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the personalities of party leaders； may break up； complicate； and
confuse the self…expression of these three necessary divisions in
the modern social drama； the analyst will make them out none the
less for that。 。 。 。
And then I came back as if I came back to a refrain；the ideas go
onas though we are all no more than little cells and corpuscles in
some great brain beyond our understanding。 。 。 。
So it was I sat and thought my problem out。 。 。 。 I still remember
my satisfaction at seeing things plainly at last。 It was like
clouds dispersing to show the sky。 Constructive ideas； of course；
couldn't hold a party together alone； 〃interests and habits； not
ideas；〃 I had that now； and so the great constructive scheme of
Socialism； invading and inspiring all parties； was necessarily
claimed only by this collection of odds and ends； this residuum of
disconnected and exceptional people。 This was true not only of the
Socialist idea； but of the scientific idea； the idea of veracityof
human confidence in humanityof all that mattered in human life
outside the life of individuals。 。 。 。 The only real party that
would ever profess Socialism was the Labour Party； and that in the
entirely one…sided form of an irresponsible and non…constructive
attack on property。 Socialism in that mutilated form； the teeth and
claws without the eyes and brain； I wanted as little as I wanted
anything in the world。
Perfectly clear it was； perfectly clear； and why hadn't I seen it
before？ 。 。 。 I looked at my watch； and it was half…past two。
I yawned； stretched； got up and went to bed。
9
My ideas about statecraft have passed through three main phases to
the final convictions that remain。 There was the first immediacy of
my dream of ports and harbours and cities； railways； roads； and
administered territoriesthe vision I had seen in the haze from
that little church above Locarno。 Slowly that had passed into a
more elaborate legislative constructiveness； which had led to my
uneasy association with the Baileys and the professedly constructive
Young Liberals。 To get that ordered life I had realised the need of
organisation； knowledge； expertness； a wide movement of co…ordinated
methods。 On the individual side I thought that a life of urgent
industry； temperance； and close attention was indicated by my
perception of these ends。 I married Margaret and set to work。 But
something in my mind refused from the outset to accept these
determinations as final。 There was always a doubt lurking below；
always a faint resentment； a protesting criticism； a feeling of
vitally important omissions。
I arrived at last at the clear realisation that my political
associates； and I in my association with them； were oddly narrow；
priggish； and unreal； that the Socialists with whom we were
attempting co…operation were preposterously irrelevant to their own
theories； that my political life didn't in some way comprehend more
than itself； that rather perplexingly I was missing the thing I was
seeking。 Britten's footnotes to Altiora's self…assertions； her fits
of energetic planning； her quarrels and rallies and vanities； his
illuminating attacks on Cramptonism and the heavy…spirited
triviality of such Liberalism as the Children's Charter； served to
point my way to my present conclusions。 I had been trying to deal
all along with human progress as something immediate in life；
something to be immediately attacked by political parties and groups
pointing primarily to that end。 I now began to see that just as in
my own being there was the rather shallow； rather vulgar； self…
seeking careerist； who wore an admirable silk hat and bustled self…
consciously through the lobby； and a much greater and indefinitely
growing unpublished personality behind himmy hinterland； I have
called itso in human affairs generally the permanent reality is
also a hinterland； which is never really immediate； which draws
continually upon human experience and influences human action more
and more； but which is itself never the actual player upon the
stage。 It is the unseen dramatist who never takes a call。 Now it
was just through the fact that our group about the Baileys didn't
understand this； that with a sort of frantic energy they were trying
to develop that sham expert officialdom of theirs to plan； regulate；
and direct the affairs of humanity； that the perplexing note of
silliness and shallowness that I had always felt and felt now most
acutely under Britten's gibes； came in。 They were neglecting human
life altogether in social organisation。
In the development of intellectual modesty lies the growth of
statesmanship。 It has been the chronic mistake of statecraft and
all organising spirits to attempt immediately to scheme and arrange
and achieve。 Priests； schools of thought； political schemers；
leaders of men； have always slipped into the error of assuming that
they can think out the wholeor at any rate completely think out
definite partsof the purpose and future of man； clearly and
finally； they have set themselves to legislate and construct on that
assumption； and； experiencing the perplexing obduracy and evasions
of reality； they have taken to dogma； persecution； training；
pruning； secretive education； and all the stupidities of self…
sufficient energy。 In the passion of their good intentions they
have not hesitated to conceal fact； suppress thought； crush
disturbing initiatives and apparently detrimental desires。 And so
it is blunderingly and wastefully； destroying with the making； that
any extension of social organisation is at present achieved。
Directly； however； this idea of an emancipation from immediacy is
grasped； directly the dominating importance of this critical； less
personal； mental hinterland in the individual and of the collective
mind in the race is understood； the whole problem of the statesman
and his attitude towards politics gain a new significance； and
becomes accessible to a new series of solutions。 He wants no longer
to 〃fix up；〃 as people say； human affairs； but to devote his forces
to the development of that needed intellectual life without which
all his shallow attempts at fixing up are futile。 He ceases to
build on the sands； and sets himself to gather foundations。
You see； I began in my teens by wanting to plan and build cities and
harbours for mankind； I ended in the middle thirties by desiring
only to serve and increase a general process of thought； a process
fearless； critical； real…spirited； that would in its own time give
cities； harbours； air； happiness； everything at a scale and quality
and in a light altogether beyond the match…striking imaginations of
a contemporary mind。 I wanted freedom of speech and suggestion；
vigour of thought； and the cultivation of that impulse of veracity
that lurks more or less d