the vested interests and the common man-第28部分

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international　relations　they　formally　adhere　to　the　rule　of　Live　
and　Let　Live。　Not　so　in　their　domestic　policy；　however。　They　have　
all　endowed　themselves　with　all　the　encumbrances　of　national　
pretensions　and　discrimination　which　their　circumstances　will　
admit。　Apart　from　a　court　and　church　which　foot　up　to　nothing　
more　comfortable　than　a　gratuitous　bill　of　expense；　they　are　also　
content　to　carry　the　burden　of　a　national　armament；　a　protective　
tariff；　a　national　consular　service；　and　a　diplomatic　service　
which　takes　care　of　a　moderately　burdensome　series　of　treaty　
agreements　governing　the　trade　relations　of　the　Scandinavian　
business　community；　all　designed　for　the　benefit　of　the　vested　
interests　and　the　kept　classes　of　the　nation；　and　all　at　the　cost　
of　the　common　man。　
　　　　The　case　of　these　relatively　free；　relatively　unassuming；　and　
relatively　equitable　national　establishments　is　also　instructive。　
They　come　as　near　the　rule　of　Live　and　Let　Live　as　any　national　
establishment　well　can　and　still　remain　a　national　establishment　
actuated　by　notions　of　competitive　self…help。　But　all　the　while　
the　national　administration　runs　along；　with　nothing　better　to　
show　to　any　impartial　scrutiny　than　a　considerable　fiscal　burden　
and　a　moderate　volume　of　hindrance　to　the　country's　industry；　
together　with　some　incidental　benefit　to　the　vested　interests　and　
the　kept　classes　at　the　cost　of　the　underlying　community。　These　
Scandinavians　occupy　a　peculiar　position　in　the　industrial　world。　
They　are　each　and　several　too　small　to　make　up　anything　like　a　
self…contained　industrial　community；　even　under　the　most　
unreserved　pressure　of　national　exclusiveness。　Their　industries　
necessarily　are　part　and　parcel　of　the　industrial　system　at　
large；　with　which　they　are　bound　in　relations　of　give　and　take　at　
every　point。　Yet　they　are　content　to　carry　a　customs　tariff　of　
fairly　grotesque　dimensions　and　a　national　consular　service　of　
more　grotesque　dimensions　still。　This　situation　is　heightened　by　
their　relatively　sterile　soil；　their　somewhat　special　and　narrow　
range　of　natural　resources；　and　their　high　latitude；　which　
precludes　any　home　growth　of　many　of　the　indispensable　materials　
of　industry　under　the　new　order。　Yet　they　are　content　to　carry　
their　customs　tariff；　their　special　commercial　treaties；　and　
their　consular　service　　for　the　benefit　of　their　vested　
interests。　
　　　　It　should　seem　that　this　elaborate　superfluity　of　national　
outlay　and　obstruction　should　work　great　hardship　to　the　
underlying　community　whose　industry　is　called　on　to　carry　this　
burden　of　lag；　leak；　and　friction。　And　doubtless　the　burden　is　
sufficiently　real。　It　amounts；　of　course；　to　the　nation's　working　
at　cross…purposes　with　itself；　for　the　benefit　of　those　special　
interests　that　stand　to　gain　a　little　something　by　it　all。　But　in　
this　as　in　other　works　of　sabotage　there　are　compensating　
effects；　and　these　should　not　be　overlooked；　particularly　since　
the　case　is　fairly　typical　of　what　commonly　happens。　The　waste　
and　sabotage　of　the　national　establishment　and　its　obstructive　
policy　works　no　intolerable　hardship；　because　it　all　runs　its　
course　and　eats　its　fill　within　that　margin　of　sabotage　and　
wasteful　consumption　that　would　have　to　be　taken　care　of　by　some　
other　agency　in　the　absence　of　this　one。　That　is　to　say；　
something　like　the　same　volume　of　sabotage　and　waste　is　
indispensable　to　the　prosperity　of　business　under　the　conditions　
of　the　new　order；　so　long　as　business　and　industry　are　managed　
under　the　conditions　imposed　by　the　price　system。　By　one　means　or　
another　prices　must　be　maintained　at　a　profitable　level　for　
reasons　of　business；　therefore　the　output　must　be　restricted　to　a　
reasonable　rate　and　volume；　and　wasteful　consumption　must　be　
provided　for；　on　pain　of　a　failing　market。　And　all　this　may　as　
well　be　taken　care　of　by　use　of　a　princely　court；　an　otiose　
church；　a　picturesque　army；　a　well…fed　diplomatic　and　consular　
service；　and　a　customs　frontier。　In　the　absence　of　all　this　
national　apparatus　of　sabotage　substantially　the　same　results　
would　have　to　be　got　at　by　the　less　seemly　means　of　a　furtive　
conspiracy　in　restraint　of　trade　among　the　vested　interests。　
There　is　always　something　to　be　said　for　the　national　integrity。　
　　　　The　case　of　these　Scandinavian　nations；　taken　in　connection　
and　comparison　with　what　is　to　be　seen　elsewhere；　appears　to　say　
that　a　national　establishment　which　has　no　pretensions　to　power　
and　no　imperialistic　ambitions　is　preferable；　in　point　of　economy　
and　peaceable　behavior；　to　an　establishment　which　carries　these　
attributes　of　self…determination　and　self…help。　The　more　nearly　
the　national　integrity　and　self…determination　approaches　to　make　
believe　the　less　mischief　is　it　likely　to　work　at　home　and　the　
more　nearly　will　it　be　compatible　with　the　rule　of　Live　and　Let　
Live　in　dealing　with　its　neighbors。　And　the　further　implication　
is　plain　without　argument；　that　the　most　beneficent　change　that　
can　conceivably　overtake　any　national　establishment　would　be　to　
let　it　fall　into　〃innocuous　desuetude。〃　Apparently；　the　less　of　
it　the　better；　with　no　apparent　limit　short　of　the　vanishing　
point。　
　　　　Such　appears　to　be　the　object…lesson　enforced　by　recent　and　
current　events；　in　so　far　as　concerns　the　material　fortunes　of　
the　underlying　community　at　large　as　well　as　the　keeping　of　the　
peace。　But　it　does　not　therefore　follow　that　all　men　and　classes　
will　have　the　same　interest　in　so　neutralising　the　nation's　
powers　and　disallowing　the　national　pretensions。　The　existing　
nations　are　not　of　a　homogeneous　make…up　within　themselves　　
perhaps　less　so　in　proportion　as　they　have　progressively　come　
under　the　rule　of　the　new　order　in　industry　and　in　business。　
There　is　an　increasingly　evident　cleavage　of　interest　between　
industry　and　business；　or　between　production　and　ownership；　or　
between　tangible　performance　and　free　income；　　one　phrase　may　
serve　as　well　as　another；　and　neither　is　quite　satisfactory　to　
mark　the　contrast　of　interest　between　the　common　man　on　the　one　
hand　and　the　vested　interests　and　kept　classes　on　the　other　hand。　
But　it　should　be　sufficiently　plain　that　the　national　
establishment　and　its　control　of　affairs　has　a　value　for　the　
vested　interests　different　from　what　it　has　for　the　underlying　
community。　
　　　　Quite　plainly　the　new　order　in　industry　has　no　use　or　place　
for　national　discrimination　or　national　pretensions　of　any　kind；　
and　quite　plainly　such　a　phrase　as　〃national　integrity〃　has　no　
shadow　of　meaning　for　this　new　industrial　order　which　overruns　
national　frontiers　and　overcomes　national　discrimination　as　best　
it　can；　in　all　directions　and　all　the　time。　For　industry　as　
carried　on　under　the　new　order；　the　overcoming　of　national　
discrimination　is　part　of　the　ordinary　day's　work。　But　it　is　
otherwise　with　the　new　order　of　business　enterprise；　　
large…scale；　corporate；　resting　on　intangible　assets；　and　turning　
on　free　income　which　flows　from　managerial　sabotage。　The　business　
community　has　urgent　need　of　an　efficient　national　establishment　
both　at　home　and　abroad。　A　settled　government；　duly　equipped　with　
national　pretensions；　and　with　legal　and　military　power　to　
maintain　the　sacredness　of　contracts　at　home　and　to　enforce　the　
claims　of　its　business　men　abroad；　　such　an　establishment　is　
invaluable　for　the　conduct　of　business；　though　its　industrial　
value　may　not　unusually　be　less　than　nothing。　
　　　　Industry　is　a　matter　of　tangible　performance　in　the　way　of　
producing　goods　and　services。　And　in　this　connection　it　is　well　
to　recall　that　a　vested　interest　is　a　prescriptive　right　to　get　
something　for　nothing。　Now；　any　project　of　reconstruction；　the　
scope　and　method　of　which　are　governed　by　considerations　of　
tangible　performance；　is　likely　to　allow　only　a　subsidiary　
consideration　or　something　less　to　the　legitimate　claims　of　the　
vested　interests；　whether　they　are　vested　interests　of　business　
or　of　privilege。　It　is　more　than　probable　that　in　such　a　case　
national　pretensions　in　the　way　of　preferential　concessions　in　
commerce　and　investment　will　be　allowed　to　fall　into　neglect；　so　
far　as　to　lose　all　value　to　any　vested　interest　whose　fortunes　
they　touch。　These　things　have　no　effect　in　the　way　of　net　
tangible　performance。　They　only　afford　ground　for　preferential　
pecuniary　rights；　always　at　the　cost　of　someone　else；　but　they　
are　of　the　essence　of　things　in　that　pecuniary　order　within　which　
the　vested　interests　of　business　live　and　move。　So　also　such　a　
matter…of…fact　project　of　reconstruction　will　be　likely　
materially　to　revise　outstanding　credit　obligations；　including　
corporation　securities；　or　perhaps　even　bluntly　to　disallow　
claims　of　this　character　to　free　income　on　the　part　of　
beneficiaries　who　can　show　no　claim　on　grounds　of　current　
tangible　performance。　All　of　which　is　inimical　to　the　best　good　
of　the　vested　interests　and　the　kept　classes。　
　　　　Reconstruction　which　partakes　of　this　character　in　any　
sensible　degree　will　necessarily　be　viewed　with　the　liveliest　
apprehension　by　the　gentlemanly　statesmen　of　the　old