(November 6, 1974)





　　[Eric Williams (1911–1981) was a renowned historian from the Caribbean region. He served as Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Trinidad and Tobago, as well as a member of the United Nations University Committee. In 1956, he founded the People’s National Movement of Trinidad and Tobago and was appointed Chief Minister of the country in the same year. Under his leadership, Trinidad and Tobago gained independence in 1962, and he continued to serve as Prime Minister until his death in 1981.]






　　Chairman: Oh! History is indeed a fine discipline.

　　Williams: I agree; I have always felt that way. Throughout my tenure in government, history has consistently been of great assistance to me.

　　Chairman: Take, for example, Columbus’s discovery of the New World. Columbus was Italian. With the Spanish government’s approval, he was dispatched on his voyage. Along the way, he faced tremendous hardships and nearly lost his life. During the journey from Spain to the Caribbean, many members of the crew argued that it was far too dangerous and criticized him severely.

　　Williams: That’s quite true.

　　Chairman: Yet in the end, they emerged victorious—victory. Today, perhaps the most famous Italian is Amerigo.

　　Williams: Indeed, Amerigo Vespucci.

　　Chairman: North America and Latin America are both named after him.

　　Williams: Absolutely correct.

　　Chairman: In ancient times, commerce flourished in Italy. Moreover, newspapers—the very first newspapers—first appeared in Italy.

　　Williams: Yes.

　　Chairman: I studied journalism at Peking University.

　　Williams: That’s excellent.

　　Chairman: My teacher told me about this. Unfortunately, that teacher was later executed by warlords. His name was Shao Piaoping, also known as Shao Zhenqing. Lu Xun was familiar with him. Back then, Beijing was still a city of horse-drawn carriages; automobiles were not yet in use. It was the year 1918—one thousand nine hundred and eighteen.

　　Williams: How long ago that was!

　　Chairman: Indeed! I have witnessed both World War I and World War II. Nowadays, everyone talks incessantly about peace, but I see danger looming. In the immediate post–World War II years, there was little talk of peace or of easing international tensions; now, however, such rhetoric dominates. One does not visit a doctor unless one is ill; only when illness arises should medical attention be sought. For instance, I myself require medical care. The Earth is presently unwell, which is why we speak so much about de-escalation, about reducing international tensions, and about peace. We are, in effect, trying to “treat” the planet. Personally, I remain rather skeptical. There seem to be an extraordinary number of international conferences and meetings; the U.S. Secretary of State, for example, is constantly traveling here and there (Williams nods and smiles)—quite peculiar, really! At dusk, swallows become particularly active, flying low—this usually signals that rain is imminent!



Thanks to Ayana Sakura for collecting, entering, and proofreading.