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NEVER AGAIN
A protest and a warning addressed to the peoples of Europe
by Edward Carpenter
Never again must this Thing happen。 The time has come if the human
race does not wish to destroy itself in its own madness for men
to make up their minds as to what they will do in the future； for
now indeed is it true that we are come to the cross…roads； we stand
at the Parting of the Ways。
The rapid and enormous growth of scientific invention makes it obvious
that Violence ten times more potent and sinister than that which
we are witnessing to…day may very shortly be available for our use or
abuse in War。 On the other hand who can doubt that the rapid growth
of interchange and understanding among the peoples of the world is
daily making Warfare itself； and the barbarities inevitably connected
with it； more abhorrent to our common humanity？
Which of these lines are we to follow？ Along which path are we to go？
This is a question which the mass peoples of Europe in the future and
not merely the Governments … will have seriously to ponder and decide。
That bodies of men as has happened a hundred times in the trenches
in Northern France and even on the Eastern Front should exchange
morning salutations and songs in humorous amity； and then at a word
of command should fall to shooting each other；
That peasants and artisans； and shopkeepers and students and
schoolmasters； who have no quarrel whatever； who on the whole rather
respect and honour each other； should with explosive bombs deliberately
blow one another to bits so that even their own mothers could not
recognize them；
That human beings should use every devilish invention of science
with the one purpose of maiming； blinding； destroying those against
whom they have no personal grudge or grievance；
All this is sheer madness。
Only a short time ago a private soldier said to me： 〃Yes； we had
got to be such friends with those Bavarians in the trenches over
against us that if we had returned there again I believe nothing
could have made us fight with each other； but of course that point
was perceived and we were moved to another part of the Line。〃
What a criticism in a few words on the whole War！
A hundred times this or something similar has happened； and a hundred
and a thousand times these 'enemies' who have madly mutilated each
other have a few minutes later been only too glad to dress each
other's wounds and share the last contents of their water…bottles。
By all the heart…rending experiences which have now become so common
and familiar to us；
By the fact that to…day there is hardly a family over the greater
part of Europe that is not grieving bitterly over the loss of some
dearest member of its circle；
By the white faces of the women clad in black； whom one sees everywhere
in the streets of Berlin and Brussels and Paris and Vienna； of London
and Milan and Belgrade and Petrograd；
By the sufferings of famine…stricken Poland； ravaged already three
or four times in the last two years by opposing and alternate armies；
By the awful sufferings of the six or seven million Jews of the
Russian Pale； hounded homeless in winter to and； fro over the frozen
earth the old men and women and children perishing of exposure；
fatigue； and starvation；
By the agony of Serbia； and the despair of Belgium；
This must not be again！
By the five or six million actual combatants already slain； and；
the strange spectacle of millions of Women （over half a million
in Britain； more in France； multitudes in Germany and America）
manufacturing man…destroying explosive shells in ceaseless stream
by day and night；
（And it is estimated that on the average some fifty shells are expended
for every one man slain）
By the terrified faces as of drowning men of those suffering in
countless hospitals from shell…shock； by their trembling hands and；
limbs and horrible dreams at night pursued by an ever…living horror；
By the curses of the tender…hearted friend who collects in No…man's…land
between the lines the scattered fragments of his comrade's
body the dabs of flesh； the hand； the head he knows so well； a boot
with a foot still in it and puts them all together in a sack for
burial；
By the silent stupefaction of wives and mothers trying vainly to
picture to themselves a death which cannot be pictured； by the insane
laughter of those who having witnessed these things can no longer
weep；
This must not be again！
By the beach at Gallipoli covered with the prostrate and writhing
forms of men exhausted and emaciated with dysentery； who have crawled
down from the hills only to lie out there in the terrible sun tormented
with flies and thirst； or to shiver through the frosty night； waiting
for the tardy arrival of the Hospital Ship；
By the hundreds of bodies thrown at the last into the sea at sunrise；
for their unceremonious end；
And each poor body for all its loathsome state so loved； so loved
by some one far away；
By the dear Lord who in the beautiful legend descended for three
days into Hell that he might redeem mankind； but these have lived
in an actual Hell for weeks and months together
This must not be again！
By the growth and expansion of Science （God forgive the word！） which
will inevitably make each future war more devilish and inhuman than
the last；
By the cry of the black and coloured peoples of the Earth who have
for long enough already said how hard and cruel the faces of the
white men seemed to them； and who now think how black their souls are；
By the hardness of heart； the insensitiveness of a certain kind；
which during a century or more now has been bred by the institutions
of Commercialism；
By the habitual betrayal； through long periods of 'prosperity' and
‘peace；' of men by their fellows of the weak by the powerful； of
the generous by the mean； of the simple and thoughtless by the crafty
and selfish；
By the huge dividends declared by Armament Firms； by the
international agreements of these firms with one another； even to
cozen their own respective Governments；
By the hundreds and hundreds of thousands of innocent folk trampled
underfoot in the ditch of competition； the mad； race in which the
devil takes the hindmost；
By the treacherous internal warfare of the ordinary industrial life
of every country； the secret betrayal and murder of bodies and souls
for profit at last written out in letters of blood and fire across
the continents； for all to behold
This must not be again ！
Let the Allies by all means accuse Germany of world…ambition and
world…plunder； and let the German people accuse their Prussian lords
but let every nation also search its own heart and accuse itself。
For have not the lords of every nation set before themselves the
same goal； the goal of world…ambition and glory and 'empire' and
plunder？ And have not the mass…peoples of every nation stood meanly
by and acclaimed the fraud； nor spoken out against it； silently
consenting to these things in the prospect of some advantage also
to themselves？
Have not all the nations without exception acted meanly and dastardly
towards the out