the days of my life-第86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！


on。　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　that　much　good　may　be　done　indirectly　by　the　ventilation　of　the　suggestions　that　he　has　made；　we　regret　to　be　obliged　to　say　that　we　consider　his　scheme　to　be　open　to　so　many　objections　that；　even　if　we　were　prepared　to　advocate　colonisation　in　principle；　we　could　not　remend　that　this　particular　scheme　should　be　adopted　。　。　。　。
Moreover；　we　feel　that　there　are　serious　objections　to　placing　any　such　body　as　the　Salvation　Army　in　the　position　of　managers　of　a　colony　dependent　on　money　advanced　by　the　Imperial　Government　。　。　。　。
Perhaps　on　the　details　the　mittee　was　right。　Who　am　I　that　I　should　question　its　collective　wisdom　—　even　if　it　had　been　“prepared　to　advocate　colonisation　in　principle”？　Yet　I　agree　with　Mr。　Lyttelton　in　the　remarks　that　he　subsequently　made　to　me；　that　the　good　that　would　have　been　done　by　the　adoption　of　such　a　scheme　would　have　infinitely　outweighed　its　disadvantages　and　the　possible；　though　improbable；　moary　loss。　However　this　may　be；　there　the　thing　ended。　The　somewhat　nebulous　remendations　of　the　mittee　included　“a　grant…inaid”　to　“be　given　by　the　Imperial　Government　to　the　mittee　formed　under　the　Unemployed　Workmen　Act；　for　the　purpose　of　emigration。”
Or　alternatively　—
“That；　in　the　event　of　that　proposal　being　rejected；　an　annual　grant…inaid　for　the　term　of　five　years　should　be　made　to　the　Emigrants’　Immigration　Office；　to　be　expended　by　them　in　the　emigration　of　suitable　persons　to　the　British　Colonies　through　such　Emigration　Societies　as　they　may　select　。　。　。　。”
These　remendations　were　dissented　from　by　Mr。　Herbert　Samuel；　the　present　Postmaster…General；　and　by　Mr。　H。　Lambert；　and　qualified　in　a　Note　added　to　the　Report　by　my　late　friend　Mr。　Wilson…Fox；　whose　premature　death　has　been　such　a　loss　to　the　public　service　of　this　country。
It　is　needless　to　add　that；　so　far；　the　Report　of　this　mittee　has　proved　perfectly　abortive。　A　strong　man；　such　as　Mr。　Joseph　Chamberlain　was　in　his　prime；　might　have　adopted　the　outline　of　my　ideas　and　made　something　of　them。　But　the　strong　man　was　lacking；　and　to　send　them　to　a　hybrid　mittee　of　mixed　views　was　only　to　ensure　their　murder。　It　is　always　so　easy　to　find　fault　and　make　objections。
For　me　personally　this　issue　was　painful。　I　had　worked　hard　and　in　all　honestness；　and；　like　many　better　men；　I　had　found　myself　thrown　over。　After　all　the　Colonial　Secretary’s　declarations　as　to　the　value　of　my　work；　etc。；　I　never　even　received　a　letter　of　thanks　from　the　Government；　or；　for　the　matter　of　that；　a　copy　of　the　Report　and　Evidence　of　the　mittee；　which　I　had　to　buy　like　any　other　member　of　the　public。　All　that　I　got　was　the　privilege　of　paying　the　bill；　for　of　course　the　small　sum　allowed　by　the　Rhodes　Trustees　did　not　suffice　to　meet　the　expenses　of　my　tour　in　a　high　official　position　through　that　very　expensive　country；　the　United　States。
Thus　my　mission　ended。
In　confirmation　of　what　I　have　stated　above　I　ore　important　letters　which　I　wrote　or　received　as　a　Special　missioner。
The　first　of　these　was　addressed　by　me　to　Lord　Rosebery　as　Chairman　of　the　Rhodes　Trust。
Confidential。
Ditchingham　House；　Norfolk：
May　20；　1905。
My　Lord；　—　You　may　know　that　I　am　the　person　who　was　sent　to　investigate　the　Salvation　Army　Colonies　in　America。　I　write　therefore　thinking　that　perhaps　you　would　wish　to　hear　from　me　in　the　matter。
First；　however；　as　one　who　has　for　years　taken　deep　interest　in　the　problem　of　the　congested　cities　and　the　depopulated　land；　I　desire　most　heartily　to　thank　the　Rhodes　Trustees　for　their　action　in　having　set　this　investigation　on　foot。
Very　briefly　the　results　are　as　follows：
On　the　whole　I　was　well　satisfied　with　the　Colonies；　perceiving　in　them　a　great　principle；　easy　of　adaptation。
I　proceeded　to　Canada　and　showed　to　various　members　of　the　Government　there　my　draft　reports。　Also　I　explained　to　them　my　scheme。
I　am　glad　to　be　able　to　say　that　I　was　successful　in　impressing　upon　them　that　this　scheme　is　quite　sound。　Mr。　Sifton　（a　great　power　there）　even　went　further　and　stated　that　he　considered　it　of　more　importance　to　the　Dominion　than　any　plan　of　preferential　duties。
The　issue　is　that　I　have　brought　home　with　me　a　despatch　from　Sir　Wilfrid　Laurier　granting　three　hundred　and　sixty　square　miles　of　their　best　land　for　the　purposes　of　the　scheme；　promising　as　much　more　as　may　be　required；　and　stating　his　firm　belief　in　the　practical　nature　of　my　scheme　。　。　。　。
I　speak　with　reference　to　Canada　and　other　Colonies。　On　the　home　side　of　the　question；　where　dear　land　and　awful　rates　and　District　Councils　have　to　be　faced；　I　am　not　so　sure。　I　have　offered　to　go　into　and　prepare　a　further　report　on　this　point　if　it　is　desired。
I　have　ventured　to　suggest　that　a　missioner　should　be　sent　to　South　Africa　and　especially　to　Rhodesia；　to　examine　those　Colonies　and　see　what　they　are　prepared　to　do　to　help。　I　have　great　hope　that　the　tobacco　industry　in　Rhodesia　gives　an　opening　to　the　small　holder。　I　think　also　that　your　Lordship　will　agree　with　me　that　a　British　population　is　desirable　in　that　country。
Believe　me；
Very　trul