had
been moving too quickly during the last ten years, which saw wireless,
flying, radium, and other marvellous stunts--in fact, the world had
rushed ahead so swiftly that it had to pull up to take breath. This war
is giving the earth breathing space, but it's going to take thirty years
to clear up the mess, wipe the stains away and patch mankind up
physically and mentally."

But time proved that Nap, like all the other gloomy prophets of bad
times, was wrong. The war speeded up things. Men, flushed with the
activity of the battlefield, came back quick-witted. Country louts and
city boys, who had been taken in hand and trained to physical perfection
for the battlefield, came back in twelve months--men.

There was prosperity everywhere. All Western Europe, with the exception
of Belgium had declared for Socialism. The Humanist (Socialist) trend of
things made high wages for the workers everywhere. But the capitalists
were being hit hard. Their factory profits were dwindling away under
Humanist rule, and as each one went under, the Government would take
over his business. Great estates were taxed and super-taxed, till the
owners had to relinquish them.

The Socialistic ideal of "all sharing the wealth of the wealthy" was
rapidly approaching, but bringing with it a social cataclysm.

There was no doubt of that. It was being hastened by the lessened output
of the workers. The ca-canny system ruled everywhere. With good pay for
little work there was no incentive to excel, and from "little work" to
"no work" was an easy step for many, as under the Humanist rule the
unemployed were also paid.

The people were rapidly losing self-respect. With their false idea of
equality, discipline was difficult to maintain, and lawlessness was
rife.

People were so sick of war that in most of the nations disarmament was
an easy matter. Even the German Navy, that was passed over to the Allied
nations at the termination of the war rapidly deteriorated from lack of
discipline and reduced votes for upkeep.

War was looked upon as a waste of blood and a waste of heroism, so the
manufacture of arms was declared to be illegal.

Invention practically ceased.

There was no incentive to invest, as the Humanists had gradually taxed
the capitalist out of existence; and it is interesting to note how time
proved that the capitalist was essential to inventive progress.

The State desired to improve the flying machine, as flying was still
confin