the days of my life-第95部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


Catholic　families　at　Fort　Romie；　after　thinking　a　moment；　he　answered　formally：
“I　think　that　no　Public　Body　could　be　better　fitted　to　carry　out　Land　Settlements　in　Canada　than　is　the　Salvation　Army。”
It　seemed　to　me　that　this　was　holding　out　the　hand　of　wele。
The　Report　covers　many　documents　that　have　to　be　checked　and　prepared　for　press；　but　I　am　pushing　on　with　them　as　fast　as　possible；　and　if　I　am　wanted　a　wire　to　Ditchingham　will　always　find　me。
I　had　a　most　interesting　interview　with　President　Roosevelt；　of　which　I　will　bring　or　send　the　private　notes。
Our　journey　was　very　long　and　arduous；　and　towards　the　end　of　it　my　daughter　developed　influenza　in　the　train　which；　as　I　did　not　know　what　it　was；　frightened　me。　Also　we　had　a　great　escape　of　being　drowned　in　the　Colorado　River。　However；　I　am　glad　to　say　we　got　through　safely。　Hoping　that　my　Report　and　scheme　may　be　thought　satisfactory。
Believe　me；
Very　truly　yours；
H。　Rider　Haggard。
Some　weeks　after　my　return　I　had　a　brief　interview　with　Mr。　Lyttelton　at　the　House　of　mons　—　it　may　have　extended　to　half　an　hour；　though　I　think　it　was　less。　He　expressed　himself　delighted　with　the　Report；　which　was　in　his　hand。　When　I　asked　him　if　he　was　satisfied　with　my　work；　he　replied；　“Satisfied？　I　think　it　splendid；”　adding；　“I　wish　the　Prime　Minister　would　take　it　up。　But　Arthur　won’t　read　it　—　you　know　Arthur　won’t　read　it！”
I　thought　to　myself　then；　and　am　still　thinking；　that　this　“Arthur　won’t　read　it”　was　a　summary　of　much　of　the　action；　or　lack　of　action；　of　the　Government　of　that　day。　Mr。　Balfour；　it　has　always　seemed　to　me；　during　his　ten　years　or　so　of　unquestioned　power；　had　the　greatest　opportunity　which　God　has　given　to　any　Englishman　of　our　generation。　What　exact　use　he　made　of　it　is　not　a　matter　upon　which　I　am　qualified　to　express　a　judgment。　He　and　those　who　were　in　his　counsel　alone　can　answer　that　question。　Yet；　speaking　as　a　mere　member　of　the　public；　it　does　appear　as　though　more　might　have　been　done。　For　instance；　the　House　of　Lords；　which　was；　as　it　were；　in　his　pocket；　might　have　been　reformed；　thereby　averting　all　the　national　dangers　and　terrible　trouble　which　have　ensued；　and　the　final　surrender　to　the　threats　of　the　Radical　party；　made　more　feeble；　some　may　think；　by　the　bold　and　whirling　words　with　which　it　was　preceded。
Again；　a　Redistribution　of　Seats　Bill　might　have　been　passed　—　it　was　not　impossible　with　such　a　majority　—　and　thereby　half　the　Irish　difficulty　obviated。　Local　taxation　might　have　been　equalised；　something；　as　I　for　one　urged　continually；　might　have　been　done　to　better　the　conditions　of　the　land　and　its　inhabitants；　and　so　forth。　Even　such　a　little　matter　as　an　urgently　needed　Copyright　Bill　was　left　for　the　Radicals　to　deal　with　as　best　they　could　in　face　of　the　opposition　of　the　Labour　party。
It　does　strike　me　that　this　Conservative　Government　never　quite　realised　that　the　time　had　gone　by　when　it　was　possible　for　a　happy　family　party　to　philosophise　at　a　round　table；　calling　each　other　by　their　Christian　names　and　sucking　the　sweets　of　office　from　year　to　year；　quite　satisfied　to　meet　any　emergencies　that　might　arise　in　a　happy…go…lucky；　hand…to…mouth　fashion；　and　to　proclaim　in　well…educated　voices　that；　while　they　ruled；　all　was　well　with　the　world；　also　that　the　questions　which　others　thought　urgent　might　be　postponed　—　to　a　more　convenient　season。　Session　was　added　to　session；　and　still　they　scoffed　at　the　need　of　any　constructive　policy。　Meanwhile　the　thunder…clouds　banked　up；　and　that　strong　and　turbulent　spirit；　Mr。　Chamberlain；　growing　impatient　of　this　political　lotus…eating；　broke　away　and　ran　up　a　score　off　his　own　bat；　which　to　this　hour　the　Unionist　party　does　not　know　whether　to　count　in　its　total　or　to　sponge　from　the　board。
But；　as　arked　about　the　very　recent　collapse　of　the　resistance　of　the　House　of　Lords　before　the　threat　of　an　influx　of　Radical　peers　（how　long　would　they　have　remained　Radical；　one　wonders？）；　all　this　is　“ancient　history；”　and　therefore　scarce　worthy　of　discussion。　I　think　it　was　Mr。　Balfour　himself　who　made　the　remark；　apparently　with　a　viee　people　think　an　obscure　and　poor…spirited　transaction。　Surely　it　is　better　to　die　facing　the　foe　and　with　one’s　armour　on　than　to　pull　it　off　and　run　away；　only　to　be　beaten　to　death　with　sticks　afterwards　by　the　enemy’s　camp…followers；　or　taken　prisoner；　reclothed　in　your　ermine　and　coro；　and　mocked　before　the　people。　Lord　Halsbury　and　his　stalwarts　for　my　money。
On　the　occasion　of　this　small　Imperial　matter　with　which　I　was　concerned　I　confess　I　did　wish　that　Mr。　Lyttelton　could　have　spared　me　an　hour　or　two　in　which　to　talk　over　its　leading　points　with　him；　as；　for　instance；　President　Roosevelt　found　himself　able　to　do　in　the　midst　of　all　the　tumultuous　ceremonies　of　his　inauguration。　But　there；　perhaps；　came　the　difference。　Roosevelt　was　being　inaugurated：　his　time　was　before　him。　The　Conservative　party　was　already　a　mere　corpse　galvanised　into　a　semblance　of　its　lost　life；　and；　standing　on　the　edge　of　an　open　grave；　it　pretended　not　to　see；　its　pale　eyes　fixed　upon　those　thunder…clouds　which；　after　ten　happy　years；　had　bee　so　very　large　and　definite。　Little　wonder　that　“Arthur　wouldn’t　read”　reports　on　matters　dealing　with　the　transference　of　our　superabundant　city　poor　to　colonial　settlements。　Matters　at　home；　affecting　him　much　more　nearly；　left　no　time　for　reading。　The　affair　undertaken　in　a　moment　of　pressure　or　enthusiasm　was　already　forgotten；　it　became　inconvenient　to　consider　the　arguments　of　individuals　who　suggested　that　something　should　be　done　which　would　involve　the　expenditure　of　thought；　time；　and　money。　Had　I　been　told　this　at　once　a　great　deal　of　trouble　might　have　been　spared　to　everyone　concerned。　The　Report　might　even　have　been　suppressed　altogether。
I　am　not　for　one　moment　arguing　that　the　scheme　I　suggested　was　open　to　no　objections。　What　was　the　problem？　Briefly；　in　what　way　more　or　less　broken…down　persons　and　their　families　could　be　moved　from　our　cities　on　to　colonial　land；　to　their　own　benefit　and　without　the　nation　incurring　loss。　It　is　a　problem　that　as　yet　no　one　has　been　able　to　solve。　I　did　offer　a　scheme　that　had　a　fair　prospect　of　success。　The　money　advanced　by　the　Government　was　to　be　secured　upon　the　settlers’　lands；　which　lands　have　since　that　time　doubled　or　trebled　in　value；　as　I　foresaw　that　they　would　do。　What　I　called　the　“Waste　Forces　of　Benevolence”　were　to　look　after　the　said　settlers　for　nothing；　subject　to　proper　control　—　a　task　which　the　Salvation　Army　was　quite　ready　to　undertake。　Moreover；　with　all　its　enormous　experiences　of　emigration；　as　the　Canadian　authorities　recognised；　it　was　absolutely　petent　so　to　do。　Yet　bitter　prejudice　against　the　Salvation　Army；　often　enough　fostered　by　persons　in　religion　who　should　know　better；　was　one　of　the　causes　that　brought　the　business　to　the　ground。
Without　going　further　into　its　details　I　repeat　that　the　Canadian　Government　and　statesmen　approved　this　scheme；　as　did　the　Governor…General；　Lord　Grey。　Also　when　it　was　published　it　met　with　an　enormous　amount　of　support　from　the　Press　of　this　country；　as　may　be　seen　by　anyone　who　cares　to　glance　through　the　extracts　from　Press　opinions　of　my　Report　which　are　printed　at　the　end　of　“The　Poor　and　the　Land；”　wherein　it　is　republished。　Here；　then；　at　any　rate　was　a　foundation　upon　which　others　might　build。
At　first　the　Government　seemed　to　take　this　view；　but　then　followed　a　pause　indicative　of　the　evaporation　of　enthusiasm。　Questions　were　asked　in　the　House　as　to　whether　the　Government　intended　to　do　anything。　The　thing　became　a　nuisance　to　them；　and　at　length　it　was　announced　that　the　matter　would　be　referred　to　a　Departmental　mittee。　My　first　intimation　of　this　was　at　a　public　dinner　in　London；　when　a　gentleman　much　mixed　up　in　politics　as　a　Conservative　agent　informed　me　that　he　had　just　been　speaking　to　a　Minister；　who　had　told　him　that　my　Report　was　to　be　sent　to　a　mittee　which　would　“knock　the　bottom　out　of　it。”　Then　I　knew　that　all　was　finished。
And　yet；　unless　I　most　strangely　misunderstood　him；　all　the　while　Mr。　Lyttelton　was　a　believer　in　the　plan。　He　was　personally　most　kind　to　me；　and　I　liked　him　very　much。　At　that　time　also；　as　his　private　secretary　informed　me；　he　wished　me　to　make　another　report　upon　the　possibility　of　applying　similar　principles　to　a　scheme　of　land　settlement　at　home；　indeed　I　was　told　that　it　was　settled　I　should　be　asked　to　do　so。　I　understand；　however　—　though　of　course　in　this　I　may　be　mistaken　—　that　the　officials　of　the　Board　of　Agriculture　put　a　stop　to　this　idea；　as　such　an　appointment　would　have　interfered　with　the　prerogative　of　their　department。　At　any　rate；　opposition　arose　somewhere　and　it　was　dropped。　The　upshot　was　that　the　work　was　thrown　away；　if　any　good　and　earnest　work　ever　really　is　thrown　away。
The　end　of　the　matter　may　be　briefly　summarised。　As　was　to　be　anticipated；　“the　bottom　was　knocked　out”　of　my　scheme　in　the　most　satisfactory　official　way。
The　Report　of　the　mittee　stated　that　—
Though　we　fully　recognise　the　zeal　and　ability　Mr。　Rider　Haggard　has　shown　in　making　his　investigations　and　preparing　his　Report；　and　trust　t