12 
.LAND & WATER 
June 21, 1917 
deffnre. of B«*lt,'iniTi and. ilu- ii},'hts of small natioiw, 
\on-k-esistanre is iifitiicr m\v nor cftectivo. Under ])resent 
ron(!itit)ns, with tin- t-xistcnco of an ambitious, anK''f'>^'^t' 
anil unscrupulous Power^ such as (lerniany is, n<.ii-resistaniv 
would mean the enslavement of every nation that accepted it. 
And witli such enslavement, conscript it»n wuuld ininiediatelv 
L)llaw, with the result that we sin uld have no choice in 
tightinf? for and in accordance with the Kulturi^l metlioas 
and manners of the lluns. and at the last beinx reduced 
to corpse-fat. Non-resistance as a national policy means 
national suicide, and is therefore outside the sphere of serious 
consideration. Ij is d.)ubtful, however, whether the advo- 
cates of this policy, in spite of their professions, would continue 
their propaganda if they honestly believed it would ever be 
realised. .\t ])resent it is used by many — probably the 
majority— of so-calkxl Conscientious Objectors as an excuse 
lor shirking their patriotic duties. For it is self-evident that 
under present conditions the lives and liberties of non-resisters 
and C.O.'s depend entirely upon the strcnjjlh of the resis- 
tance offered by the Allied armies, by men wliose more robust 
consciences tell them it is better to resist and destroy evil 
than to be overcome by it. 
Failed Pacifists 
Then there is a certain class of Pacifists, chiefly political, 
whose ambitions liave been seriously crippled by the war, 
and in their anger have turned all their hatred against 
those whom they hold responsible for their failure. 
Tiit>;e an.' known as the Xotman-.Angellites, w'ho formerly 
dreamt of a great confederation of the Nations of the World 
under the batmer of Pacifism. The enthusiasm which a fvw 
suiHTficial writers and politicians had displayed over these 
teachings, turned their heads and led them to believe they 
really an.ouiited to something in the running of the wtrld's 
at'laivs. The war destroyed this Angellic Illusion and the 
world's deliverers found themselves out of a job. They saw- 
that which they hoped to make their life's work suddenly 
thn.wn d(Avn, and their rage knew no bound.s. They had 
ass\ired a confiding and credulous public that Germanv 
meant no harm. Indeed they denounced as " jingoes ' 
and " alarmists " those who dared even to suggest that the 
Kaisei most likely was not building his navy and preparing 
war material on a colossal, scale merely for his health, or to 
ke(>p his peunle busy, but that after all he might mean mischief. 
■' How could tlie Kaiser be so treacherous ? " said they ; 
" has he not extended to Mr. Ramsay MacDonald the ' glad 
hand ? ' Has not Mr. Norman Angell himself addressed 
audiences in Germany ? Did not several German Socialists 
assure the late .Mr. Keir Hardie that the German workers 
would never, no never, allow Uieir rulers to declare a European 
War, and if he did would not every German toiler strike ?' 
When the crash came and the beautiful dream of Pacifism 
vanished into thin air. these dreamers had the choice of con- 
fessing their disappointment and errors or of brazening it out. 
They chose the less honourable path and very much of their 
ctinduct since the war is to be explained by their desire to 
square their original attitude with the unforeseen events of 
the past three years. 
This whole Pacifist movement, however, is a symptom of a 
disease which has permeated all classes in this country for 
many years. There has been a tendency on the part of the 
average ICnglishrnan for generations to depreciate everything 
done by his fellow-countrymen and to give preference to 
everything of foreign origin. Self-depreciation has long 
been our national failing. \\'e can see evidences of it in every 
branch of trade, science, art, invention, and manufactm'e. 
Prior to the war' an article stamped ''.Made in (lermany " 
sold better than a simihr article made in England. V\e 
applauded the inventions and discoveries of foreigners where 
those of many of our own people went unnoticed. Indeed, 
it often happened that our ow-n inventors had to make their 
successes abroad in order to obtain recognition in their own 
land. It has been the same in art. British musicians, in 
many instances, have had to adopt foreign aliases in order 
to secure a hearing among their own people, whilst others have 
had to make their fame in Germany, Italy and America to 
ensure success at home. A similar spirit was disclosed in the 
management of our Ccmsular service, w-here in pre-war times 
the l-'oreign Oftice allowed British Consulships to be filled 
with Germans, Swedes and others of foreign extraction under 
the belief that the foreigner was superior to the Briton ! 
In our judicial treatment of foreigners the same marked 
discrimination in favour of aliens and against our own people 
may also be witnessed. British Courts of Justice have in- 
variably regarded the decisions of Foreign Courts as valid - 
unless it could be shown that such decisions were the result of 
false or insufficient evidence. A German who secured jtrdg- 
ment against an Englishman in (iermany could have his judg- 
ment enforced here, without a trial before a British court. 
P.ut no (ierman roiut would ever leg.ard the judgment of a 
British ooirrt as valid against a subject of the Raiser. 
In no country in the world is this disjwsition to sub- 
ordinate the interests of one's own p.-ople to those 
of foreigrrers so conspicuous as here. ■ In fact, tins 
attitude is unknown outside the British Empire, idealism, 
altruism, modesty and hirmilit\-, are admirable nualities 
in the individual, although even here they ha\'e their limita- 
tions. (Jne cannot affor<l to be chivalrous or hund)li' iir the 
])resence of a snake, a mad jackal, or an armed Ilun ! Arrd 
chivalry, like charity, should begin at h<mie. The man 
whose politeness to strangers may gain him the sobriquet of 
iin beau chevalier, would be regarded as a humbug and a 
hypocrite if it was found that he beat his wife and neglected 
his children. But qtrahties which, pos)«esscd by the ordinary 
individual are admirable, may be laolish in the statesman. 
A ruler has no right to be chivalrous towards Foreign Powers at 
the risk of ruining liis own people. A banker can be as generous 
as he pleases with his own money, but if he starts philan- 
throi)ic schemes at the expense of nis depositors, he would be 
rightly regarded as a criminal. 
Codes of virtue which are suitable to individuals are not 
always practicable on the part of corporations and States. 
F'ailure to recognise this distinction is responsible for many 
errors on the part of British Cabinet Ministers in the past. 
They have attempted to base the foreigri policy of this 
country upon the princii)les which govern their own 
private lives and conduct, .^nd the results have been de- 
])lorable. To this we owe the unfortunate "' Declaration of 
London " which hampered our navy ff>r the first tw() years 
of the war. It'was no doubt chivalrous- but it was suicidal ! 
It is the same error which has prevented the Government in 
the p^t from making the necessary retaliation which might 
have saved many lives and spared much of the misery inflicted 
up:>n Britons hjld captive by the enemy. It is this which is 
carrying our Russian AllJesto such delusive and dangerous 
extremes. The first duty of a Go\ernment is the safety, care 
and welfare of its own subjects. 
Tfuise who endeavcur to establish international policy 
based solely upon the Sermon on the Mount, seem to be cliasing 
shadows. Those teachings were mtended primarily for the 
guidance of indiv iduals'in their own private lives. They 
cannot rightly be ap})lied to nations in their coqwrate capacity , 
under the conditions which now exist and which have existed 
in the jiast. When the young man was advised to sell all 
he had and give to the" poor, the advice did not imply 
that he should di.spose of any funds entrusted to his care be- 
longing to others. .And it is not the part of a Government to 
sacrifice or endanger the lives, liberties, or interests of the 
subjects whose welfare they have sworn to protect, in the 
pursuit of some merelv idealist, or altruistic purpose. 
X'iscount Grey's solicitation for the welfare of ne'utrals.which 
was prompted by the highest moral considerations, involved 
the sacrifice of certain interests of this country. 
The strength, safety, well-being and happiness of a nation 
depends not so much upon the exercise of mercy, love, charity, 
chivalry, or altruism, but upon juslice. The. prevalence of our 
national moral disease .self-depreciation — of which Pacifism 
and the New Morality are meri-ly symptoms, is directly trace- 
able to a lack of a national sense of justice, justice to 
one's self, to one's country, as well as to one's enemies. And 
the object of this war, should be— as was admirably defined by 
the French Premier, M Ribot— the establishment and enforce- 
ment of justice. A'o/ m:rcy but justice ix the surest anchor 
for national safety. 
Whilst it may be true that " in the course of justrce v 
noni! of us should see salvation," it is quite certain 
that none of us will see justice or salvation if mercy be 
permitted so to " season justice " as to leave the German 
unbroken and unpunished. 
Colonel I..ord Montaguof Beaulieu, C.S.I. , is to delivera lecture 
on ■' Tlie World's Air Koutes and their Reguldtion " at the 
Central Hall, Westminster, this evening. .\ certain miniber 
ol seats are to be thrown open to the public, but there will be 
no charge for admission. The lecture will be illustrated by large 
scale maps, lantern slides and dragraius. 
.\n extremely interesting exhibition of "pictures is being held 
at the galleries'of the Fine .\vt Society, New Bond Street, in the 
lorm of a .series of drawings by Lieutenant Keith Ftenderson ; 
most of these di'awings have been done while actually on ser%'ic.e, 
and the majority of tlieni represent service subjects. "A 
Wounded Tank," and " I'eronne Cathedral," the latter sketched 
just after the (Jei'inan evacuation of Peronne, are noteworthy 
examples of Lieut. Henderson's work, and the half-score or sn 
of portraits which complete the exhibition are finely artistic 
studies. It is a typical wartime exhibition, even to the medium 
which the artist was compelled to usi-, and, though evidently he 
lias ome under the intluencs of p.ist-impre.ssionisni, this in rio 
wav impairs the force and delicacy oi Lieut. Henderson's series of 
" inuiressions " of the Westerti I'"ro''.t. 
