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第77部分（第1页）

ertain　conditions　can　be　put　a　stop　to　is　of　much　weight　ing　from　such　a　man；　and　the　conclusion　throws　a　light　upon　his　character　which　would　astonish　many　even　in　this　country。

Office　of　Theodore　Roosevelt；

The　Outlook；　287　Fourth　Avenue；

New　York：　June　28；　1912。

Dear　Mr。　Haggard；　—　I　have　but　a　moment　in　which　to　answer　your　wele　letter；　as　I　am　driven　almost　to　death。　There　are　but　a　limited　number　of　my　own　countrymen；　among　those　of　the　highest　education；　who　understand　as　you　do　just　what　I　am　striving　for。　I　suppose　that　as　we　grow　older　we　naturally　lose　the　natural　feeling　of　young　men　to　take　an　interest　in　politics　just　for　the　sake　of　strife　—　the　same　kind　of　interest　one　takes　in　big　game　hunting　or　football；　the　kind　of　interest　quite　patible　with　doing　excellent　work　but　which　cannot　inspire　the　highest　kind　of　work。　As　we　get　older；　if　we　think　seriously　at　all；　and　if　we　escape　falling　into　a　permanent　Palmerstonian　jauntiness　of　attitude；　we　cannot　avoid　being　deeply　and　indeed　painfully　impressed　with　the　tremendous　problems　of　our　social　and　industrial　life。　To　me　politics　and　applied　ethics　ought　to　be　interchangeable　terms；　and　my　interest　in　the　former　arises　chiefly　from　my　interest　in　the　latter。　If　the　whole　game　is　one　of　mere　sound　and　fury；　without　any　sincerity　back　of　it；　any　real　purpose　of　achievement；　then　it　is　all　of　as　little　importance　as　a　contest　between　the　blues　and　the　greens　in　the　Byzantine　circus。　I　am；　I　hope　and　believe；　a　practical　man；　and　I　abhor　mere　sentimentality；　but　I　abhor　at　least　as　much　the　kind　of　so…called　practical　man　who　uses　the　word　“practical”　to　indicate　mere　materialistic　baseness；　and　who　fails　to　see　that　while　we　of　course　must　have　a　material　and　economic　foundation　for　every　successful　civilisation；　yet　that　fabric　cannot　be　lasting　unless　a　warp　of　lofty　disinterestedness　and　power　of　munity　feeling　is　shot　through　the　woof　of　individualistic　materialism。　Have　you　ever　read　“No。　5　John　Street”？　I　happened　to　be　reading　it　the　other　day。　Now　I　know　I　cannot　ever　achieve　more　than　the　very　smallest　part　of　what　I　would　like　to　do；　but　at　least　I　wish　to　take　part　in　a　movement　for　using　the　government　so　far　as　may　be　to　put　a　stop　to　the　dreadful　conditions　at　both　ends　of　the　social　scale　which　are　described　in　“No。　5　John　Street。”　In　the　same　way；　I　wish　to　get　the　government　interested　in　conservation；　and　in　restoring　the　people　to　the　land。　I　do　not　know　whether　we　will　be　able　to　succeed　in　the　great　movement　for　social　and　industrial　reform；　which　includes　all　such　movements　as　the　two　I　have　mentioned；　but　I　do　know　that　the　alternative　is　a　general　smash…up　of　our　civilisation；　and　succeed　or　fail；　I　hold　it　to　be　the　duty　of　every　decent　man　to　fight　to　avoid　such　a　smash。

I　hope　you　e　to　Canada　and　then　I　shall　see　you　here　and　have　a　chance　of　talking　over　some　of　these　matters；　which　are　of　such　vital　importance；　and　which　the　average　man　treats　as　of　no　importance　whatever。

As　for　my　personal　fortunes；　they　are　of　no　consequence　whatever；　except　in　so　far　as　they　are　for　the　moment　connected　with　this　movement。　The　great　bulk　of　my　wealthy　and　educated　friends　regard　me　as　a　dangerous　crank　because　I　am　trying　to　find　a　remedy　for　evils　which　if　left　unremedied　will　in　the　end　do　away　not　only　with　wealth　and　education；　but　with　pretty　much　all　of　our　civilisation。　The　majority　of　people　veer　one　way　or　the　other　according　to　whether　at　the　moment　I　seem　to　succeed　or　fail；　and　are　quite　incapable　of　believing　that　I　am　concerned　with　anything　but　my　own　success　or　failure。　But　all　this　is　of　little　permanent　consequence。　It　is　a　fight　that　must　be　made；　and　is　worth　making；　and　the　event　lies　on　the　knees　of　the　gods。

Faithfully　yours；

Theodore　Roosevelt。

To　this　letter　I　answered：

Ditchingham　House；　Norfolk：

July　14；　1912。

My　dear　Mr。　Roosevelt；　—　I　thank　you　for　your　letter。　。　。　。　I　too　hold　that　the　civilised　world　wallows　in　a　slough　worse；　perhaps；　than　the　primeval　mud　of　the　savage；　that　is　is　possible　（if　not　probable）　that　it　may　be　dragged　from　that　slough；　cleansed　and　clothed　in　white　garments。　That　it　is　the　bounden　duty　of　all　men　as　they　shall　answer　for　it　at　the　last　to　do　their　honest　best　to　bring　this　about；　regardless　of　any　wreaths　of　success；　of　any　dust　of　failure；　regardless　of　everything　save　that　glory　which；　in　all　probability；　will　never　crown　their　individual　strivings；　or；　if　it　es；　be　at　all　identified　with　their　half…forgotten　names。

This；　I　imagine；　is　a　conviction　that　es　home　to　certain　of　us　with　added　force　when　some　of　the　cables　that　bind　us　here　are　slipped　and　our　being　begins　to　thrill　beneath　the　pull　of　that　tide　which　flows　over　the　edge　of　the　World。　At　least　it　has　e　home　to　me；　grieving　in　my　own　impotence；　and　I　am　sure　that　it　has　e　home　to　you。　Our　Faith　then　is　the　same。　How　can　that　Faith　be　—　not　fulfilled　—　but　put　in　the　way　of　fulfilment　by　others　who　e　after？

Let　us　suppose　that　you　succeed　and　reach　great　power；　now　or　later。　I　daresay　you　will　not：　as　you　say；　it　is　on　the　knees　of　the　gods；　or　rather　of　God　—　and　heaven　knows；　I　shall　think　no　differently　of　you　if　you　succeed　or　fail；　but　let　us　suppose　it。　What　could　you　do　—　or　strive　to　do？

You　are　confronted　with　a　hideous　problem。　The　other　day；　in　a　hairdresser’s　shop；　I　took　up　one　of　our　illustrated　papers。　In　it　was　a　reproduced　photograph　of　a　number　of　your　New　York　women　（members　of　the　upper　400　I　think　they　were　named）　feeding　their　lap…dogs；　adorned　with　jewelled　collars；　off　plates　of　gold。　Elsewhere　I　have　read　and　seen　pictures　of　New　York　poor　starving　in　the　snows　of　winter。

There　in　brief　is　your　problem　and　the　problem　of　every　civilised　country　of　the　Earth。　The　glutted；　foul；　menacing　cities；　the　gorgeous　few；　the　countless　miserables！　And　beyond　the　empty　Land　which　could　feed　them　all　and　give　them　health　and　happiness　from　the　cradle　to　the　grave。

The　problem　then　is：　the　Poor　in　the　Cities；　and　the　answer　to　it　should　be；　the　Poor　on　the　Land；　where　they　would　cease　to　be　poor。

What　are　the　bitter　fruits　of　this　City　Life？　A　confusion　more　plete　than　that　which　fell　on　the　builders　of　the　Tower　of　Babel；　a　failure　more　utter；　a　mere　shattered　mass　of　half…dried　bricks　which　will　be　washed　to　shapelessness　by　the　rains　of　heaven　and　crumbled　to　powder　by　its　everlasting　sun。

An　ultimate　dearth　of　Life：　the　woman　who　will　not　bear　children　on　the　one　hand；　the　woman　who　may　not　bear　children　on　the　other。　A　destruction：　with　a　vision　（for　those　who　can　see）　of　the　East　once　more　flowing　in　over　the　West　and　possessing　it　—　and　lo！　the　toil　and　intellect　of　ages　gone。

Such　may　be　the　will　—　the　design　of　God。　I　do　not　know。　Yet　I　think　it　more　probable　that　it　is　the　cracked　coin　in　which　He　will　repay　the　wickedness；　or　the　mad　folly　of　man。

Cannot　this　torrent　be　stayed　or　turned？　Here　I　see　no　hope　of　it：　Yonder　you　may　have　a　chance。　Our　existence　as　a　race　（I　speak　of　all　the　white　Nations）　seems　to　me　to　depend　upon　the　answer。　If　this　letter　were　published　in　the　Press　today；　I　am　aware　it　would　be　mocked　at。　But　if　it　could　be　read　one　short　five…hundred　years　hence；　I　wonder　if　the　readers　of　that　age　would　call　me　fool　or　prophet？