iters. But with that practical enthusiasm which
always characterizes agrarian uprisings (witness the passionate toil of
1792) they would throw themselves into the task of cultivating the land,
which, freed from taxes and mortgages, would become so much dearer to
them.

As to other countries, revolution would break out everywhere, but
revolution under divers aspects; in one country State Socialism, in
another Federation; everywhere more or less Socialism, not conforming to
any particular rule.

VI

Let us now return to our city in revolt, and consider how its citizens
can provide foodstuffs for themselves. How are the necessary provisions
to be obtained if the nation as a whole has not accepted Communism? This
is the question to be solved. Take, for example, one of the large French
towns--take the capital itself, for that matter. Paris consumes every
year thousands of tons of grain, 400,000 head of oxen, 300,000 calves,
400,000 swine, and more than two millions of sheep, besides great
quantities of game. This huge city devours, besides, more than 20
million pounds of butter, 200 million eggs, and other produce in like
proportion.

It imports flour and grain from the United States and from Russia,
Hungary, Italy, Egypt, and the Indies; live stock from Germany, Italy,
Spain--even Roumania and Russia; and as for groceries, there is not a
country in the world that it does not lay under contribution.

Now, let us see how Paris or any other great town could be revictualled
by home-grown produce, supplies of which could be readily and willingly
sent in from the provinces.

To those who put their trust in "authority" the question will appear
quite simple. They would begin by establishing a strongly centralized
Government, furnished with all the machinery of coercion--the police,
the army, the guillotine. This Government would draw up a statement of
all the produce contained in France. It would divide the country into
districts of supply, and then _command_ that a prescribed quantity of
some particular foodstuff be sent to such a place on such a day, and
delivered at such a station, to be there received on a given day by a
specified official and stored in particular warehouses.

Now, we declare with the fullest conviction, not merely that such a
solution is undesirable, but that it never could by any possibility be
put into practice. It is wildly Utopian!

Pen in hand, one may dream such a dream in the study, but in c