* * * * *
"Good. Now, to proceed:
"Under conditions such as those, the state and its agencies _cannot_ lay
down a fixed policy of any sort, and expect it to be in the least
permanent. The people will not tolerate such regulation, and with each
new shift in social morés--and the institution of any policy is itself
sufficient to produce such a shift within a short time--successive
policies are repudiated by the Body Politic, and new ones must be
instituted."
Marlowe leaned back and spread his hands. "Therefore," he said with a
rueful smile, "it can fairly be said that we _have_ no foreign policy,
effectively speaking. We pursue the expedient, ud Klavan, and hope for
the best. The case which Mr. Mead and I are currently considering is
typical.
"The Union, as you know, maintains a General Survey Corps whose task it
is to map the galaxy, surveying such planets as harbor alien races or
seem suitable for human colonization. Such a survey team, for example,
first established contact between your people and ours. Exchange
observation rights are worked out, and representatives of both races are
given the opportunity to acquaint themselves with the society of the
other.
"In the case of unoccupied, habitable planets, however, the state's
function ceases with the filing of a complete and definitive survey at
the Under-Ministry for Emigration. The state, as a state, sponsors no
colonies and makes no establishments except for the few staging bases
which are maintained for the use of the Survey Corps. We have not yet
found any need for the institution of an offensive service analogous to
a planetary army, nor do we expect to. War in space is possible only
under extraordinary conditions, and we foresee no such contingency.
"All our colonization is carried out by private citizens who apply to
Mr. Mead, here, for options on suitable unoccupied planets. Mr. Mead's
function is to act as a consultant in these cases. He maintains a roster
of surveyed human-habitable planets, and either simply assigns the
requested planet or recommends one to fit specified conditions. The cost
of the option is sufficient to cover the administrative effort involved,
together with sufficient profit to the government to finance further
surveys.
"The individual holding the option is then referred to Emigration, which
provides copies of a prospectus taken from the General Survey report,
and advertises the option holder's asking prices on subdivisions. Again,
there is a reasonable fee of a nature similar to ours, devoted to the
same purposes.
"The state then ceases to have any voice in the projected colonization
whatsoever. It is a totally private enterprise--a simple real estate
operation, if you will, with the state acting only as an advertising
agency, and, occasionally, as the lessor of suitable transportation from
Earth to the new planet. The colonists, of course, are under our
protection, maintaining full citizenship unless they request
independence, which is freely granted.
"If you would like to see it for purposes of clarification, you're
welcome to examine our file on Martin Holliday, a citizen who is fairly
typical of these real estate operators, and who has just filed an option
on his second planet." Smiling, Marlowe extended the folder.
"Thank you, I should like to," ud Klavan said, and took the file from
Marlowe. He leafed through it rapidly, pausing, after asking Marlowe's
leave, to make notes on some of the information, and then handed it
back.
"Most interesting," ud Klavan observed. "However, if you'll enlighten
me--This man, Martin Holliday; wouldn't there seem to be very little
incentive for him, considering his age, even if there is the expectation
of a high monetary return? Particularly since his first attempt, while
not a failure, was not an outstanding financial success?"
Marlowe shrugged helplessly. "I tend to agree with you thoroughly, ud
Klavan, but--" he smiled, "you'll agree, I'm sure, that one Earthman's
boredom is another's incentive? We are not a rigorously logical race, ud
Klavan."
"Quite," the Dovenilid replied.