My Life

My Life - Oswald MosleyHow can similar background and initial impulse lead to such different life courses? Iwill attempt a brief analysis of defects in Roosevelt's attitude and method which in myview later led to considerable catastrophe. Roosevelt lacked entirely the ultimaterealism by which alone the durably great can be achieved. To achieve humanhappiness it is not enough to will the end unless the means can be grasped in a clearand ordered sequence of thought and action. Emotion without clarity and vision canend in disaster, and the hot, cloudy impulses of Roosevelt were a catastrophe not onlyto the British Empire but to all Europe, from which neither we nor mankind in generalhave yet recovered. The wrongs of life are not righted simply by turning the worldupside down and putting what is underneath on top; in effect, just replacing the gentletyranny of an old order with the harsher tyranny of communism. American liberalismhad nothing to replace the system which it destroyed, and today we must rebuild onthe ruins which it left. We acknowledge with gratitude that subsequent Americanstatesmanship not only gave Europe in the period of consequent disaster material helpwhich saved it, but also in an act of generosity unique in history willed the creation ofEurope as another great power. It is European division, jealousy and pusillanimitywhich has hitherto impeded European union, not American inhibition. OtherAmericans have done much to remedy the ruin which Roosevelt, by inadequacy ratherthan malice, bequeathed to our continent. We will return both to his charmingpersonality and to his mistaken policy.Our arrival in New York was typical of America's warm-hearted welcome, eventhough we were already members of the Labour Party with its socialist policies. Wewere swept off to dine the first evening with Mrs. William Randolph Hearst, whom Ihad met previously at the parties she used to give in Paris. She had a large apartmentin New York, while her husband, the newspaper proprietor and publicist, pursuedother interests at his vast domain in California. The dinner we were told was a littleimprovised affair to welcome us; it turned out to be for eighty people in a largebaronial banqueting hall characteristic of Hearst reproductions of European periodpieces. All went well at the dinner, but embarrassment came directly afterwards. Alarge cinema screen descended on one of the lofty walls, and to our considerabledisquiet it showed giant figures of ourselves; I had given interviews before thecameras on the liner, and at the same time pictures were taken for the silent films ofthose days. It was the first time that I had ever seen myself on the screen, and Iexperienced the same shock that most people do. It was a heavy punch to sustainimmediately after the mellow ending of such a dinner.The evening finished in much gaiety, and was followed by a shower of kindlyinvitations. Then, as always, I liked Americans. There are some, of course, who arerepulsive, but so are some Englishmen and other specimens of all our Europeanpeople, as we have all felt when we have seen and heard a loud-mouthed fellowcountryman—whohas probably just made a packet of money in some dubiousenterprise—throwing his weight around in a French or Italian restaurant to theembarrassment of his compatriots and the detriment of his country. The longer I livethe more I feel it is absurd to generalise about the European people, among whom theAmericans must be included in friendship though not in political system. In eachcountry there are people we love and others for whom we have a very differentsentiment, just as in a family we prefer some to others. Among these close relationsdivision is not of the soil but of the spirit.165 of 424