Everywhere to-day we find well-meaning persons thinking talking about the New World we are going to get- when the is over.

Very few people know exactly how the New World will differ will from the old. They just feel that in some way it will be better. Quite a large number will even be content if all they get is a new label on the old bottle. The most fashionable label at the moment is our old friend "Democratic." "That's what we want," they say, "a Democratic World"--this being in contradistinction to a "Totalitarian World."

When some people open up our old friend "Democratic" to sec what is inside, all that many of them can see is "Freedom." We have only therefore to hoist the twin flags of Democracy and Freedom well in the air and many people will be content to look on worshipfully-quite oblivious of the fact that all the time their pockets arc being picked. But so it has been.

The question arises-will it continue to be?

Boiled down, it means; are we going to have a new world in fact or only on paper? Is it going to be in reality or only in vision? Will it really be a New World or only the old one patched up a bit?

I ask these questions because I remember so well, during and after the last Great War, going through this New and Better World craze. Like many other well-meaning people I was up to the neck in it. Exactly the same thoughts were then thought. Exactly the same hopes were then expressed. Exactly the same things were being said. You know: "This is the war to end war." " "Civilisation could never stand another war." "This was to be the birth of a New and Better World." Our task was to make a land "fit for heroes to live in," a land of "Hope and Glory," etc., etc That was the theme then, just as now. And everyone sincerely meant it, just as everyone means it now.

GOOD INTENTIONS

But somehow it just didn't come off. It simply didn't happen. Why? Whose fault was it? Everybody's fault. There was not, I suppose, an adequate number of sufficiently educated people who were single-minded enough to know what they wanted and determined enough to get it. Not that the people then were not interested. They were. We had our numberless organisations and societies then, just as now, all pledged to do something about it. But somehow all the good intentions didn't really get us very far. We had little committees for this and little circles for that. (Though what the difference is between a committee and a circle I cannot say, because they both seem to go round and round and-round.) Then we had quite a lot of federations for this purpose and guilds for that purpose. The Friends of Freedom and the Goodwill Brotherhood were also well to the fore. As for the National and International Leagues and the numberless societies, well-their name was legion. Perhaps we had too many, At any rate, they all seemed exceptionally serious and exceedingly busy. Some had their own literature and little publications just as to-day. Each felt that where two or three were gathered together in the name of the Better World-Social and Economic manna was bound to fall. But it didn't.

Then we had our parsons. Some more courageous than the rest would preach out and out Socialism from their pulpits, without even a protest from the Capitalist top weight in their congregations. They felt quite safe, so long as nothing was being done about it. To talk about it and listen to it gave everyone a better feeling inside. They felt that in this way they were doing their bit. Previously many would have strongly resented and protested against Socialistic sermons. Now they felt pleased at their own tolerance. It was fashionable to talk about the New World and the New Social Order that was to be born. It was in everybody's mind and on everybody's lips. I think most of it must have stayed there because so little was put into practice. It simply didn't happen. It hasn't happened yet. Now we are in the next big war to end war. The war which at last is going to give birth to the New and Better World-the one we just missed the last time. Well, it remains to be seen. The last war was fought by trained soldiers on selected battlefields. The present "all-in" war-fought by the men, women and children in our streets-may lead to the achieve­ment of an "all-in" peace.

THOSE "OTHERS"

Looking back on the last war and what followed it is quite easy to see why the New World was talked about without being brought about. Very few people knew how to plan or build a New World. They didn't know the very first thing about it. The people really wanted it because of their better instincts. They were actuated by a generous impulse. But as they didn't know what to do they left the job to those that they thought did know. In short, they just left it to "others." Now those "others" didn't know either; unable to do much, they just kept on talking and writing about it. The few who did know and might have done something never really got a hard enough kick in the pants to make them get on with the job. By this time most people were thoroughly enjoying themselves at the races nr on roller skates, or watching the dogs, or at football, cricket, dancing, games, etc., active in everything except the effort for the New World. To them the New World consisted almost solely of enjoyment.

It has always been a marvel to me what magic soporific this can-fully calculated diversion of the people's minds to pleasure and sport proved to be, at the end of the last war. Yet the psychology of it is so simple and also so understandable. The people had just had four years of the most distressing war in history. Millions had been killed and millions more injured, many for life. The strain in every home during those four years had been terrific. The dark cloud of war at times looked like the even darker cloud of defeat. Then quite unexpectedly, like a brilliant dawn that follows the darkest hour, Peace broke out-not only Peace, but Peace with Victory.

Do you remember the great day? November 11 th 1918-Armistice Day. The reaction was terrible. The tension broke just like the snapping of a steel hawser under a colossal strain. Then came the reaction the sluice gates of restraint burst open; the people went mad in their joy. They celebrated, and kept on celebrating. From that moment the Better World and Better Social Order receded more and more into the background. Sport, dancing, pictures-Boomps-a-Daisy-the Loch Ness monster and a whole lot of other things occupied attention. And this was the way in my opinion that the Tin Hat was put on the last new World before it was born.

The people let themselves down, and very badly at that. What is more, I do not think that one per cent. were conscious at the time that they were letting themselves and the New World down?

Why do I now bring it all to the surface?

Surely the answer is obvious: to try and prevent the same thing happening again.

What, then, is to be done?

•  Stop wishful thinking. Instead:

(2) Decide on what definite and specific social and economic

changes are needed in order to create a New World and a Better Social Order.

Having decided this, people must then:

(3) Put on side blinkers so that they will not be side-tracked by sport, pleasure, or any other red herring which might slew them off the straight and narrow path.

Then:

(4) Put forward every ounce of continuous effort-without any thought of relaxing. In fact, an effort with a patriotic driving force, inspired by the spirit of service and sacrifice just like a war effort, and persist and persist until the definite changes have been actually brought about-not promised.

How must the last effort be made?

(5) By feeding public opinion until it grows and grows into a mighty intellectual and constitutional wave-a wave strong enough to overwhelm all opposition, and powerful enough to wash away most, if not all, of the old social and economic debris and in its place launch the New Social Order and the Better World.

That is the task which again faces the people. The issue is either that or-another TIN HAT.