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more of her million secrets。
You will gradually begin to understand what I am driving
at。 The engineer and the scientist and the chemist； within a
single generation； filled Europe and America and Asia with
their vast machines； with their telegraphs； their flying machines；
their coal…tar products。 They created a new world in which
time and space were reduced to complete insignificance。 They
invented new products and they made these so cheap that almost
every one could buy them。 I have told you all this before
but it certainly will bear repeating。
To keep the ever increasing number of factories going； the
owners； who had also become the rulers of the land； needed raw
materials and coal。 Especially coal。 Meanwhile the mass of
the people were still thinking in terms of the sixteenth and
seventeenth centuries and clinging to the old notions of the
state as a dynastic or political organisation。 This clumsy mediaeval
institution was then suddenly called upon to handle the
highly modern problems of a mechanical and industrial world。
It did its best； according to the rules of the game which had
been laid down centuries before。 The different states created
enormous armies and gigantic navies which were used for the
purpose of acquiring new possessions in distant lands。 Whereever｛sic｝
there was a tiny bit of land left； there arose an English or
a French or a German or a Russian colony。 If the natives
objected； they were killed。 In most cases they did not object；
and were allowed to live peacefully； provided they did not
interfere with the diamond mines or the coal mines or the oil
mines or the gold mines or the rubber plantations； and they
derived many benefits from the foreign occupation。
Sometimes it happened that two states in search of raw
materials wanted the same piece of land at the same time。
Then there was a war。 This occurred fifteen years ago when
Russia and Japan fought for the possession of certain terri…
tories which belonged to the Chinese people。 Such conflicts；
however； were the exception。 No one really desired to fight。
Indeed； the idea of fighting with armies and battleships and
submarines began to seem absurd to the men of the early 20th
century。 They associated the idea of violence with the long…
ago age of unlimited monarchies and intriguing dynasties。
Every day they read in their papers of still further inventions；
of groups of English and American and German scientists who
were working together in perfect friendship for the purpose
of an advance in medicine or in astronomy。 They lived in a
busy world of trade and of commerce and factories。 But only
a few noticed that the development of the state； （of the gigantic
community of people who recognise certain common ideals；）
was lagging several hundred years behind。 They tried to warn
the others。 But the others were occupied with their own
affairs。
I have used so many similes that I must apologise for bringing
in one more。 The Ship of State （that old and trusted
expression which is ever new and always picturesque；） of the
Egyptians and the Greeks and the Romans and the Venetians
and the merchant adventurers of the seventeenth century had
been a sturdy craft； constructed of well…seasoned wood； and
commanded by officers who knew both their crew and their
vessel and who understood the limitations of the art of navigating
which had been handed down to them by their ancestors。
Then came the new age of iron and steel and machinery。
First one part； then another of the old ship of state was
changed。 Her dimensions were increased。 The sails were discarded
for steam。 Better living quarters were established； but
more people were forced to go down into the stoke…hole； and
while the work was safe and fairly remunerative； they did not
like it as well as their old and more dangerous job in the
rigging。 Finally； and almost imperceptibly； the old wooden
square…rigger had been transformed into a modern ocean liner。
But the captain and the mates remained the same。 They were
appointed or elected in the same way as a hundred years before。
They were taught the same system of navigation which
had served the mariners of the fifteenth century。 In their
cabins hung the same charts and signal flags which had done
service in the days of Louis XIV and Frederick the Great。
In short； they were （through no fault of their own） completely
incompetent。
The sea of international politics is not very broad。 When
those Imperial and Colonial liners began to try and outrun
each other； accidents were bound to happen。 They did happen。
You can still see the wreckage if you venture to pass
through that part of the ocean。
And the moral of the story is a simple one。 The world is
in dreadful need of men who will assume the new leadership
who will have the courage of their own visions and who will
recognise clearly that we are only at the beginning of the
voyage； and have to learn an entirely new system of seamanship。
They will have to serve for years as mere apprentices。
They will have to fight their way to the top against every possible
form of opposition。 When they reach the bridge； mutiny
of an envious crew may cause their death。 But some day； a
man will arise who will bring the vessel safely to port； and he
shall be the hero of the ages。
AS IT EVER SHALL BE
‘‘The more I think of the problems of our lives； the more I am
‘‘persuaded that we ought to choose Irony and Pity for our
‘‘assessors and judges as the ancient Egyptians called upon
‘‘the Goddess Isis and the Goddess Nephtys on behalf of their
‘‘dead。
‘‘Irony and Pity are both of good counsel； the first with her
‘‘smiles makes life agreeable； the other sanctifies it with her
‘‘tears。
‘‘The Irony which I invoke is no cruel Deity。 She mocks
‘‘neither love nor beauty。 She is gentle and kindly disposed。
‘‘Her mirth disarms and it is she who teaches us to laugh at
‘‘rogues and fools； whom but for her we might be so weak as
‘‘to despise and hate。''
And with these wise words of a very great Frenchman I
bid you farewell。
8 Barrow Street； New York。
Saturday； June 26； xxi。
AN ANIMATED CHRONOLOGY；
500；000 B。C。A。D。 1922
THE END
CONCERNING THE PICTURES
CONCERNING THE PICTURES OF THIS BOOK AND A FEW
WORDS ABOUT THE BIBLIOGRAPHY。
The day of the historical textbook without illustrations has gone。
Pictures and photographs of famous personages and equally famous
occurrences cover the pages of Breasted and Robinson and Beard。 In
this volume the photographs have been omitted to make room for a
series of home…made drawings which represent ideas rather than events。
While the author lays no claim to great artistic excellence （being
possessed of a decided leaning towards drawing as a child； he was
taught to play the violin as a matter of discipline；） he prefers to
make his own maps and sketches because he knows exactly what he