Iberica," of Madrid, has sent me a manifesto _Por la causa de la
civilizacion_, published in the Madrid newspapers in June, 1919, and
inspired with sentiments analogous to those of the above declaration.
This manifesto is signed by about one hundred Spanish writers and men of
science, university professors, etc. Emilio H. del Villar sends his own
adhesion, together with that of all the signatories of the Spanish
manifesto, to the Declaration of the Independence of the Mind.
It is a matter for regret that we have not been able to add to the list
the signatures of our Russian friends from whom we are still cut off by
the governmental blockade. We keep their places open. Russian thought is
in the vanguard of the thought of the world.
R. R.
_August, 1919._
SUPPLEMENTARY NOTE TO CHAPTER XX
A GREAT EUROPEAN: G. F. NICOLAI
Comment is requisite upon the reproaches addressed by G. F. Nicolai to
certain Christian sects. In the various countries of Europe, opposition
to the war, on the part of those he names, was far more vigorous than
has been commonly supposed. Inasmuch as the authorities ruthlessly but
silently suppressed all opposition, it is only since the close of the
war that we have been able to glean information concerning these
conscientious revolts and sacrifices. Without dwelling upon the story of
the thousands of conscientious objectors in the United States and in
England (where Bertrand Russell has been their defender and
interpreter), I wish to mention that Paul Birinkov has drawn my
attention to the attitude of the Nazarenes in Hungary and Serbia, where
large numbers of them were shot. He has also given me information
concerning the doings of the Tolstoyans, the Dukhobors, the Adventists,
the Young Baptists, etc., in Russia. As for the Mennonites, according to
the reports of Dr. Pierre Kennel, in the United States most of them
refused to subscribe to the war loans. They were not compelled to
undertake combatant duties, but they accepted service in the battalions
for the reconstruction of the devastated regions in northern France. In
tsarist Russia, and in a number of the German states, they were granted
exemption from combatant service, and did duty in the medical corps or
other auxiliary drafts. In France, by a decree of the Convention
(respected by Napoleon) they were likewise assigned to non-combatant
service. But the Third Republic disregarded this decree.
R. R.
_Printed in Great Britain by_ UNWIN BROTHERS, LIMITED, THE GRESHAM
PRESS, WOKING AND LONDON
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Published in pamphlet form by La Maison Française, Paris, 1918.
[2] Except the last two stanzas, which were composed in the autumn of
the same year.
[3] Conversation with L. Mabilleau, "Opinion," June 20, 1908.
[4] In a recent issue of the "Revue des Deux Mondes."
[5] Institut für Kulturforschung (Institute for the Study of
Civilisation), founded at Vienna in February, 1915, by Dr. Erwin
Hanslick. So rapid was its success that in February, 1916, it gave birth
to the Institute for the Study of the East and the Orient.
[6] "Nature," writes Voltaire in _L'Homme aux quarante écus_, "is like
those great princes who think nothing of the loss of 400,000 men,
provided they can fulfil their own august designs."
The princes of to-day, great and small alike, are more spendthrift!
[7] Cf. Victor Bérard's brief account of the Manchurian campaign in _La
révolte de l'Asie_. Cf. also _Les derniers jours de Pékin_, where Pierre
Loti describes the destruction of Tung-Chow, "the City of Celestial
Purity."
[8] Numerous issues of "Cahiers de la Quinzaine" have been devoted to
castigating the crimes of civilisation. I may mention:
(_a_) Sur le Congo, by E. D. Morel, Pierre Mille, and Félicien Challaye
("Cahiers de la Quinzaine," vii, 6, 12, 16).
(_b_) Sur les Juifs en Russie et en Roumanie, by Bernard Lazare, Elie
Eberlin, and Georges Delahache (iii, 8; vi, 6).
(_c_) Sur la Pologne, by Edmond Bernus (viii, 10, 12, 14).
(_d_) Sur l'Arménie, by Pierre Quillard (iii, 19).
(_e_) Sur la Finlande, by Jean Deck (iii, 21).
[9] Arnold Porret, _Les causes profondes de la guerre_, Lausanne, 1916.
[10] From a lecture entitled Nationalism in Japan, since republished in
the volume _Nationalism_, Macmillan, London, 1917 (pp. 59 and 60). This
address marks a turning-point in the history of the world.
[11] Consult a number of shrewd articles published during the last
decade by Francis Delaisi. One in particular may be mentioned, that
which appeared in "Pages libres" on January 1, 1907, dealing with
foreign affairs in 1906 (the Algeciras year). He gives striking examples
of what he terms "industrialised diplomacy." As a complement to Delaisi,
read the financial articles of the "Revue" (issues for November and
December, 1906) signed Lysis, and the commentary on these articles by P.
G. La Chesnais in "Pages libres" (January 19, 1907). In these writings
we find a plain demonstration of the power of the financial oligarchies
over the governments of the European states, alike republics and
monarchies--a power that is "collective, mysterious in its workings, and
independent of control."
[12] Let me quote a few lines from Maurras, so lucid a writer when not
under the spell of his fixed idea. "The Money State governs, gilds, and
decorates Intelligence: but muzzles it and puts it to sleep. The Money
State, at will, can prevent Intelligence from becoming aware of a
political truth; and if Intelligence utters a political truth, the Money
State can prevent that truth from being heard and understood. How can a
country realise its own needs if those who know them can be condemned to
silence, to falsehood, or to isolation?" (L'Avenir de l'Intelligence.)--A
true picture of the present day.
[13] Introduction to Marcelle Capy's book _Une voix de femme dans la
mêlée_, Ollendorff, Paris, 1916. The italicised passages were suppressed
by the censor in the original publication.
[14] On page 26 of Marcelle Capy's book we learn how touching a response
these utterances of stalwart sympathy have called forth from the
generous hearts of our soldiers.
[15] Published at Geneva by J. H. Jeheber, 1917; English translation
_The Journal of Leo Tolstoi_ (1895-1899), Knopf, New York, 1917.
[16] December 7, 1895.
[17] An exception must be made as regards certain voices from Germany,
among which that of Professor Foerster speaks in the clearest tones. But
we should err were we to allow ourselves to be persuaded that such
unbiassed persons are a German monopoly, should we fail to realise that
similar voices are raised in the other camp.
[18] This is shown by the recent establishment and the success of Swiss
periodicals which embody a reaction against the tendencies described in
the text. Moreover, regrets similar to those voiced above have been
repeatedly expressed by Swiss writers of independent mind. I may mention
H. Hodler ("La Voix de L'Humanité"); E. Platzhoff-Lejeune ("Coenobium"
and the "Revue mensuelle"); Adolphe Ferrière ("Coenobium" for March and
April, 1917, in an article entitled The Effect of the Press and of the
Censorship in Promoting Mutual Hatred among the Nations).
[19] "The Masses, a free magazine," 34 Union Square East, New York.--All
the items in the text are quoted from the issues of June and July, 1917.
[20] Advertising Democracy, June, 1917, p. 5.
[21] Who wanted War, June, 1917, p. 23.
[22] Socialists and War, June, 1917, p. 25.
[23] The Religion of Patriotism, July, 1917.
[24] On Not Going to the War, July, 1917.
[25] Patriotism in the Middle West, June, 1917.
[26] This is said to have happened in the case of "Pearson's Magazine."
(Consult the article on Free Speech, "The Masses," July, 1917.)--It is
hardly necessary to refer to the masterly manner in which all
independent persons who displease the authorities are implicated in
imaginary plots.
[27] Issue of July, 1917.
[28] Since the article above quoted was published, the American Senate
has imposed heavy taxation on war profits.
[29] E. D. Morel, having served his sentence, has given a number of
lectures in various parts of Britain, arousing the sympathetic
indignation of his audiences by his account of the illegalities in his
trial and of the undercurrents in the whole business. He was able to
show that there were influences at work emanating from certain persons
whose interests had been injuriously affected prior to the war by
Morel's press campaign against the Congo atrocities.--Cf. _The
Persecution of E. D. Morel_, Reformer's Series, Glasgow, 1919.
[30] The allusion is to Victor Hugo's _Les Burgraves_. Burgrave Job is
eighty years of age; Burgrave Magnus, his son, is sixty.--Translators'
Note.
[31] The section of Bellinzona, or of Ticino, was founded quite
recently, in November, 1916. At the inaugural ceremony, the president,
Julius Schmidhauser, delivered a speech in which he sounded an excellent
European note. He contrasted the union of the three races of Switzerland
with the spectacle of contemporary Europe still living in the
prehistoric age, a Europe "wherein the Frenchman can see in the German
nothing but an enemy, wherein the German can see in the Frenchman
nothing but an enemy, and wherein neither can regard the other as a
human being. For our part, we have a way in Switzerland of discovering
the human element in all mankind."--"Centralblatt des Zofingervereins,"
December, 1916.
[32] The text was written in the summer of 1917. Shortly afterwards,
fresh dissensions arose in the Zofingia. These discords have been
accentuated by the Russian revolution.
[33] The program of the new committee (Der Centralausschuss an die
Sektionen), published in the "Centralblatt" for October, 1916, was
reproduced, in part, in the "Journal de Genève" for October 19th, under
the caption Le programme de la Jeunesse. This program affirms the
"supernationalist" and anti-imperialist faith on the lines expounded in
the discussion of which a summary will shortly be given in the text. I
quote from the program: "We do not live upon the worship of our warlike
past.... Placed as we are in the centre of a system of great imperialist
powers which aim at domination through force, at material greatness, and
at glory, it is our task to fight openly, boldly, trusting in the
future, against imperialism and on behalf of the ideal of humanity."
A keen interest in social questions, solidarity with the common people,
with the disinherited of the earth, are likewise plainly manifested.
[34] None the less I am impressed by the bold and perspicuous idealism
displayed by some of these young Latin Swiss in the discussions
summarised in the sequel.
[35] Serment du Jeu de Paume, Versailles, June 20, 1789.--Translators'
Note.
[36] Le Feu, Journal d'une Escouade, par Henri Barbusse, Flammarion,
Paris, 1916. English translation, Under Fire, The Story of a Squad,
Dent, London, 1917.
[37] Words of Farewell (issue of May, 1917).
[38] Among these I may mention my article, To the Murdered Nations
(Chapter III, above) from which the censorship deleted one hundred
lines. The gaps were filled by Wullens with Belot's fine engravings
(issue of May, 1917).
[39] Notwithstanding the sentence passed upon Guilbeaux since the
passage in the text was written, my confidence in him is unshaken. I
differ from him in many respects, but I admire his courage. To those who
have known Guilbeaux intimately, his good faith is above suspicion.--R.
R., August, 1919.
[40] G. Thuriot-Franchi, Les Marches de France.
[41] Andreas Latzko, _Menschen im Krieg_, Rascher, Zurich, 1917; English
translation, _Men in Battle_, Cassell, London, 1918.
[42] Andreas Latzko is a Hungarian officer. He was wounded on the
Italian front during the fighting of 1915-16.
[43] Stefan Zweig, _Jeremias, eine dramatische Dichtung in neun
Bildern_, Insel-Verlag, Leipzig, 1917.
[44] _Les Temps maudits_, "demain," Geneva.
[45] _Vous êtes des hommes_, "Nouvelle Revue Française," Paris; and
_Poème contre le grand crime_, "demain," Geneva; above all the admirable
_Danse des Morts_, "Les Tablettes," Geneva, republished by "L'Action
Sociale," La-Chaux-de-Fonds.
[46] _Mr. Britling sees it Through_, Cassell, London, 1916.
[47] _The Fortune, a Romance of Friendship_, Maunsel, Dublin and London,
1917.
[48] G. F. Nicolai, M.D., sometime professor of physiology at Berlin
University, _Die Biologie des Krieges, Betrachtungen eines
Naturforschers den Deutschen zur Besinnung_, Orell Füssli, Zurich, 1917;
English translation, _The Biology of War_, Dent, London, 1919.
[49] Cf. especially Chapter Six, an interesting account of the
development of armies from ancient times down to to-day, when we have
the armed nation. Also Chapter Fourteen, which deals with war and peace
as reflected in the writings of ancient and modern poets and
philosophers.
[50] Erfassen. Nicolai points out that the figurative meaning of the
word "erfassen" like that of "apprehend" and "comprehend" [or of the
native "grasp"] is a metaphysical extension of the primitive
"prehension" by the hand.
[51] I ignore, in the text, the abundant proofs Nicolai draws from
ethnology and from the history of the lower animals. He shows, for
example, that the most primitive peoples, the Bushmen, the Fuegians, the
Eskimos, etc., live in hordes even when they display no tendency towards
family life. All savages are gregarious in the extreme; solitude is
disastrous to them alike physically and mentally. Even civilised man
finds solitude hard to bear.
[52] _Faust_, Part II, 5. Mephistopheles' words, when he hands over to
Faust the proceeds of a voyage. [War, trade, and piracy are trinity in
unity--inseparable.]
[53] "Everything which exists, above all everything which lives, tends
towards immeasurable increase."
[54] For unicellular organisms, osmosis imposes a limit; for
multicellular organisms there is a mechanical limit to size; for the
groupings of individuals to form collectivities, social communities,
there is a limit fixed by the amount of available energy.
[55] Pp. 160 to 163 [English edition].
[56] On p. 255 [of the English edition] will be found an ethnographical
chart of Germany. It is distinctly humorous.
[57] This statement requires qualification. The reader is referred to a
note at the end of the volume.
[58] Jeheber, Geneva, 1915.
[59] Buddhist Views of War, "The Open Court," May, 1904.
[60] The actual words in my play are: "The nations die that God may
live."
[61] Nicolai terms them "chance products" (sind nur zufällige Produkte).
[62] It is surprising that there is but one mention of Auguste Comte in
Nicolai's book; for Comte's Great Human Being is certainly akin to the
German biologist's Humanity.
[63] We shall do well to note that Nicolai practically considers himself
exempt from the need for these material demonstrations. As far as he is
concerned, it would suffice him, as it sufficed Aristotle, to observe
the play of forces among men. This simple observation would convince him
that humanity must be regarded as an organism. "But moderns, although
they will generally deny it, are for the most part infected with the
belief that all solid fact must be material.... Even though it be not
absolutely necessary to demonstrate that there exists between human
beings a bridge of real substance (eine Brücke realer Substanz), even
though the dynamic ties suffice us, it is desirable to satisfy the
materialistic demands of our day, and to show that there does actually
exist between the men of all ages and all lands an effective
interconnection, which is uniform, persistent, nay eternal" [pp.
392-393, English edition].
[64] According to this theory, which was initiated by Gustav Jaeger in
1878, there occurs an eternal transmission of an inheritable germ plasm,
this being temporarily housed within the perishable soma of the
individual living being. The hypothesis of the undying plasma has given
rise to lively discussions which are still in progress.
[65] Ueber Ursprung und Bedeutung der Amphimixis, "Biolog.
Zentralblatt," xxvi, No. 22, 1906.
[66] This seems to me the weak point in the theory. How can we reconcile
the mutation and the variability of the germ plasm, with its immortality
and its eternal transmission?
[67] Species and Varieties: their Origin by Mutation, Kegan Paul,
London, 1905.
[68] Closing sections of Chapter Thirteen.
[69] I should like to give an account here of Nicolai's solution of the
problem of liberty. He discusses the matter in one of the most important
sections of his book.--How can a biologist, filled with a feeling of
universal necessity, find place, amid that necessity and without
prejudice to it, for human freedom? One of the most notable
characteristics of this great mind, is Nicolai's power of associating
within himself two rival and complementary forces. He makes a suggestive
study, at once philosophic and physiological, of the anatomy of the
brain and of the almost infinite possibilities the brain holds for the
future (all unknown to us to-day), of the thousands of roads which are
marked out in the brain many centuries before humanity dreams of using
them.--But to follow up this study would lead us beyond the scope of the
present article. I must refer the reader to pp. 58-68 of _The Biology of
War_ [English edition]. These pages are a model of scientific intuition.
[70] Chapter Ten, p. 309 [English edition].
[71] Chapter Fourteen.
[72] Chapter Ten, pp. 270-271 [English edition].
[73] Introduction, p. 11 [English edition].
[74] "Um dem guten und gerechten Menschen meine triumphierende
Sicherheit zu geben." Introduction [p. 10, English edition].
[75] The most important of these studies have been collected in the
great work _Les Fourmis de la Suisse_ (Nouveaux mémoires de la Société
helvétique des Sciences naturelles, vol. xxvi, Zurich, 1874), and in the
admirable series _Expériences et remarques pratiques sur les sensations
des insectes_, published in five parts in the "Rivista di Scienze
biologiche," Como, 1900-1901. [Two only of Forel's writings on insects
are available in the English language: _The Senses of Insects_, Methuen,
London, 1908; and _Ants and some other Insects_, Kegan Paul, London,
1904.] But these works form no more than a fraction of the author's
studies written on this subject. Dr. Forel recently told me that since
the publication in 1874 of the work which has become a classic, he has
penned no less than 226 essays upon ants.
[76] Some of these soldier ants function also as butchers, cutting up
the prey into small fragments.
[77] _Insect Life_, Macmillan, London, 1901.
[78] _Mutual Aid_, Heinemann, London, 1915.
[79] Auguste Forel, _Les Fourmis de la Suisse_, pp. 261-263.
[80] Op. cit. p. 249.
[81] Polyergus rufescens.
[82] Op. cit. pp. 266-273.
[83] A great cause of error, among those who study insects, is to apply
uncritically to an entire genus, observations made upon one or upon a
few species. The species of insects are very numerous. Among ants alone,
so Forel informs me, there are more than 7,500 species. These species
exhibit all shades, all degrees, of instinct.
[84] I am well aware that the concluding statement in the text is in
total contradiction with the thought of Auguste Forel, who denies free
will. I do not propose here to reopen the agelong dispute between free
will and determinism, which seems to me largely verbal. I shall consider
the question elsewhere.
[85] For instance, the Institut für Kulturforschung (Institute for the
Study of Civilisation) of Vienna (see above p. 19). This Institute has
just founded a Society for the Study of World Civilisation, which issues
a periodical entitled "Erde, a journal for the intellectual life of the
whole of mankind." The first number, which comes to hand while I am
correcting the proof of these pages, is throughout an ardent confession
of "panhumanist" faith.
[86] A Great European, G. F. Nicolai ("demain," October and November
1917).--See Chapter XX above.
[87] Steen Hasselbach, Copenhagen. First issue, October 1, 1918.
[88] Why I left Germany. An open letter to the Unknown who rules
Germany.--The German article has been republished in pamphlet form by A.
G. Benteli, Bümpliz-Bern, Switzerland, 1918.
[89] In telling this part of the story, Nicolai conceals most of the
details of his flight. Too many are implicated, and they would suffer if
he were explicit. Already, he tells us, an innocent person, the
betrothed of one of his companions, has been imprisoned.--Some day he
will write a memoir of his military experiences.
[90] This Aufruf an die Europäer is reprinted, in the first issue of
"Das werdende Europa" immediately after the article I have just been
analysing, and Nicolai appeals to all readers who sympathise with it to
send him their signatures.
[91] Subsequent events have shown that this did not amount to much,
after all. The moral abdication of President Wilson, abandoning his own
principles without having the honesty to admit the fact, signalises the
ruin of that lofty bourgeois idealism which, for a century and a half,
gave to the ruling class, notwithstanding many mistakes, both strength
and prestige. The consequences of such an act are incalculable.