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11.
Mrs Betty Han had not been mistaken, either in her calculations, based on her experience of the human mind, or in her predictions of the results. Due to her skilful organisation, using rather artificial methods which were actually condemned by a small opposing group, the festival on the first of August achieved its purpose, which was to touch the very nerves of humanity. The emotion thus aroused was effective and lasting. People were suddenly possessed by a strange fervour for the Earth’s development, now that it was their only country, and their enthusiastic efforts enabled Fawell’s programme to progress at a rapid pace. It is also true that the members of the government, chosen according to their scientific merits, also revealed themselves to be as skilful in the art of organising things on the surface of the world as they had been expert in penetrating its deeper layers, as realistic in their decisions and in their actions as in their speculations, contrary to the predictions made at the beginning by the anxious opposition. Vice-president Yranne, in particular, revealed remarkable qualities in undertaking his new duties. This was for the most part thanks to his brilliant intelligence, which was able to isolate instinctively what was essential in a problem from the mass of weighty details which smothered it, so that getting the world into practical order was more or less accomplished within the period intended, that is to say three years.
In fact, after three years, when it presented its report before the assembly of the Nobels, the government could pride itself on the following accomplishments:
The idea of being a citizen of the world had been planted in everyone’s minds. The harmful fantasies of nationalism had been dispelled.
There was no question of there being any more war. The only armed force was the police which was under the control of the government. It was only used, and then with discernment, to maintain public order. Its use became increasingly rare.
The world population was stabilised at a density which allowed for the rational use of resources, without waste or shortage.
Concerning famine, it can be said that pure hunger had become a thing of the past. As Fawell had foreseen, the abundance of surplus goods in certain regions and the large number of usable forms of transport had provided solutions to emergency problems within a few weeks. His programme for cultivation had brought about a definitive solution to all problems of this kind. The Sahara was now partly irrigated and fertile, as were some deserts in Asia.
Everyone was reasonably well housed, in conditions of perfect hygiene and with all the comforts they could desire.
Economic crises had become impossible, as production, business and commerce were in the hands of a central organisation, which maintained a balanced state of affairs everywhere, taking into account everybody’s interests.
Finally, what was probably the most important result, and essential for the eventual success of the operation, the total amount of work required of humanity had been reduced by a considerable proportion, thanks to centralisation and the coherent organisation of industry and agriculture, and also thanks to increased scientific and technical aid, which revealed itself in the use of machines to carry out all menial chores. The average daily working period was two hours, which was sufficient to guarantee everyone an easy life. And the trend was for it to become even less.
Having thereby settled these material problems, and after having been congratulated by the Nobels, Fawell judged that it was time to devote himself to the second part of his programme, the spiritual realm, a task which had not yet been tackled seriously. A preliminary stage would have to be what Wells called the ‘sublimation of interest’, the first levels of ascension, while waiting for the glorious flight towards the noosphere of Father Teilhard.
Being a realist, not trying to conceal the difficulties on the path he had chosen for humanity, and having decided to conquer them at a reasonable pace, Fawell called this stage the scientific realisation of the world. For he thought more than ever that it was necessary for the whole world to collaborate to achieve the final goal, which was for science to fathom all the mysteries of the universe. More than ever he wanted to avoid the dangerous pitfall, pointed out sarcastically by the science-fiction writers of former times: the division of humanity into two classes, scholars and the others, the latter condemned to rough practical work, and the former enclosed in an ivory tower too cramped to allow a full development of the mind.
His first concern was to create a central organisation, designed to guarantee education for all, another enterprise that had never been attempted, except in a restricted and horribly imperfect way, and always favouring a very small elite to the detriment of the masses.
The government, which was unanimously behind its head on matters of general principle, was invited to discuss what to call this organisation. The majority of the ministers suggested calling it the World Ministry of Education. And this title was about to be adopted when Mrs Betty Han asked to speak.
‘It would be cleverer,’ she said, ‘to call it the World Ministry of Leisure Activities. We want to educate humanity, but we should do it tactfully. Admittedly we have liberated it from slavery, and it is aware of this progress and appreciates it. And admittedly it ought to devote part of its precious time snatched from practical work in this way to the study of science. But should we give it the impression that our sole aim, in winning for it some hours of freedom, was to direct it towards other forms of work? Education must be made to look attractive.’
‘But it is our goal,’ Zarratoff protested, ‘to devote these leisure hours to Science.’
Yranne was of the same opinion, but Fawell supported Betty, whose advice in the subtle field of psychology he always appreciated.
‘I think she is right,’ he said. The world must first become aware of its freedom. It must approach Science gradually with a sense of freedom. I vote for “World Ministry of Leisure Activities”.’
When the others finally approved of this title, the World Ministry of Leisure Activities was created, and it was decided to divide it simply into two departments: Education and Games. And it was Betty again who proposed the latter title and brought about its acceptance, in opposition to the wishes of Yranne and above all Zarratoff, who had felt physically tortured by the term ‘games’ since he had unwisely watched some televised entertainments one evening. Both he and Yranne maintained that a scientific government which was worthy of the name should, on the contrary, set about progressively suppressing such infantile amusements for which humanity had only too many natural weaknesses.
‘Games,’ replied Betty, ‘are indispensable. The ludic instinct is still very much alive in the world, as you yourselves realise, so that we cannot neglect it and must provide it with some forms of satisfaction. Don’t you play chess?’
The astronomer shrugged his shoulders and grumbled that no comparison could be made between the arduous combinations in chess, which activated the highest intellectual faculties, and the trivial activities involved in ordinary entertainments. But here again Fawell supported Betty and the government went along with this opinion.
Thus the two departments of the Ministry of Leisure Activities were created. Huge resources were allocated at once to Education, in proportion to its mission, which was not very broad in scope. As for Games, which was in any case considered secondary by all the scholars, it was only granted limited personnel and few funds. Concerning this last point Mrs Betty Han had different ideas, which she wanted to outline to the assembly. But her warnings were not recognised on this occasion. She was not annoyed, but declared simply that one day they would probably regret not having listened to the advice of a psychologist.
Part Two
1.
That morning Fawell found in his post the report that Zarratoff had sent to him from France. He immediately entrusted all the other letters to a secretary, and, alone in his presidential office, he started to read the document which he had been waiting for impatiently.
It was almost two years since the Ministry of Leisure Activities had undertaken the education of humanity, but the scope of the task was such that this period of time was not sufficient to assess the results.
An immense network of scientific culture embraced the world. Almost everywhere grand institutions had been set up, with amphitheatres which were sufficiently numerous and vast, that, by a skilfully organized rota, entire populations of towns and country areas could be seated in them in the course of one day. And they had libraries containing, in thousands of copies of books, everything that was needed to elevate the mind, from the rudiments of the sciences to the most up-to-date and most complex theories.
These centres were equally endowed with a considerable number of study rooms, micro-films, projection equipment and televisions, which allowed everyone to become familiar with infinite aspects of the universe. In laboratories equipped with the most modern instruments, each student could do their own experiments on atoms, causing them to split, follow the magic whirling of particles through betatrons and cyclotrons, and measure with extremely sensitive pieces of apparatus the periods of several billionths of a second which separate the birth and death of certain mesons.
The material funds required by the education department were truly gigantic. Even with the world’s wealth at their disposal, the government had had to work new wonders of ingenuity and rationalisation to find the necessary re
sources. But the goal was worth the effort and the best brains had been successfully employed in the task.
