never again-第1部分

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　NEVER　AGAIN


A　protest　and　a　warning　addressed　to　the　peoples　of　Europe

by　Edward　Carpenter




Never　again　must　this　Thing　happen。　　The　time　has　come　　if　the　human
race　does　not　wish　to　destroy　itself　in　its　own　madness　　for　men
to　make　up　their　minds　as　to　what　they　will　do　in　the　future；　for
now　indeed　is　it　true　that　we　are　come　to　the　cross…roads；　we　stand
at　the　Parting　of　the　Ways。

The　rapid　and　enormous　growth　of　scientific　invention　makes　it　obvious
that　Violence　ten　times　more　potent　and　sinister　than　that　which
we　are　witnessing　to…day　may　very　shortly　be　available　for　our　use　　or
abuse　　in　War。　　On　the　other　hand　who　can　doubt　that　the　rapid　growth
of　interchange　and　understanding　among　the　peoples　of　the　world　is
daily　making　Warfare　itself；　and　the　barbarities　inevitably　connected
with　it；　more　abhorrent　to　our　common　humanity？

Which　of　these　lines　are　we　to　follow？　Along　which　path　are　we　to　go？
This　is　a　question　which　the　mass　　peoples　of　Europe　in　the　future　　and
not　merely　the　Governments　…　will　have　seriously　to　ponder　and　decide。

That　bodies　of　men　　as　has　happened　a　hundred　times　in　the　trenches
in　Northern　France　and　even　on　the　Eastern　Front　　should　exchange
morning　salutations　and　songs　in　humorous　amity；　and　then　at　a　word
of　command　should　fall　to　shooting　each　other；

That　peasants　and　artisans；　and　shopkeepers　and　students　and
schoolmasters；　who　have　no　quarrel　whatever；　who　on　the　whole　rather
respect　and　honour　each　other；　should　with　explosive　bombs　deliberately
blow　one　another　to　bits　so　that　even　their　own　mothers　could　not
recognize　them；
That　human　beings　should　use　every　devilish　invention　of　science
with　the　one　purpose　of　maiming；　blinding；　destroying　those　against
whom　they　have　no　personal　grudge　or　grievance；
All　this　is　sheer　madness。

Only　a　short　time　ago　a　private　soldier　said　to　me：　　〃Yes；　we　had
got　to　be　such　friends　with　those　Bavarians　in　the　trenches　over
against　us　that　if　we　had　returned　there　again　I　believe　nothing
could　have　made　us　fight　with　each　other；　but　of　course　that　point
was　perceived　and　we　were　moved　to　another　part　of　the　Line。〃
What　a　criticism　in　a　few　words　on　the　whole　War！
A　hundred　times　this　or　something　similar　has　happened；　and　a　hundred
and　a　thousand　times　these　'enemies'　who　have　madly　mutilated　each
other　have　　a　few　minutes　later　　been　only　too　glad　to　dress　each
other's　wounds　and　share　the　last　contents　of　their　water…bottles。


By　all　the　heart…rending　experiences　which　have　now　become　so　common
and　familiar　to　us；

By　the　fact　that　to…day　there　is　hardly　a　family　over　the　greater
part　of　Europe　that　is　not　grieving　bitterly　over　the　loss　of　some
dearest　member　of　its　circle；

By　the　white　faces　of　the　women　clad　in　black；　whom　one　sees　everywhere
in　the　streets　of　Berlin　and　Brussels　and　Paris　and　Vienna；　of　London
and　Milan　and　Belgrade　and　Petrograd；

By　the　sufferings　of　famine…stricken　Poland；　ravaged　already　three
or　four　times　in　the　last　two　years　by　opposing　and　alternate　armies；

By　the　awful　sufferings　of　the　six　or　seven　million　Jews　of　the
Russian　Pale；　hounded　homeless　in　winter　to　and；　fro　over　the　frozen
earth　the　old　men　and　women　and　children　perishing　of　exposure；
fatigue；　and　starvation；
By　the　agony　of　Serbia；　and　the　despair　of　Belgium；

This　must　not　be　again！

By　the　five　or　six　million　actual　combatants　already　slain；　and；
the　strange　spectacle　of　millions　of　Women　（over　half　a　million
in　Britain；　more　in　France；　multitudes　in　Germany　and　America）
manufacturing　man…destroying　explosive　shells　in　ceaseless　stream
by　day　and　night；
（And　it　is　estimated　that　on　the　average　some　fifty　shells　are　expended
for　every　one　man　slain）
By　the　terrified　faces　　as　of　drowning　men　　of　those　suffering　in
countless　hospitals　from　shell…shock；　by　their　trembling　hands　and；
limbs　and　horrible　dreams　at　night　　pursued　by　an　ever…living　horror；

By　the　curses　of　the　tender…hearted　friend　who　collects　in　No…man's…land
between　the　lines　the　scattered　fragments　of　his　comrade's
body　　the　dabs　of　flesh；　the　hand；　the　head　he　knows　so　well；　a　boot
with　a　foot　still　in　it　　and　puts　them　all　together　in　a　sack　for
burial；

By　the　silent　stupefaction　of　wives　and　mothers　trying　vainly　to
picture　to　themselves　a　death　which　cannot　be　pictured；　by　the　insane
laughter　of　those　who　having　witnessed　these　things　can　no　longer
weep；

This　must　not　be　again！


By　the　beach　at　Gallipoli　covered　with　the　prostrate　and　writhing
forms　of　men　exhausted　and　emaciated　with　dysentery；　who　have　crawled
down　from　the　hills　only　to　lie　out　there　in　the　terrible　sun　tormented
with　flies　and　thirst；　or　to　shiver　through　the　frosty　night；　waiting
for　the　tardy　arrival　of　the　Hospital　Ship；

By　the　hundreds　of　bodies　thrown　at　the　last　into　the　sea　at　sunrise；
for　their　unceremonious　end；

And　each　poor　body　for　all　its　loathsome　state　so　loved；　so　loved
by　some　one　far　away；

By　the　dear　Lord　who　in　the　beautiful　legend　descended　for　three
days　into　Hell　that　he　might　redeem　mankind；　but　these　have　lived
in　an　actual　Hell　for　weeks　and　months　together　

This　must　not　be　again！


By　the　growth　and　expansion　of　Science　（God　forgive　the　word！）　which
will　inevitably　make　each　future　war　more　devilish　and　inhuman　than
the　last；


By　the　cry　of　the　black　and　coloured　peoples　of　the　Earth　who　have
for　long　enough　already　said　how　hard　and　cruel　the　faces　of　the
white　men　seemed　to　them；　and　who　now　think　how　black　their　souls　are；


By　the　hardness　of　heart；　the　insensitiveness　of　a　certain　kind；
which　during　a　century　or　more　now　has　been　bred　by　the　institutions
of　Commercialism；


By　the　habitual　betrayal；　through　long　periods　of　'prosperity'　and
‘peace；'　of　men　by　their　fellows　　of　the　weak　by　the　powerful；　of
the　generous　by　the　mean；　of　the　simple　and　thoughtless　by　the　crafty
and　selfish；


By　the　huge　dividends　declared　by　Armament　Firms；　by　the
international　agreements　of　these　firms　with　one　another；　even　to
cozen　their　own　respective　Governments；

By　the　hundreds　and　hundreds　of　thousands　of　innocent　folk　trampled
underfoot　in　the　ditch　of　competition；　the　mad；　race　in　which　the
devil　takes　the　hindmost；

By　the　treacherous　internal　warfare　of　the　ordinary　industrial　life
of　every　country；　the　secret　betrayal　and　murder　of　bodies　and　souls
for　profit　　at　last　written　out　in　letters　of　blood　and　fire　across
the　continents；　for　all　to　behold　

This　must　not　be　again　！

Let　the　Allies　by　all　means　accuse　Germany　of　world…ambition　and
world…plunder；　and　let　the　German　people　accuse　their　Prussian　lords
but　let　every　nation　also　search　its　own　heart　and　accuse　itself。

For　have　not　the　lords　of　every　nation　set　before　themselves　the
same　goal；　the　goal　of　world…ambition　and　glory　and　'empire'　and
plunder？　　And　have　not　the　mass…peoples　of　every　nation　stood　meanly
by　and　acclaimed　the　fraud；　nor　spoken　out　against　it；　silently
consenting　to　these　things　in　the　prospect　of　some　advantage　also
to　themselves？

Have　not　all　the　nations　without　exception　acted　meanly　and　dastardly
towards　the　out　lying　black　races；　and　even　towards　those　more
civilized　peoples　whom　they　thought　weaker　than　themselves　　and　now
in　the　stress　of　war　are　they　not　finding　that　their　own　rights
and　liberties　are　being　slowly　filched　from　them？

Yes；　that　is；　the　end　of　Glory　and　of　Greed。

But　the　day　of　glory　is　departed。　　The　newspapers；　it　is　true；
still　keep　up　the　phrase。　　They　talk　of　a　battalion　〃covering　itself
with　glory。〃　　But　the　men　themselves　do　not　talk　so。　　They　know
too　well　what　it　all　means。　　They　see　no　glory　in　covering　themselves
with　the　blood　of　their　brothers　of　the　opposing　trenches；　with
whom　a　few　moments　before　they　were　joining　in　songs　and　jokes。

They　only　say：　　Now　that　we　have　begun；　we　will　see　it　through　　but
it　must　not　be　Again。



Never　I　think　in　all　the　history　of　the　world　has　there　been　a　thing
so　great　in　its　way　as　the　present　British　Army　and　Navy。　　This　enormous
force；　raised　　except　for　a　small　remnant　　by　Voluntary　enlistment
from　all　classes　of　the　nation；　and　inspired　more　by　a　general　and
protective　sense　towards　the　Motherland　than　by　anything　else；　has
fulfilled　what　it　considered　to　be　its　duty　and　its　honour　with　a
devotion　and　a　heroism　unsurpassed。　　It　were　impossible　to　stay
and　recount　its　many　wonderful　deeds。

A　young　officer　said　to　me　one　day　　〃Horrible　as　the　whole　thing
is；　yet　it　almost　seems　worth　while；　when　you　think　of　the　splendid
things　done　　and　done　too　in　such　a　simple　matter…of…fact　way：　when
you　think　of　all　the　love　and　devotion　poured　out；　and　the　lives
our　men　have　given　one　for　the　sake　of　another。〃

Great　indeed　is　the　spirit　of　such　an　army；　great　its　magnanimity；
its　simplicity　of　mind；　its　unself…consciousness；　its　single
concentration　on　its　purpose。

Yet　perhaps　the　most　surprising　thing　about　our　men　is　that　they
have　done　all　this　with　so　little　hatred　in　their　hearts　for　the　enemy。

Whatever　the　Germans　may　have　felt；　and　whatever　the　French；　the
Britishers　have　just　done　their　fighting　in　their　own　nonchalant
way　〃because　they　had　to〃　　with　scarcely　a　shadow　of　malice　or
revenge　　rather　with　that　respect　for　a　doughty　opponent　which
always　distinguishes　the　true　fighter。

Think　of　that　quaint　story　（Between　The　Lines；　by　Boyd　Cable；　pp　188　ff）
of　the　German　Burschen　in　their　trenches；　singing　with　pious　enthusiasm
the　Song　of　Hate　（probably　commanded　and　compelled；　poor　devils；　to　sing　it）
and　our　men　for　days　secretly　listening；　learning　the　words；　practicing
the　tune　on　their　muffled；　mouth…organs；　till　having　got　it　all
complete　they　one　morning；　burst　it　forth　in　full　chorus　on　the
astonished　Teutons；　nor　failed　at　the　end　to　blaze　out
〃Gott　strafe　England〃　at　the　top　of；　their　voices　as　if　they　really
meant　it　　and　then　subsided　into　a　roar　of　laughter。　　They　simply　would
not　take　the　German　〃Hate〃　seriously。

Well；　what　can　an　enemy　do　with　such　an　army？　It　would　seem　indeed
to　be　invincible。


The　other　surprising　thing　about　this　Army　is　（but　it　is　also　in
part　true　of　the