76 p o l i t i c s Thegeneralreturntoinsularityhasledtoanincreasein zenophobia.TheotherdaymyWestCountryaccentled toapro-BritishspinsteronabusinHempsteadaccusing meofbeinga"dirtyforeigner". I wassurprised,butenlightened.Asmanyofthemoresuccessfulforeignersresi- dentinEnglandareJewishrefugees,therehasalsobeena riseinspecificalyanti-Semiticfeeling,butsofarthishas notgainedrealyseriousproportions. Thereispopularannoyanceaboutfood,whichisscarcer thanitwasduringthewar,andmostotheressentialgoods areinshortsupply.Theotherdayaqueuethree-quarters ofamilelongformedoutsidethathadsheetsforsale,and foralmosteverythingonehasstilltostandinalineof somMeekai nnwd. hile,thefutureofmilitarycompulsionisuncertain.TheoldpacifistictendencywithintheLabourParty isreassertingitself,andafairnumberofthebackbench M.P'sareknowntoopposepeace-timeconscription. The Observer hascriticisedconscriptionrecentlyongroundsof expediency,andanumberofmilitaryexperts,ledbyB.H. Liddell-Hart,arealsoopposedtoit. I t isstillamoot questionwhetherthedaywillgototheauthoritarianten- denciesintheCabinetorthelibertariantendenciesofthe rankandfile.But it isanimprovementthatconscription shouldevenberegardedasamaterfordiscussion.A yearagoeveryonetookitforgrantedasapermanentfea- tureofEnglishlife. ThisappearstorepresentageneraltendencyintheEng- lishpoliticalsituationtodaythatwhiletheGovernment itselfremainsauthoritarianandbenefitsthecapitalistsmore thananyoneelse,therearelibertarianforcesamongitsown folowerswhoapplyasteadypressureonanumberof issues,anditmaybethatinatleastsomeofthesecases theCabinetwillbeforcedtogiveway. I t isadoubtful hope,butwehavenoother,foralltheminorradicalgroups inEnglandaresotinyanddividedthatonlybyarevolt within theLabourPartycanweexpectanychangeinthe directionofpoliticaldevelopmentduringthenextfew yeaHrso . wever,gleamsoflightappearinunexpectedplaces. Forinstance,duringthedockstriketheGovernmentasked theB.B.C.tobroadcastanappealtothementoreturnto work.TheB.B.C.repliedthattheywouldonlydosoif adocker'srepresentativewerealowedtostatethemen's case.TheGovernmentletthematerdrop,completely bafledbysuchanunexpectedshowofindependenceand fair-mindedness. London,February11 G E O R G E WOODCOCK WITHTHEHEAVYTHINKERS:Dept.oftheObvious ObviouslytheUnitedStatesmusthaveamilitaryestablishment; and¡fit istohaveone, itmayaswellbeagoodone;and if it is to beagoodone, it mustrestonuniversaltraining;but after all this hasbeensaid,wherearewe? We are not onestepcloser to peace.. . . —SamuelGraftonin"TheChicagoSun",October29,1945. THEMETAPHYSICSOFTHERIGHTOFSTRIKE Freedomandsecuritywillnotbeobtainedbysacrificingthe right tostrike. . . . Evenin warthisimportanttraditionshouldbemaintained. . . .Wedonotclaim itwasamistaketoagreenot tostrike fortheduration.Quitethecontrary.For thisfact, if properlyused, canperhapshelpsecuretheright tostrike. fromanarticle,"ScientificMediation—ToolofDemocracy" byHoraceS.Fries,in"TheAntiochReview"forFall,1945. ENGLISHASSHEISSPOKE Theheadline inTheLondonDailyMailyesterday morningwas crypticandclear . —JamesB.Reston,Washingtoncorespondent,in .N.Y.Times,March3. BibliotecaGinobianco Co111111011111011SCILISO THEGermansareindiferent.My,howindiferentthey are.Theyseemstunned.Ofcourse,aswehaveall readinthepapers,themoststrikingChristmasdisplayin Berlinshopwindowswasthesign:"COFFINSFORDECEASED OFINFECTIOUSDISEASESONLY". This mayaccount for some oftheirindiference(butofcourselet'snotgetsoftnow andexcusethem.)Whenyouarebusytryingtoestablish whetheryournearestrelativewillorwillnot"make"the cofin(it'sthelatestingraduation),eventhehistory-mak- ingtrialsofNurnbergareapttobeasexcitingaslast month'sReader'sDigest. IseehereaheadlineintheTimes:"INEPTPROPAGANDAREPELSGERMANS.SUBJECTSFOUNDUN- TIMELY."Ofcourse,ofcourse,itisallandonlyamatter ofpropaganda.Findsubjectsthataretimely,givethem aself-compensating,wind-propeledprojectionofAmerica, andeverythingwillbeallright.Eventhetownswillbe re-educatedtoriseoutoftheirruins. Butisn'ttheresomethingwecandoforyou,0Liberators, Judges,Educators,Rehabilitators,Conglomerators,IncineratorsandConcoctors?Don'tyouthinkyoutooneedsome- thing,Idon'tknowwhat,butsomething,tobreakyourown indifference? I t isnaturalthattheGermansshouldbe hardenedbywhattheyhavedoneandendured(which,for thepurposesofyourJusticeisexactlythesame).And then,andthen,allthosecrimesbelongtothepastbynow. Whatevertheeffectonthelivingofthejuridicalfarce, thedeaddonotcomebackandthememoryofevilremains. ButYOURcrimes,0Liberatorsetc.,yourcrimesaretaking placenow;theymaystillbestopped;youmayletpeople migratetoAmerica,Brazil,Australia,Russia,Canada, SouthAfrica, bythemillions; youmayreviveandmake truetheOldLiescalledAtlanticCharterandFourFree- doms. I t isthereforeCONSTRUCTIVE(pardonmefor usingsuchunseemlylanguage)thatwebusyourselveswith youandnotwiththem.AnditmayevenshaketheindifferenceoftheGermanstoseethatyouarelessbeastlyand moreChristianthantheywere.Norwillyourhonestyneed commentfromanidioticO.W.T.oranevenmoreidiotic StateDepartment.Don'tyouknowthegreateducational forceofsheerexample?YouarealwaystalkingofGer- manyasifthatwerethepatientthatneedscure.Butyou aremistaken.Thatisnotthepatientthatisthecorpse. Don'tactnowasifyoudidnotrememberthatyouwon thewar.Youwonit,andhow.LookatGermany,please, and. . .rejoice. ANDnowtellme:whythispretensethatyounever foughtthiswar?Let'sgetclearaboutthis:Didyou ordidn'tyou?Andthedestruction,onwhatpartofthe ledgershalweputit?Wasn'tthatwhatwecall"punishment"inEnglish?And if itwasn'tpunishment,whatwas it,please?Areyouthejudges?Well,now,haveyou everseenajudgeenterthecourtroomthroughthewals, throughtheroof,smashingthewholedamnplacetobits, killingalmostallthedefendants,andthensitontheonly chairthat'sleftintactandsay"Now,Gentlemen,silence, please,becausethisisatrial"?Haveyou?Andwould youcal itatrialorasmash-up? I rememberonce,many yearsago,whenthecobblerofmyvillagewastriedasa brigand,andI,asalaw-studentwenttohearthetrial,the judgeenteredtheroomfromthesamecorridorasthede- fendant,andsteppedonhisfoot.Andhesaid:"Pardon
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