Itkepthimawakeatnightstothinkthathemightloseit。
TheessentialfactofthepoliticsoftheageinwhichBertSmallwayslived——theagethatblunderedatlastintothecatastropheoftheWarintheAir——wasaverysimpleone，ifonlypeoplehadhadtheintelligencetobesimpleaboutit。ThedevelopmentofSciencehadalteredthescaleofhumanaffairs。
Bymeansofrapidmechanicaltraction，ithadbroughtmennearertogether，somuchnearersocially，economically，physically，thattheoldseparationsintonationsandkingdomswerenolongerpossible，anewer，widersynthesiswasnotonlyneeded，butimperativelydemanded。JustastheonceindependentdukedomsofFrancehadtofuseintoanation，sonowthenationshadtoadaptthemselvestoawidercoalescence，theyhadtokeepwhatwaspreciousandpossible，andconcedewhatwasobsoleteanddangerous。Asanerworldwouldhaveperceivedthispatentneedforareasonablesynthesis，wouldhavediscussedittemperately，achievedandgoneontoorganisethegreatcivilisationthatwasmanifestlypossibletomankind。TheworldofBertSmallwaysdidnothingofthesort。Itsnationalgovernments，itsnationalinterests，wouldnothearofanythingsoobvious;theyweretoosuspiciousofeachother，toowantingingenerousimaginations。
Theybegantobehavelikeill—bredpeopleinacrowdedpubliccar，tosqueezeagainstoneanother，elbow，thrust，disputeandquarrel。Vaintopointouttothemthattheyhadonlytorearrangethemselvestobecomfortable。Everywhere，allovertheworld，thehistorian，oftheearlytwentiethcenturyfindsthesamething，theflowandrearrangementofhumanaffairsinextricablyentangledbytheoldareas，theoldprejudicesandasortofheatedirasciblestupidity，andeverywherecongestednationsininconvenientareas，sloppingpopulationandproduceintoeachother，annoyingeachotherwithtariffs，andeverypossiblecommercialvexation，andthreateningeachotherwithnaviesandarmiesthatgreweveryyearmoreportentous。
Itisimpossiblenowtoestimatehowmuchoftheintellectualandphysicalenergyoftheworldwaswastedinmilitarypreparationandequipment，butitwasanenormousproportion。GreatBritainspentuponarmyandnavymoneyandcapacity，thatdirectedintothechannelsofphysicalcultureandeducationwouldhavemadetheBritishthearistocracyoftheworld。Herrulerscouldhavekeptthewholepopulationlearningandexercisinguptotheageofeighteenandmadeabroad—chestedandintelligentmanofeveryBertSmallwaysintheislands，hadtheygiventheresourcestheyspentinwarmaterialtothemakingofmen。Insteadofwhichtheywaggledflagsathimuntilhewasfourteen，incitedhimtocheer，andthenturnedhimoutofschooltobeginthatcareerofprivateenterprisewehavecompactlyrecorded。Franceachievedsimilarimbecilities;Germanywas，ifpossibleworse;Russiaunderthewasteandstressesofmilitarismfesteredtowardsbankruptcyanddecay。AllEuropewasproducingbiggunsandcountlessswarmsoflittleSmallways。TheAsiaticpeopleshadbeenforcedinself—defenceintoalikediversionofthenewpowerssciencehadbroughtthem。Ontheeveoftheoutbreakofthewarthereweresixgreatpowersintheworldandaclusterofsmallerones，eacharmedtotheteethandstrainingeverynervetogetaheadoftheothersindeadlinessofequipmentandmilitaryefficiency。ThegreatpowerswerefirsttheUnitedStates，anationaddictedtocommerce，butrousedtomilitarynecessitiesbytheeffortsofGermanytoexpandintoSouthAmerica，andbythenaturalconsequencesofherownunwaryannexationsoflandintheveryteethofJapan。Shemaintainedtwoimmensefleetseastandwest，andinternallyshewasinviolentconflictbetweenFederalandStategovernmentsuponthequestionofuniviorsalserviceinadefensivemilitia。NextcamethegreatallianceofEasternAsia，aclose—knitcoalescenceofChinaandJapan，advancingwithrapidstridesyearbyyeartopredominanceintheworld’saffairs。ThentheGermanalliancestillstruggledtoachieveitsdreamofimperialexpansion，anditsimpositionoftheGermanlanguageuponaforciblyunitedEurope。Thesewerethethreemostspiritedandaggressivepowersintheworld。FarmorepacificwastheBritishEmpire，perilouslyscatteredovertheglobe，anddistractednowbyinsurrectionarymovementsinIrelandandamongallitsSubjectRaces。Ithadgiventhesesubjectracescigarettes，boots，bowlerhats，cricket，racemeetings，cheaprevolvers，petroleum，thefactorysystemofindustry，halfpeunynewspapersinbothEnglishandthevernacular，inexpensiveuniversitydegrees，motor—bicyclesandelectrictrams;ithadproducedaconsiderableliteratureexpressingcontemptfortheSubjectRaces，andrendereditfreelyaccessibletothem，andithadbeencontenttobelievethatnothingwouldresultfromthesestimulantsbecausesomebodyoncewrote\"theimmemorialeast\";andalso，intheinspiredwordsofKipling——