was "still half a drawing-room society,"
lodged in "an underground apartment," or "cellar," with one secretary
and one assistant. "The first of the faults of the Fabian, then, is that
it is small, and the second that strikes me is that, even for its
smallness, it is needlessly poor." The task undertaken by the Fabians
"is nothing less than the alteration of the economic basis of society.
Measure with your eye this little meeting, this little hall: look at
that little stall of not very powerful tracts: think of the scattered
members, one here, one there.... Then go out into the Strand. Note the
size of the buildings and business places, note the glare of the
advertisements, note the abundance of traffic and the multitude of
people.... That is the world whose very foundations you are attempting
to change. How does this little dribble of activities look then?"

The paper goes on to complain that the Society did not advertise itself,
made the election of new members difficult, and maintained a Basis
"ill-written and old-fashioned, harsh and bad in tone, assertive and
unwise." The self-effacive habits and insidious methods of the Society
were next criticised, and the writer exclaimed, "Make Socialists and you
will achieve Socialism; there is no other plan." The history of the
Fabian motto was made use of to enforce the view that victory can only
be gained by straight fighters like Scipio, whilst Fabius, however
successful at first, ended his career as a stumbling-block to progress.
To effect the desired expansion the writer proposed to raise an income
of L1000 a year, to increase the staff, to prepare literature for the
conversion of unbelievers, and to get a number of young men and women,
some paid and some unpaid, to carry on the propaganda and the
administrative work. "Unless I am the most unsubstantial of dreamers,
such a propaganda as I am now putting before you ought to carry our
numbers up towards ten thousand within a year or so of its
commencement."

At the close of the meeting it was unanimously agreed "that the
Executive Committee be instructed to appoint a Committee consisting of
members and non-members of the Executive to consider what measures
should be taken to increase the scope, influence, income, and activity
of the Society." Further, a temporary amendment was made to the rules
deferring the Annual Meeting and Executive election until after the
Committee had reported.

"The Executive Committee," says "F