Evening star., 1939-01-09
BY III. G. WELLS.
CHAPTER xxx,
Tentacles MuItiDly

BY H. G. WELLS.
CHAPTER xxx.
Tentacles Multiply.
Rud's ramifying group was eX-
tending its tentacles to associate it.
self with types of revolutionary ac-
tivity that were either novel or had
hitherto played a special disconnect-
ed role in human affairs. One of
Bodlsham's leading subdivisions
within the great circle was the con-
ception Of cosmopolitan pronun-
ciamento. That would not be the
revolution, but 1t would be an i'm
portant factor in it. There is no
revolution while armed forces re-
main loyal. Both he and Rud we're
alive to the truth that few months
drill and uniform do not make a
mechanism of the common man, and
now less than ever since warfare
had been elaborated and diversified
by an incessantly varying equipment.
Rulers make wars, but soldiers,
sailors. airmen and a complex of
technicians carry them on and end
in control.
The universal human question,
why should do this for that fell
low when might do it for myself?"
was more alive than ever in the
ranks of the armed and enrolled
specialists throughout the world.
Now a new fighting type, the air
man, was appearing in the world,
men necessarily OF wide geographic
cal range, and all of them living un-
der practically identical conditions.
What could prevent their discover
ing that they had ideas in common,
ideas that were totally different
from the military traditions of the
sovereign states that were so blandly
assuming control of them.
Two Contrasted Organizers.
They found two vividly contrasted
organizers for the common sense
propaganda among the military
forces OF the state, in Reedly, a dis
gruntled military genius and ex-
pert, with gathering animus
against all constituted authority.
based on some personal grievance of
his own against what he called the
privileged set," and Bellacourt,
brilliant and quite disinterested
aeronautical engineer, who had
served on the government side in
the Spanish Civil War and acquired
an intense hatred of any kind of
bombing. Both had great energy and
organizing ability, and neither was
IN complete harmony with the Rud-
Bod1sham- Chtffan-Steenhold gospel.
But they co-operated on parallel
independent" lines. Bellacourt was
q slight, very fair, taciturn, SLOW
thinking man, but Reedly was
line big figure Of soldier built for
uniform and with a big Kitchener
mustache. He was conscious of his
abilities and impatient of what he
thought to be inferior opinions.
This disposition, rather than any
particular act, had hampered his
promotion. He came into the group
now as If he was leading in an army.
He came in with the almost naked
purpose of showing the authorities
what mistake they had made about
MN. He meant to use the group.
Rud knew he was taking risk with
him. 1t was to be remarked after
ward that Rud rarely INTERRUPTED
Reedly while he was talking, and
that he watched his man even when
he was taking no part in the dis
cussion.
Bellacourt. Rue realized earlv.
was a man of one idea. He wanted
to take the air right out of national
jurisdiction altogether, and to make
1t sort of separate world of trans
port by itself. He was clear that
this new mode of locomotion was
quite outside the current scheme of
human life, but from that point his
Ideas were in sort of luminous fog.
Bellacourt was good airman and
an inventive mechanician, he had
fought and he had tried to carry out
scheme Of air photography for the
government side in the Spanish
War, based on Crawford's work, but
conditions had not been favorable
TO that. Before and after that ex-
perience he had played consider
able part, both as an experimentalist
and as q financier in the develop
ment OF civil air transport. He was
q man who did things rather than
thought, and his political and social
ideas had remained at an almost
puerile level for years. You just
have to have an International Air
Control" and that was as far as he
had got. He really believed that
existing governments might agree to
abandon air war.
New Power and Energy.
Then something happened, some
sort of aff1atuS, and his mind took
on a new power and energy. Per-
haps in some pause in his activities,
he had read book or listened to
some one, but at any rate he dis
covered quite abruptly that the
problem he thought a simple one,
was complicated in a great number
OF ways he had disregarded, and
particularly was it complicated by
the fact that nobody with any power
to carry out his suggestions showed
the slightest disposition to do so.
Once his mind was stirred he could
be man of great practical determi-
nation. He came round to head
quarters.
Il want World Control of Avia-
ton. Apparently that is impossible
without revolution and world
state. gather your movement is
out for that. Tell me about it"
That was his simple introduction of
himself to Rud and Bodisham.
Rud sat back observant and let
Bodisham explain.
The only way to make the avia-
ton of the world a common world
interest, Bodisham explained, was
to make every aviator in the air
services you could possibly convert,
q believer in a Common World Law
and an opponent of nationalism
Bellacourt found this hard saying,