Shops began to open, and as each day passed, food became more plentiful3 and consequently less dear. The truce meant the end of the war, therefore thanksgiving services were held in every town and village throughout the country.
There were great prison-camps of Germans at Hounslow, Brentwood, and Barnet, while Von Kronhelm and his chief officers were also held as prisoners until some decision through diplomatic channels could be arrived[267] at. Meanwhile a little business began to be done; thousands began to resume their employment, bankers reopened their doors, and within a week the distress4 and suffering of the poor became perceptibly alleviated5. The task of burying the dead after the terrible massacre6 of the Germans in the London streets had been a stupendous one, but so quickly had it been accomplished7 that an epidemic8 was happily averted9.
Parliament moved back to Westminster, and daily meetings of the Cabinet were being held in Downing Street. These resulted in the resignation of the Ministry10, and with a fresh Cabinet, in which Mr. Gerald Graham, the organiser of the Defenders11, was given a seat, a settlement was at last arrived at.
To further describe the chaotic12 state of England occasioned by the terrible and bloody13 war would serve no purpose. The loss and suffering which it had caused the country had been incalculable; statisticians estimated that in one month of hostilities14 it had amounted to ￡500,000,000, a part of which represented money transferred from British pockets to German, as the enemy had carried off some of the securities upon which the German troops had laid their hands in London.
Let us for a moment take a retrospective glance. Consols were at 50; bread was still 1s. 6d. per loaf; and the ravages15 of the German commerce-destroyers had sent up the cost of insurance on British shipping16 sky-high. Money was almost unprocurable; except for the manufacture of war material, there was no industry; and the suffering and distress among the poor could not be exaggerated. In all directions men, women, and children had been starving.
The mercantile community were loud in their outcry for "peace at any price," and the pro-German and Stop-the-War Party were equally vehement18 in demanding a cessation of the war. They found excuses for the enemy, and forgot the frightful19 devastation20 and loss which the invasion had caused to the country.
They insisted that the working class gained nothing, even though the British fleet was closely blockading the German coast, and their outcry was strengthened when a few days after the blockade of the Elbe had begun, two British battleships were so unfortunate as to strike German mines, and sink with a large part of their crews. The difficulty of borrowing money for the prosecution[268] of the war was a grave obstacle in the way of the party of action, and preyed21 upon the mind of the British Government.
Socialism, with its creed22 of "Thou shalt have no other god but Thyself," and its doctrine23, "Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die," had replaced the religious beliefs of a generation of Englishmen taught to suffer and to die sooner than surrender to wrong. In the hour of trial, amidst smoking ruins, among the holocausts24 of dead which marked the prolonged, bloody, and terrible battles on land and at sea, the spirit of the nation quailed25, and there was really no great leader to recall it to ways of honour and duty.
The wholesale26 destruction of food, and particularly of wheat and meat, removed from the world's market a large part of its supplies, and had immediately sent up the cost of food everywhere, outside the United Kingdom as well as in it. At the same time, the attacks upon shipping laden27 with food increased the cost of insurance to prohibitive prices upon vessels29 freighted for the United Kingdom. The underwriters after the first few captures by the enemy would not insure at all except for fabulous30 rates.
The withdrawal31 of all the larger British cruisers for the purpose of defeating the main German fleets in the North Sea left the commerce-destroyers a free hand, and there was no force to meet them. The British liners commissioned as commerce-protectors were too few and too slow to be able to hold their adversaries32 in check.
Neutral shipping was molested33 by the German cruisers.
Whenever raw cotton or food of any kind was discovered upon a neutral vessel28 bound for British ports, the vessel was seized and sent into one or other of the German harbours on the West Coast of Africa.
The United Kingdom, indeed, might have been reduced to absolute starvation had it not been for the fact that the Canadian Government interfered34 in Canada to prevent similar German tactics from succeeding, and held the German contracts for the cornering of Canadian wheat, contrary to public policy.
The want of food, the high price of bread and meat in England, and the greatly increased cost of the supplies of raw material sent up the expenditure35 upon poor relief to enormous figures. Millions of men were out of employment, and in need of assistance. Mills and factories[269] in all directions had closed down, either because of the military danger from the operations of the German armies, or because of the want of orders, or, again, because raw materials were not procurable17.
Unfortunately, when the invasion began, many rich foreigners who had lived in England collected what portable property they possessed36 and retired37 abroad to Switzerland, Italy, and the United States. Their example was followed by large numbers of British subjects who had invested abroad, and now, in the hour of distress, were able to place their securities in a handbag and withdraw them to happier countries.
They may justly be blamed for this want of patriotism38, but their reply was that they had been unjustly and mercilessly taxed by men who derided39 patriotism, misused40 power, and neglected the real interests of the nation in the desire to pander41 to the mob. Moreover, with the income-tax at 3s. 6d. in the pound, and with the cost of living enormously enhanced, they declared that it was a positive impossibility to live in England, while into the bargain their lives were exposed to danger from the enemy.
As a result of this wholesale emigration, in London and the country the number of empty houses inordinately42 increased, and there were few well-to-do people left to pay the rates and taxes. The fearful burden of the extravagant43 debts which the British municipalities had heaped up was cruelly felt, since the nation had to repudiate44 the responsibility which it had incurred45 for the payment of interest on the local debts. The Socialist46 dream, in fact, might almost be said to have been realised. There were few rich left, but the consequences to the poor, instead of being beneficial, were utterly47 disastrous48.
Under the pressure of public opinion, constrained49 by hunger and financial necessities, and with thousands of German prisoners in their hands, the British Government acceded50 to the suggested conference to secure peace.
Peace was finally signed on January 13, 1911. The British Empire emerged from the conflict outwardly intact, but internally so weakened that only the most resolute51 reforms accomplished by the ablest and boldest statesmen, could have restored it to its old position.
Germany, on the other hand, emerged with an additional[270] 21,000 miles of European territory, with an extended seaboard on the North Sea, fronting the United Kingdom at Rotterdam and the Texel, and, it was calculated, with a slight pecuniary52 advantage. Practically the entire cost of the war had been borne by England.
As is always the case, the poor suffered most. The Socialists53, who had declared against armaments, were faithless friends of those whom they professed54 to champion. Their dream of a golden age proved utterly delusive55. But the true authors of England's misfortunes escaped blame for the moment, and the Army and Navy were made the scapegoats56 of the great catastrophe57.
When success did come, it came too late, and could not be utilised without a great British Army capable of carrying the war into the enemy's country, and thus compelling a satisfactory peace.
THE END.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
truce
|
|
| n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
weird
|
|
| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
plentiful
|
|
| adj.富裕的，丰富的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
distress
|
|
| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
alleviated
|
|
| 减轻，缓解，缓和( alleviate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
massacre
|
|
| n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
accomplished
|
|
| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
epidemic
|
|
| n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
averted
|
|
| 防止，避免( avert的过去式和过去分词 )； 转移 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
ministry
|
|
| n.(政府的)部；牧师 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
defenders
|
|
| n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
chaotic
|
|
| adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
bloody
|
|
| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
hostilities
|
|
| n.战争；敌意(hostility的复数)；敌对状态；战事 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
ravages
|
|
| 劫掠后的残迹，破坏的结果，毁坏后的残迹 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
shipping
|
|
| n.船运（发货，运输，乘船） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
procurable
|
|
| adj.可得到的，得手的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
vehement
|
|
| adj.感情强烈的；热烈的；(人)有强烈感情的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
frightful
|
|
| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
devastation
|
|
| n.毁坏；荒废；极度震惊或悲伤 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
preyed
|
|
| v.掠食( prey的过去式和过去分词 )；掠食；折磨；（人）靠欺诈为生 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
creed
|
|
| n.信条；信念，纲领 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
doctrine
|
|
| n.教义；主义；学说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
holocausts
|
|
| n.大屠杀( holocaust的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
quailed
|
|
| 害怕，发抖，畏缩( quail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
wholesale
|
|
| n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
laden
|
|
| adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
vessel
|
|
| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
vessels
|
|
| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
fabulous
|
|
| adj.极好的；极为巨大的；寓言中的，传说中的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
withdrawal
|
|
| n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
adversaries
|
|
| n.对手，敌手( adversary的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
molested
|
|
| v.骚扰( molest的过去式和过去分词 )；干扰；调戏；猥亵 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
interfered
|
|
| v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 )；调停；妨碍；干涉 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
expenditure
|
|
| n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出；使用，消耗 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
possessed
|
|
| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
retired
|
|
| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
patriotism
|
|
| n.爱国精神，爱国心，爱国主义 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
derided
|
|
| v.取笑，嘲笑( deride的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
misused
|
|
| v.使用…不当( misuse的过去式和过去分词 )；把…派作不正当的用途；虐待；滥用 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
pander
|
|
| v.迎合；n.拉皮条者，勾引者；帮人做坏事的人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
inordinately
|
|
| adv.无度地，非常地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
extravagant
|
|
| adj.奢侈的；过分的；(言行等)放肆的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
repudiate
|
|
| v.拒绝，拒付，拒绝履行 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
incurred
|
|
| [医]招致的，遭受的； incur的过去式 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
socialist
|
|
| n.社会主义者；adj.社会主义的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
utterly
|
|
| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
disastrous
|
|
| adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
constrained
|
|
| adj.束缚的,节制的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
acceded
|
|
| v.（正式）加入( accede的过去式和过去分词 )；答应；（通过财产的添附而）增加；开始任职 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
resolute
|
|
| adj.坚决的，果敢的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
pecuniary
|
|
| adj.金钱的；金钱上的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
socialists
|
|
| 社会主义者( socialist的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
professed
|
|
| 公开声称的，伪称的，已立誓信教的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
delusive
|
|
| adj.欺骗的，妄想的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
scapegoats
|
|
| n.代人受过的人，替罪羊( scapegoat的名词复数 )v.使成为替罪羊( scapegoat的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
57
catastrophe
|
|
| n.大灾难，大祸 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |