That's what the miracles of
science are doing for us. Awe-inspiring, isn't it?"
"And you talk like that--a man that's helped to harness the Nile, and
has built railways through the desert?"
Peer shrugged his shoulders, and offered the other a cigar from his
case. A waiter appeared with coffee.
"To help mankind to make quicker progress--is that nothing?"
"Lord! What I'd like to know is, where mankind are making for, that
they're in such a hurry."
"That the Nile Barrage has doubled the production of corn in
Egypt--created the possibilities of life for millions of human
beings--is that nothing?"
"My good fellow, do you really think there aren't enough fools on this
earth already? Have we too little wailing and misery and discontent and
class-hatred as it is? Why must we go about to double it?"
"But hang it all, man--what about European culture? Surely you felt
yourself a sort of missionary of civilisation, where you have been."
"The spread of European civilisation in the East simply means that half
a dozen big financiers in London or Paris take a fancy to a certain
strip of Africa or Asia. They press a button, and out come all the
ministers and generals and missionaries and engineers with a bow: At
your service, gentlemen!
"Culture! One wheel begets ten new ones. Brr-rrr! And the ten again
another hundred. Brr-rr-rrr--more speed, more competition--and all for
what? For culture? No, my friend, for money. Missionary! I tell you, as
long as Western Europe with all its wonders of modern science and its
Christianity and its political reforms hasn't turned out a better type
of humanity than the mean ruck of men we have now--we'd do best to
stay at home and hold our counfounded jaw.
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