the days of my life-第123章

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But　you　may　be　political　economists；　some　of　you；　and　we　all　know　that　political　economy　is　a　hard　doctrine。　And　you　may　say：　Well；　these　people　went　to　the　cities　of　their　own　accord；　let　them　expiate　their　fault　in　the　city；　let　them　welter　and　let　them　perish　there；　dead　beats；　and　the　world　is　well　rid　of　them。　Well；　I　am　going　to　submit；　if　you　will　allow　me；　another　side　of　the　argument　for　your　consideration。　If　you　do　not　want　to　do　anything　on　the　ground　of　humanitarianism　to　help　the　people；　I　submit　to　you；　gentlemen；　and　I　submit　to　everyone；　that　there　is　another　ground　on　which　the　thing　should　be　done；　and　that　is　the　ground　of　the　welfare　of　the　nation。
I　will　start　out　with　an　axiom。　If　the　Western　nations　allow　this　sort　of　thing　to　go　on；　allow　their　population　to　crowd　into　the　cities；　then；　I　say；　the　career　of　the　Western　nations　is　going　to　be　short。　The　city　folk；　those　who　remain；　will　never　hold　their　own　in　the　world　—　not　only　because　of　the　weakened　physique　and　changed　character；　but　because　of　another　and　more　final　reason。　Gentlemen；　children　are　not　bred　in　the　cities。　There　will　e　a　time　when　the　children　bred　there　are　too　few　—　it　is　ing　now。　And　if　the　children　are　not　bred；　if　there　is　not　the　supply　of　healthy　children　to　carry　on　the　nation；　how　can　the　nation　stand？　With　the　people　on　the　land　it　is　different。　Self…interest　es　into　play。
A　large　family　is　a　valuable　asset　to　the　small…holder；　in　the　city　it　is　nothing　but　a　drawback。　Let　any　one　of　you　gentlemen　think　of　himself　with　a　home　consisting　of　a　single　room　in　a　tenement　in　New　York　or　a　back　slum　in　London；　and　with　six　or　eight　children；　and　then　think　of　the　contrast　with　those　six　children　upon　the　land　and　able　to　assist　in　your　business　of　caring　for　the　cattle　or　carrying　on　many　of　the　other　operations　of　the　farm。　We　must　look　at　facts。　With　dwellers　on　the　land　self…interest　es　in；　on　the　land　alone　will　the　supply　of　children　be　available　that　is　necessary　to　carrying　on　our　white　races。　And　if　they　are　not　carried　on　in　sufficient　numbers　what　of　it？　Of　course；　you　have　all　heard　of　what　they　call　the　yellow　peril；　and　many　people　have　laughed　at　it　as　a　bogey。　Is　it　a　bogey？　Does　Russia；　for　instance；　consider　that　Japan　is　a　mere　nightmare？　I　think　not；　I　think　Russia　has　very　definite　and　distinct　ideas　as　to　the　prowess　of　Japan　today。　Japan　is　a　small　nation。　Forty　years　ago　the　Japanese　dressed　themselves　up　in　scale　armour；　like　lobsters；　and　fought　with　bows　and　arrows。　And　look　at　them　today；　knocking　Russia　around　the　ring。
Imagine　the　state　of　affairs　when；　not　little　Japan；　but；　let　us　say；　great　China；　with　her　400；000；000　people；　has　also　made　some　strides　towards　civilisation；　has　carried　out；　for　instance；　that　programme　which　I　saw　announced　in　the　papers　yesterday；　in　the　way　of　building　warships；　and　imagine　those　400；000；000　of　stolid；　strong；　patient；　untiring　land…bred　men　having　nowhere　to　live；　having　not　earth　upon　which　to　stand；　and　seeking　a　home。　And　imagine　them　casting　their　eyes　around　for　worlds　to　conquer；　and　seeing　an　island　continent　half　vacant　and　other　places　with　a　few　families　scattered　over　the　land；　and　a　few　millions　heaped　together　in　the　things　these　white　people　call　cities。
Imagine　them　saying；　God　—　whatever　gods　there　be；　whatever　gods　we　worship　—　give　us　the　right　to　live；　we　have　the　right　to　our　share　of　the　earth；　here　we　have　not　enough　of　the　earth；　we　will　seek　the　earth；　we　will　take　the　earth；　we　will　keep　the　earth。　Then　imagine　the　scanty　peoples　spread　thinly　over　these　territories　saying：　“But　we　will　pass　a　law　to　keep　you　out。”　They　answer：　“We　will　e　in　nevertheless；　we　will　walk　through　your　paper　law。”　And　those　who　hold　the　ground　say：　“You　shall　not　e　in；　we　will　shoot　you；　we　will　keep　you　out　with　force　of　arms。”　And　their　answer　is：　“Keep　us　out　if　you　can；　we　have　arms　as　well　as　you；　we　are　better　men　than　you；　we　will　e；　we　will　occupy；　we　will　take；　we　will　keep。”　Is　that　a　bogey　—　a　mere　dream　of　the　night？
I　tell　you　it　is　nothing　of　the　sort。　It　is　the　thing　which　will　happen　within　one　hundred　years　unless　there　are　very　different　arrangements　made　amongst　the　Western　nations　from　those　which　exist　today；　unless　the　people　are　moved　from　the　cities　back　to　the　land。　Population；　gentlemen；　is　like　water：　where　there　is　a　hollow；　thither　it　will　flow　to　fill　it。　Therefore；　it　is　vital　to　the　nations　that　they　should　look　into　this　matter　and　try　to　deal　with　it。　I　am　as　sure　as　that　I　stand　before　you　that　these　words　are　true；　that　I　get　at　the　truth；　the　essence；　the　fibre；　the　marrow　of　the　thing；　and　that　truth；　that　essence；　that　fibre；　that　marrow；　is　that　you　must　get　your　people　on　to　the　land　out　of　the　cities；　and　keep　them　on　the　land　there　to　multiply　as　God　manded　them　of　old。
Now；　gentlemen；　how　does　this　apply　to　the　great　country　in　which　I　am　today？　I　say　that　it　applies　very　closely。　I　say　that　very　soon　there　is　going　to　be　an　enormous　petition　for　immigration；　for　population；　and　especially　for　Anglo…Saxon　population；　that　the　time　is　ing　when　these　people　will　be　bid　for；　when　they　will　be　sought　for；　when　they　will　be　paid　for　—　paid　any　price　to　get　them。　And　I　venture　to　say　to　you：　Get　them　while　you　can；　get　them　from　home；　get　them　from　England。
Now；　gentlemen；　if　I　live；　within　a　month　or　two　I　hope　to　be　able　to　show　you　a　plan　I　have　devised　and　which　I　hope；　which　I　even　dare　to　think；　may　show　you　how　you　can　get　a　good　many　of　these　people。　I　will　say　no　more　of　that　now；　except　that　I　trust　you　will　agree　with　me　when　you　read　it；　and　that　you　will　let　no　obstacle　stand　in　your　way；　but　will　all　put　your　shoulders　to　the　wheel　and　for　the　sake　of　your　country；　and　for　the　sake　of　all　concerned；　will　try　to　help　to　bring　into　your　splendid　land　Englishmen　who　will　be　made　available　to　you；　I　hope；　in　many　thousands。
I　am　beginning　to　be　like　one　of　your　members　of　parliament；　I　fear　I　am　catching　the　disease。　I　will　only　add　this：　That　all　the　world　is　mad　on　trade；　all　the　civilised　world；　at　least；　has　got　the　idea　that　wealth　is　everything。　I　controvert　that　statement；　I　say　that　wealth　is　nothing。　What　is　wealth　without　men　and　women　to　use　it　and　spend　it？　I　remember　once　writing　a　story　in　which　I　represented　certain　men　shut　up　in　a　cave　and　surrounded　by　all　the　diamonds　and　all　the　gold　of　a　continent。　And　they　were　starving。　I　would　like　to　ask　you　of　what　use　were　those　diamonds　and　that　gold　to　them？
In　the　same　way；　of　what　use　is　wealth　unless　you　have　men　and　women　—　healthy　men　and　women　—　these　are　the　real　wealth　of　the　nation。　You　remember　the　old　Greek　fable　of　Antaeus；　how；　whenever　he　fell　to　earth　he　arose　fresh　and　strong。　So　it　is　with　us。　Do　not　believe；　gentlemen；　that　wealth　is　everything。　Wealth；　I　maintain；　is　nothing　pared　to　flesh　and　blood；　nothing　as　pared　to　healthy　children；　nor　is　pomp　nor　any　other　thing　—　these　are　nothing。　The　strength　of　a　people；　gentlemen；　is　not　to　be　found　in　their　Wall　Streets；　it　is　to　be　found　in　the　farms　and　fields　and　villages。　I　will　only　add　just　this　one　word　—　that　I　do　hope　that　what　I　have　so　humbly；　so　inadequately　tried　to　say　before　you　may　perhaps　go　deep　into　the　minds　of　some　of　you　and　set　you　thinking。　For　myself；　I　can　only　say　that　I　have　tried　to　carry　out　this　task　—　not　the　task　of　speaking；　but　the　bigger　one　—　with　a　single　heart；　because　I　believe　in　its　necessity；　because　I　believe　that　no　man　can　serve　his　generation　better　than　by　trying　to　point　out　these　things　and　try　to　make　the　people　think。　If　I　have　done　that；　gentlemen；　I　have　not　lived　in　vain。　All　that　I　should　ask　to　be　said　of　me　when　I　am　gone　is　this：　“He　did　his　best。”
The　End


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　…　手机访问　m。
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