If the inner set is
so close knit as to seem like a conspiracy, the outer set is so
loosely knit as to seem like a noisy confusion. Greater Britain is only
beginning to realise itself and find itself. For all its crudity there
is a giant spirit in it feeling its way towards the light. It has quite
other ambitions for the ending of the war than some haggled treaty of
alliance with France and Italy; some advantage that will invalidate
German competition; it begins to realise newer and wider sympathies,
possibilities of an amalgamation of interests and community of aim that
is utterly beyond the habits of the old oligarchy to conceive, beyond
the scope of that tawdry word 'Empire' to express...."
I descended from my rhetoric to find M. Reinach asking how and when this
greater Britain was likely to become politically effective.
V. THE SOCIAL CHANGES IN PROGRESS
1
"Nothing will be the same after the war." This is one of the consoling
platitudes with which people cover over voids of thought. They utter
it with an air of round-eyed profundity. But to ask in reply, "Then how
will things be different?" is in many cases to rouse great resentment.
It is almost as rude as saying, "Was that thought of yours really a
thought?"
Let us in this chapter confine ourselves to the social-economic
processes that are going on.
Pages:
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211