Item 204 - Letter from George Macaulay Trevelyan to R. C. Trevelyan

1 item.

2, Cheyne Gardens, S.W. - Bob's letter [14/203] 'moved [him] very much'; is too distressed to answer it properly, and 'the mugwump is not morally in a position to hold his own against either side'. Has 'never admired Charles more', and thinks he and the anti-war side have a 'most useful part to perform', but can currently go no further. Sets out his own position: since Britain in the war, he believes that it is vital to win it, and therefore does not want to say publicly what he feels about the policies which led to it since this would be discouraging; feels quite differently than Charles and Bob about Belgium, being 'thrilled' by the heroism of its people, and appalled by German forward planning and railway building; also cares more for France than Bob does, thinking 'the German nation and culture and soul can survive a beating' but it France has 'another 1870... they will never hold up their heads again', and the fear of German hegemony is enough to overcome even his 'great fear of Russia'; objects to the systems of entente and alliance as much as ever, which have created this 'universal catastrophe... out of a genuine local quarrel'; fully recognises the danger of Russia ending up as the strongest power, but the German threat is a 'more pressing and locally nearer danger', and though the Germans are 'no doubt afraid of the Slavs' the course they have followed to protect themselves - the partition of Poland, the 'land policy in Prussian Poland', and the attack on France through Belgium - is 'to say the least, unfortunate'.

Does not think the British are blameless, but believes that they are 'on the right side' and must win, or the 'world will be far worse than it was before, and even worse than it will be when we have won!'. Agrees with much of what Charles and his friends say and thinks someone should say it, but does not believe it is 'any more the whole truth than the Wells point of view', though Charles, [Edmund] Morel, [Ramsay] Macdonald and Norman Angell are each 'worth 20 of Wells'. May be going out to Greece and the Balkans with Noel Buxton and Basil Williams next week, as Britain is trying to 'reconstitute the Xtian Balkan League', though in some sense he feels 'it hardly matters what one does or thinks in this doomsday'. Asks Bob, however much he disagrees with George, to believe he is 'absolutely heartbroken and think it far the greatest catastrophe in human history', and that his feeling about 'the Sartor passage' ["in Carlyle's "Sartor Resartus" against war] is 'even stronger than it was; however, unsure whether the world can truly 'adopt complete pacifism and survive' when there are 'devils' like the Russian and German militarists in power. Greatly admires Bob's letter and respects his views, and 'despise[s]' his own, but 'can't help it'.