第63部分(第3/7 頁)

evision　—　that　section　of　the　Board　of　Trade；　for　instance；　whose　duty　it　is　to　attend　to　such　matters？

I　fear　we　must　seek　the　answer　in　the　character　of　our　nation；　whose　peculiarity　it　is　to　ignore　or　underrate　dangers　that　are　not　immediately　visible；　and　therefore　never　be　ready　to　meet　them。　If　anyone　doubts　this；　let　him　study　the　history　of　our　wars　during　the　last　sixty　years　or　so；　and　even　earlier。　The　Crimea；　the　Abyssinian　Expedition；　the　first　Boer　War；　the　Zulu　War；　the　second　Boer　War；　which　was　the　child　of　the　last　two；　the　Egyptian　Wars；　have　all　told　the　same　tale。　With　the　details　of　three　of　these　I　have　been　acquainted；　and　they　are　awful。　Only　our　wealth　has　brought　us　out　of　them　—　I　will　not　say　with　honour；　but　in　safety。　We　declare　proudly　that　“we　always　muddle　through；”　but　this；　after　all；　is　a　boast　that　only　fits　the　lips　of　the　inpetent。　What　will　happen　when　we　are　called　upon　to　meet　a　nation；　or　nations；　of　equal　or　greater　strength；　that　are　petent？24　One　can　only　hope　for　the　best；　and　that　the　genius　of　our　people；　or　of　individuals　among　them；　may　carry　us　through　in　the　future　as　it　has　done　in　the　past。　Meanwhile　we　blunder　on。　England；　in　lives　and　treasure；　pays　the　bill　out　of　her　ample　but　not　bottomless　pocket；　and　everything　ends　in　a　rocket…burst　of　decorations　conferred　amid　the　shouts　of　the　devotees　of　music…halls。

23　This　was　written　in　1912；　and　has　been　lying　in　Messrs。　Longmans’　safe　without　the　author　having　access　to　it　since　that　date。　—　Ed。

Probably　the　blame　is　to　be　laid　at　the　door　of　our　national　lack　of　imagination：　we　cannot　embody　in　our　minds　or　provide　against　that　of　which　we　have　had　no　recent　experience。　We　live　from　hand　to　mouth；　and　think　more　of　the　next　elections　than　of　o