THE CHINA MAIL, JUNE 25, 1937.
A FOREIGNER
THIS ENGLAND AS SEES IT
foreigners have recently
MANY
commented on England at
some profit, we hope, to their pur- ses and greatly, of course) to our instruction and entertainment. Dr. Adolf Lowe, a German exile whom Manchester University is happy now to entertain as a Research Fel- low, has added to their list with a small, able, and concise pamphlet în which our British ways of living nad ruling and being ruled are sub- mitted to a close and favourable analysis.
murmur, "Too kind. Too kind. A
By
IVOR
BROWN
As one reads Dr. Lowe's tributes played by thirty Whites in pursuit to British virtues one is inclined to of one Red. A little exaggerated, no doubt, but can we deny all truth The thought and emotion of the aver to this interpretation of our usual age Englishman are ruled by a social British phlegm, our occasional Brit- code whose standards of fairness and ish frenzy? common decency have become indisput
According to Dr. Lowe we are able axioms for all classes.
The same social code also pro- capable of that "spontaneous collec- duces that stubborn public conscience in tivism” which makes an imposed which the Englishman is so enormously discipline less necessary. The Eng- superior to every other European, lishman's dictator Common decency and fairness stand
offensively. We can think as we examined, is essentially a standard- like because we so rarely think at ising: force, a leveller, not a libera- all.
tor, and often intensely conserva- The point at issue here is the tive in its effect on industry and difference between political and on ways of living. The poors Eng- social freedom. The British politi- lish boy of promise, like the Scot- cal freedom, as Dr. Lowe says, is a tish “lad o' pairts,”- can now climb large matter.
the country's most exalted éduca- His political institutions leave the tional ladder, but only at the cost Englishman more freedom of move of conforming to the rules of the
ment and decision than has ever fallen
to the citizen of any other great State gymnasium. The career is open to in Europe. The Briton sees in his talent, but talent is open to all sorts homeland the freest country in Europe of social moulding. Dr. Lowe says and probably in the world because
political interference in public and pri- of our ingenious system of educa vate life is here reduced to a minimum, tion: The German war propaganda, on the other hand, pointed to the omnipotent It really furthers the rise of all the compulsion of English social conform available talent and its absorption into ity Does it not indeed nip individual the upper classes. On the Provincial self-expression in the bud and sub- Universities devolves the task of rais- stitute standardised mass-action for ing the more gifted offspring of the the struggle of autonomous personal- pretty bourgeoisie into the middle class. ities?
Oxford and Cambridge prepare the in- There is a good deal in this. While tellectual elite of all classes for the our Constitution formally enshrines political and economic leadership of the country and beget the intellectual sue- the principle that Britons never cession. shall be slaves, our churches, col- above any and every political author is installed in his heart. He identifies ity. The right of opposition to a Gov- himself with his code as the pious Jew leges, and indeed the whole form ernment which really or allegedly sins identifies himself with the Law. Au- and pressure of society are working against these standards is the real thority does not need to put him in to ensure that Britons never shall conventions motive force of English democracy, leading-strings, because it can depend The struggle against the Means Test, on his using his freedom only to the be cranks, rebels, or unusual people: the Peace Ballot of the League of Na- extent that society can bear. So Once more we can have our liberty, tions Union, and Sir Samuel Hoare's far as the social and psychological pro provided we do not use it. fall over the Abyssinian question are cess of integration is concerned, this recent examples of the standards of society transcends the boldest dreams British public opinion and of its power of Fascist or Communist revolution- to strike home.
aries. The individual has been social- Unfortunately for D
Lowe, the ised in such measure that in all essen- home-striking power of opinion in tial manifestations
spontaneously
·
he reacts to society and the maintaining it.
these affairs is by no means evident. The Means Test is still with us, the The deduction from this would Government treated the League of seem at first to be that our freedom Nations Ballot with something less is a farce; the British multitude is than subject surrender, and Sir allowed some political liberty be- Samuel Hoare. has repeated the cause it can be trusted not to use it. antics of the stage army which We are permitted to enjoy freedom leaves the stage on the right, dou- of speech for the simple reason that bles round behind the scenes, and we have nothing to say or, if we returns by the left. Mr. Baldwin have, are too gentlemanly to say it very soon remarked to his ex-. Foreign Minister, "Sam, Sam,
pick cop thi moosket" or rather, THE-
in this case, thi cootlass.”
stubborn
Nor do
*
*.
*
in the The
Of these chosen ones he adds: intellectual, but, above all, to the social They are therefore subjected to the
of the ruling "groups. Probably in no other capitalist land easily as in England: But it is also can a talented man or woman rise so
probable that in no other country is such a measure of personal assimilation demanded as the price.
this charge
So this eternal contradiction runs
Can we contradict through our British life, a contra- diction which naturally catches the At the same time, since benevolent
with confidence? logical German eye of interests
Dr. Lowe. The worker demands and receives tant dream of human aspiration, we and beneficent anarchy is still a dis- the freedom to organise. The old. idea of that logical autocrat. Hobbes
must have our controls, and, since that associations within the State Society is now so complex, the com- are as dangerous as worms
plexity of the discipline increases. entrails has been overcome..
Dr. Lowe is right. The citizen of a Free State must have a dictator Trade Union, which is consumed by in his heart. the Totalitarian State, may exist in
The problem for any liberal Britain. Hurrah for liberty! Society is whether it would have But the Trade Union, more closely, social standardisation.
less political interference and more Those who want a vote and mean to use it must sacrifice personal caprice. Those who want to indulge caprice may find it more easy to-
do
so where there are no votes. For example, there was in many ways more social liberty in Tsarist Russia than in Liberal England.
WORLD GOES BY
“ULYSSES ” By
Both Elizabeth and
If the social conscience in Great Britain is so much more than elsewhere, this is rather a dis- grace to the others than a matter
SALE of letters written by /putation drives nine people out o
The British have elected for poli- of pride for ourselves. It certainly
Elizabeth seems to be true that our moderate pole Street") Browning was held at Quite nuts, in fact.
Barrett ("Wim-ten completely off their balance.tical freedom and are patient of a stiff social regimen; that is the rea- and depressing climate creates. a moderate and depressed temper: we Bridge players were expected to their real selves.
Sotheby's in London recently, and They change completely from son why our temperamentally liber- tarian enthusiasts so often take are not easily stirred to violence of flock to the sale in force. enthusiasm, or antipathy.
They lose all sense of proportion their genius abroad in disgust. Robert and believe that they are quite dif- While Bentham stayed at home and we derive as much rapture from Browning were keen on Bridge.ferent from ordinary, human beings. reformed the Law in the interests kicking those who are down as ap- Their love letters are
full of Particularly is this the case in of the greatest number, the liber- pears to be found in certain other animated, and sometimes exacer- the film business, where most re-tarian Byron quarters of the world. But I some-bated, discussions of
to carry his re- each other's putations are inspired by publicity forming zeal⠀⠀ Italy and Greece. times wonder whether all this talk play.
and ballyhoo.
Bentham wote to liberate his For instance, Charles Ray de- fellows in his own way because he cided after a while that he was so knew how to behave himself as his good that he could direct his own fellows thought right, which Byron films. He built a studio with a did not. To be a nonconformist in private tunnel connecting to his politics It is well to be conformist mansion, so that he needn't mix in morals. So Byron, a genius of with ordinary folk when he went British Radicalism and a fiery to work.
particle who might have set demo- Millard Webb was asked to ad- cracy aflame, had to become a Con- dress a few words over the radio to tinental hero. He wanted to enjoy Commander Byrd, who was explorand to win for others all the liber- ing in the Antarctic. ¿
ties at once, a form of greed rightly
because
such enjoyment is impossible. Yet this democracy of ours is not averse from enjoy- ment as such. Indeed, Dr. Lowe
one
re-
"Coldly glaring, Mrs. Browning Begged her spouse to stop his
clowning;
Shouting: Only triple asses Call Three Spades when Pippa
Passes.
about British fairness is not a hand- Tennyson's description of a heat- some mask for British apathy. Noted rubber they played is well long ago I commented on the ability known: of English people to conduct a dozen public meetings, all advocating directly opposite causes, on arnall patch of gound without course to blows or bullying. In cer- tain foreign countries the truncheons and even the machine-guns would
Pippa (a friend of the family) ave been out in no time. It was played such a deplorable game on gested to me by a keen observer this occasion that her exit, chased affairs that this tranquility of by the angry poet, moved Tennyson. Millard - Webb walked-elegantly
penalised, to a characteristic outburst of to the microphone and said calmly: the listening crowds was based on unconcern, They were not
“Good evening, Commander Byrd. cals: this was not their busi-"Prancing madly after Pippa, I hope you have as much success as
Browning got her with a slip- I'm having." So they smiled to cover.
per;ret But supposing, my yawns.
these same people wit- "foul in some -fought ame or had disagreed the opinion of a referee in a bball match or a game of ice
lend sai
mirth:
My To hear her rage and
bellow
Was more comic than
dello!"
??
Cecil ("Ten Commandments") B. even comments on its “s amazing tal- de Mille used to sit in a darkened ent for getting the maximum return office with a smal spotlight shining of happiness even out of existing straight in the eyes of those he circumstances. Yes, th
the price of used to interview. He himself sat liberty is restraint of appetite: we
I became involved in a discussion move
smugly in the gloom watching every taust not clear the dish. It is well and expression his visitors for us who love our freedom that which keenly engaged their the other day on the Effects of fame, made.
the British people are. yalty they would shriek like sav something I have never achieved.
not vora- Yes, fame is a dangerous thing, cious. Because we have small es, leap over barriers, tear up since I was thrown out of a Hamp- So is money, "only more so.
stomach for the foreign kickshaws ass, cover ice-inks with obstacles, stead pub on August Bank Holiday Though if anybody likes to leave of individual caprice we can enjoy
chase an umpire with as much for kissing the barmaid.
me a couple of thousand I'll run in peace our soldier meal venom and of violence as are dis-1. I' maintained that world-wide re- the risk.
cal enfranchisement.
politi