this intertrade
in a spirit of real friendliness and without grasping or greed the
result to-day would be incalculably great. But, unfortunately, this
latter element came in to an extent quite unforeseen and blighted the
prophetic hopes. The second _Locksley Hall_ was a wail of
disillusionment. The growth of large mercantile classes, intoxicated
with wealth and pursuing their own interests _apart from, and indeed
largely in opposition to_, those of the mass-peoples, derailed the
forward movement, and led in some of the ways which I have indicated
above to more of conflict between the nations and less of peace.

Doubtless the growth of these mercantile classes has to a certain extent
been inevitable; and we must do them the justice to acknowledge that
their enterprise and ingenuity (even set in action for their own private
advantage) have been of considerable benefit to the world, and that
their growth may represent a necessary stage in affairs. Still, we
cannot help looking forward to a time when, this stage having been
completed, and commerce between nation and nation having ceased to be
handled for mere private profit and advantage, the parasitical power in
our midst which preys upon the Commonweal will disappear, the mercantile
classes will become organic with the Community, and one great and
sinister source of wars will also cease.

FOOTNOTES:

[24] See p. 50 above.

XII

COLONIES AND SEAPORTS

There is another point of economics on which there seems to be some
confusion of mind. If mere extension of Trade is the thing sought for,
it really does not matter much, in these days of swift and international
transport, whether the outlying lands with which the Trader deals or the
ports _through_ which he deals are the property of his own nation or of
some other nation. The trade goes on all the same. England certainly has
colonies all over the world; but with her free trade and open ports it
often happens that one of her colonies takes more German or French goods
of a certain class than English goods of the same class; or that it
exports more to Germany and France than it does to England. The bulk,
for instance, of the produce of our West African colonies goes, in
normal times, to Germany. German or French trade does not suffer in
dealing with English colonies, though English trade may sometimes suffer
in dealing with French, German or other foreign colonies on account of
the preferential duties they put