第216章

`All these details,' continued the speaker, `of the organization of affairs and the work of the Co-operative Commonwealth, are things which do not concern us at all.They have merely been suggested by different individuals as showing some ways in which these things could be arranged.The exact methods to be adopted will be decided upon by the opinion of the majority when the work is being done.Meantime, what we have to do is to insist upon the duty of the State to provide productive work for the unemployed, the State feeding of schoolchildren, the nationalization or Socialization of Railways;Land; the Trusts, and all public services that are still in the hands of private companies.If you wish to see these things done, you must cease from voting for Liberal and Tory sweaters, shareholders of companies, lawyers, aristocrats, and capitalists; and you must fill the House of Commons with Revolutionary Socialists.That is - with men who are in favour of completely changing the present system.And in the day that you do that, you will have solved the poverty "problem".No more tramping the streets begging for a job! No more hungry children at home.No more broken boots and ragged clothes.No more women and children killing themselves with painful labour whilst strong men stand idly by; but joyous work and joyous leisure for all.'

`Is there any more questions?' cried Philpot.

`Is it true,' said Easton, `that Socialists intend to do away with the Army and Navy?'

`Yes; it is true.Socialists believe in International Brotherhood and peace.Nearly all wars are caused by profit-seeking capitalists, seeking new fields for commercial exploitation, and by aristocrats who make it the means of glorifying themselves in the eyes of the deluded common people.You must remember that Socialism is not only a national, but an international movement and when it is realized, there will be no possibility of war, and we shall no longer seed to maintain an army and navy, or to waste a lot of labour building warships or manufacturing arms and ammunition.All those people who are now employed will then be at liberty to assist in the great work of producing the benefits of civilization; creating wealth and knowledge and happiness for themselves and others - Socialism means Peace on earth and goodwill to all mankind.But in the meantime we know that the people of other nations are not yet all Socialists; we do not forget that in foreign countries - just the same as in Britain - there are large numbers of profit seeking capitalists, who are so destitute of humanity, that if they thought it could be done successfully and with profit to themselves they would not scruple to come here to murder and to rob.We do not forget that in foreign countries - the same as here - there are plenty of so-called "Christian" bishops and priests always ready to give their benediction to any such murderous projects, and to blasphemously pray to the Supreme Being to help his children to slay each other like wild beasts.And knowing and remembering all this, we realize that until we have done away with capitalism, aristocracy and anti-Christian clericalism, it is our duty to be prepared to defend our homes and our native land.And therefore we are in favour of maintaining national defensive forces in the highest possible state of efficiency.But that does not mean that we are in favour of the present system of organizing those forces.We do not believe in conscription, and we do not believe that the nation should continue to maintain a professional standing army to be used at home for the purpose of butchering men and women of the working classes in the interests of a handful of capitalists, as has been done at Featherstone and Belfast; or to be used abroad to murder and rob the people of other nations.Socialists advocate the establishment of a National Citizen Army, for defensive purposes only.We believe that every able bodied man should be compelled to belong to this force and to undergo a course of military training, but without making him into a professional soldier, or taking him away from civil life, depriving him of the rights of citizenship or making him subject to military "law" which is only another name for tyranny and despotism.This Citizen Army could be organized on somewhat similar lines to the present Territorial Force, with certain differences.For instance, we do not believe - as our present rulers do - that wealth and aristocratic influence are the two most essential qualifications for an efficient officer; we believe that all ranks should be attainable by any man, no matter how poor, who is capable of passing the necessary examinations, and that there should be no expense attached to those positions which the Government grant, or the pay, is not sufficient to cover.The officers could be appointed in any one of several ways: They might be elected by the men they would have to command, the only qualification required being that they had passed their examinations, or they might be appointed according to merit -the candidate obtaining the highest number of marks at the examinations to have the first call on any vacant post, and so on in order of merit.We believe in the total abolition of courts martial, any offence against discipline should be punishable by the ordinary civil law - no member of the Citizen Army being deprived of the rights of a citizen.'

`What about the Navy?' cried several voices.