy French women danced barelegged in mockery and defiance arotm the desk of the seer. And while this fantastic vision distracted my attention I remembered that in consequence of the marvellous achievements of science in the production of poisonous gases for war American naval experts and sober-minded British journalists were discussing ways and means for making warships air-tight.

The World does not want a new Bible. It is more concerned about a new poison, a new explosive, a new teagown, or a new fast bowler. Mr Wells has a touching faith in the amity and sanity of his fellowcreatures. I wonder what Anatole France would say about the "prospectus for this new Bible. What an essay that great humorist and philosopher could write c.n such a theme! With regard to ethics, the few and simpler our laws the better. Could we but persuade the peoples of the earth to live in accordance with the Golden Rule we should have won more than half the battle.

Does Mr Wells, who wants a world State and a new Bible, believe that he could within tha compass of his lifetime persuade mankind to do unto others, as they would that others should do to them?

We have religious creeds and moral precepts in abundance, but they do nor seem to have much effect on the class war, or the fashions, or the gamblers, or the. profiteers. The cheapjack's voice outranges the preacher's. We must not forget that Faustine was the wife of Marcus Aurelius and Xantippe the wife of Socrates. There are not many moral teachers who can hold the attention of a crowd against the lure of a dog-fight. M>. Wells may replj that I am a nice ore to talk, considering my own record. It is. no use raking up my previous convictions. Have I not already confessed that I have been younger? That is excusable. One is not born old. ASKING FOR THE MOON. But Mr. Wells docs not seem to grow older. His latest book with its proposal for the abolition of nationalities and its suggestions for a new Bible has "the unmatched form and feature of blown youth." It has the wistful trustfulness of a wide-eyed child asking for the constellations to play with, and behold, it is the considered project of a mididle-aged author, married, and with--grown-up sons; a man Who has written novels and studied science, and knows Paris and London. A man, too, who has been dealt with faithfully by political critics and historical specialists. Well, good luck to all brave youths, say I. Who woud rob them of their dreams or strive to make them prematurely wise?"

Run! follow, follow happiness,_the > maid Whose laughter is the laughing waterfall;. Run! call to her, but if no maiden call, 'Tis something to have loved the flying shade. So wrote a wise Arabian poet eight hundred years ago. He was a sweet singer and a gentle soul, and tolerant of youth. And he never sought to disturb the people's ease with a new synthetic Bible.