世界名著Never Again.docx
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世界名著Never Again.docx
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世界名著NeverAgain
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NEVERAGAIN
AprotestandawarningaddressedtothepeoplesofEurope
byEdwardCarpenter
NeveragainmustthisThinghappen.Thetimehascome--ifthehuman
racedoesnotwishtodestroyitselfinitsownmadness--formen
tomakeuptheirmindsastowhattheywilldointhefuture;for
nowindeedisittruethatwearecometothecross-roads,westand
atthePartingoftheWays.
Therapidandenormousgrowthofscientificinventionmakesitobvious
thatViolencetentimesmorepotentandsinisterthanthatwhich
wearewitnessingto-daymayveryshortlybeavailableforouruse--or
abuse--inWar.Ontheotherhandwhocandoubtthattherapidgrowth
ofinterchangeandunderstandingamongthepeoplesoftheworldis
dailymakingWarfareitself,andthebarbaritiesinevitablyconnected
withit,moreabhorrenttoourcommonhumanity?
Whichoftheselinesarewetofollow?
Alongwhichpatharewetogo?
Thisisaquestionwhichthemass--peoplesofEuropeinthefuture--and
notmerelytheGovernments---willhaveseriouslytoponderanddecide.
Thatbodiesofmen--ashashappenedahundredtimesinthetrenches
inNorthernFranceandevenontheEasternFront--shouldexchange
morningsalutationsandsongsinhumorousamity,andthenataword
ofcommandshouldfalltoshootingeachother;
Thatpeasantsandartisans,andshopkeepersandstudentsand
schoolmasters,whohavenoquarrelwhatever,whoonthewholerather
respectandhonoureachother,shouldwithexplosivebombsdeliberately
blowoneanothertobitssothateventheirownmotherscouldnot
recognizethem;
Thathumanbeingsshoulduseeverydevilishinventionofscience
withtheonepurposeofmaiming,blinding,destroyingthoseagainst
whomtheyhavenopersonalgrudgeorgrievance;
Allthisissheermadness.
Onlyashorttimeagoaprivatesoldiersaidtome:
"Yes,wehad
gottobesuchfriendswiththoseBavariansinthetrenchesover
againstusthatifwehadreturnedthereagainIbelievenothing
couldhavemadeusfightwitheachother;butofcoursethatpoint
wasperceivedandweweremovedtoanotherpartoftheLine."
WhatacriticisminafewwordsonthewholeWar!
Ahundredtimesthisorsomethingsimilarhashappened,andahundred
andathousandtimesthese'enemies'whohavemadlymutilatedeach
otherhave--afewminuteslater--beenonlytoogladtodresseach
other'swoundsandsharethelastcontentsoftheirwater-bottles.
Byalltheheart-rendingexperienceswhichhavenowbecomesocommon
andfamiliartous;
Bythefactthatto-daythereishardlyafamilyoverthegreater
partofEuropethatisnotgrievingbitterlyoverthelossofsome
dearestmemberofitscircle;
Bythewhitefacesofthewomencladinblack,whomoneseeseverywhere
inthestreetsofBerlinandBrusselsandParisandVienna,ofLondon
andMilanandBelgradeandPetrograd;
Bythesufferingsoffamine-strickenPoland,ravagedalreadythree
orfourtimesinthelasttwoyearsbyopposingandalternatearmies;
BytheawfulsufferingsofthesixorsevenmillionJewsofthe
RussianPale,houndedhomelessinwintertoand,frooverthefrozen
earththeoldmenandwomenandchildrenperishingofexposure,
fatigue,andstarvation;
BytheagonyofSerbia,andthedespairofBelgium;
Thismustnotbeagain!
Bythefiveorsixmillionactualcombatantsalreadyslain;and,
thestrangespectacleofmillionsofWomen(overhalfamillion
inBritain,moreinFrance,multitudesinGermanyandAmerica)
manufacturingman-destroyingexplosiveshellsinceaselessstream
bydayandnight;
(Anditisestimatedthatontheaveragesomefiftyshellsareexpended
foreveryonemanslain)
Bytheterrifiedfaces--asofdrowningmen--ofthosesufferingin
countlesshospitalsfromshell-shock;bytheirtremblinghandsand,
limbsandhorribledreamsatnight--pursuedbyanever-livinghorror;
Bythecursesofthetender-heartedfriendwhocollectsinNo-man's-land
betweenthelinesthescatteredfragmentsofhiscomrade's
body--thedabsofflesh,thehand,theheadheknowssowell,aboot
withafootstillinit--andputsthemalltogetherinasackfor
burial;
Bythesilentstupefactionofwivesandmotherstryingvainlyto
picturetothemselvesadeathwhichcannotbepictured;bytheinsane
laughterofthosewhohavingwitnessedthesethingscannolonger
weep;
Thismustnotbeagain!
BythebeachatGallipolicoveredwiththeprostrateandwrithing
formsofmenexhaustedandemaciatedwithdysentery,whohavecrawled
downfromthehillsonlytolieoutthereintheterriblesuntormented
withfliesandthirst,ortoshiverthroughthefrostynight,waiting
forthetardyarrivaloftheHospitalShip;
Bythehundredsofbodiesthrownatthelastintotheseaatsunrise,
fortheirunceremoniousend;
Andeachpoorbodyforallitsloathsomestatesoloved,soloved
bysomeonefaraway;
BythedearLordwhointhebeautifullegenddescendedforthree
daysintoHellthathemightredeemmankind;butthesehavelived
inanactualHellforweeksandmonthstogether--
Thismustnotbeagain!
BythegrowthandexpansionofScience(Godforgivetheword!
)which
willinevitablymakeeachfuturewarmoredevilishandinhumanthan
thelast;
BythecryoftheblackandcolouredpeoplesoftheEarthwhohave
forlongenoughalreadysaidhowhardandcruelthefacesofthe
whitemenseemedtothem,andwhonowthinkhowblacktheirsoulsare;
Bythehardnessofheart,theinsensitivenessofacertainkind,
whichduringacenturyormorenowhasbeenbredbytheinstitutions
ofCommercialism;
Bythehabitualbetrayal,throughlongperiodsof'prosperity'and
`peace,'ofmenbytheirfellows--oftheweakbythepowerful,of
thegenerousbythemean,ofthesimpleandthoughtlessbythecrafty
andselfish;
BythehugedividendsdeclaredbyArmamentFirms;bythe
internationalagreementsofthesefirmswithoneanother,evento
cozentheirownrespectiveGovernments;
Bythehundredsandhundredsofthousandsofinnocentfolktrampled
underfootintheditchofcompetition,themad,raceinwhichthe
deviltakesthehindmost;
Bythetreacherousinternalwarfareoftheordinaryindustriallife
ofeverycountry,thesecretbetrayalandmurderofbodiesandsouls
forprofit--atlastwrittenoutinlettersofbloodandfireacross
thecontinents,foralltobehold--
Thismustnotbeagain!
LettheAlliesbyallmeansaccuseGermanyofworld-ambitionand
world-plunder,andlettheGermanpeopleaccusetheirPrussianlords
butleteverynationalsosearchitsownheartandaccuseitself.
Forhavenotthelordsofeverynationsetbeforethemselvesthe
samegoal,thegoalofworld-ambitionandgloryand'empire'and
plunder?
Andhavenotthemass-peoplesofeverynationstoodmeanly
byandacclaimedthefraud,norspokenoutagainstit,silently
consentingtothesethingsintheprospectofsomeadvantagealso
tothemselves?
Havenotallthenationswithoutexceptionactedmeanlyanddastardly
towardstheoutlyingblackraces,andeventowardsthosemore
civilizedpeopleswhomtheythoughtweakerthanthemselves--andnow
inthestressofwararetheynotfindingthattheirownrights
andlibertiesarebeingslowlyfilchedfromthem?
Yes,thatis,theendofGloryandofGreed.
Butthedayofgloryisdeparted.Thenewspapers,itistrue,
stillkeepupthephrase.Theytalkofabattalion"coveringitself
withglory."Butthementhemselvesdonottalkso.Theyknow
toowellwhatitallmeans.Theyseenogloryincoveringthemselves
withthebloodoftheirbrothersoftheopposingtrenches;with
whomafewmomentsbeforetheywerejoininginsongsandjokes.
Theyonlysay:
Nowthatwehavebegun,wewillseeitthrough--but
itmustnotbeAgain.
NeverIthinkinallthehistoryoftheworldhastherebeenathing
sogreatinitswayasthepresentBritishArmyandNavy.Thisenormous
force,raised--exceptforasmallremnant--byVoluntaryenlistment
fromallclassesofthenation,andinspiredmorebyageneraland
protectivesensetowardstheMotherlandthanbyanythingelse,has
fulfilledwhatitconsideredtobeitsdutyanditshonourwitha
devotionandaheroismunsurpassed.Itwereimpossibletostay
andrecountitsmanywonderfuldeeds.
Ayoungofficersaidtomeoneday--"Horribleasthewholething
is,yetitalmostseemsworthwhile,whenyouthinkofthesplendid
thingsdone--anddonetooinsuchasimplematter-of-factway:
when
youthinkofalltheloveanddevotionpouredout,andthelives
ourmenhavegivenoneforthesakeofanother."
Greatindeedisthespiritofsuchanarmy,greatitsmagnanimity,
itssimplicityofmind,itsunself-consciousness,itssingle
concentrationonitspurpose.
Yetperhapsthemostsurprisingthingaboutourmenisthatthey
havedoneallthiswithsolittlehatredintheirheartsfortheenemy.
WhatevertheGermansmayhavefelt,andwhatevertheFrench,the
Britishershavejustdonetheirfightingintheirownnonchalant
way"becausetheyhadto"--withscarcelyashadowofmaliceor
revenge--ratherwiththatrespectforadoughtyopponentwhich
alwaysdistinguishesthetruefighter.
Thinkofthatquaintstory(BetweenTheLines,byBoydCable,pp188ff)
oftheGermanBurschenintheirtrenches,singingwithpiousenthusiasm
theSongofHate(probablycommandedandcompelled,
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