A Remembrance of Fiske Warren,
Enclavial Georgeist

Lancaster M. Greene

[Reprinted from Land and Freedom, May-June 1938]

"What can the Henry George School of Social Science do for the enclaves?" This query in many forms, was the constant thought of Fiske Warren at the 1936 Georgeist Conference in London. I had met Fiske the year before in New York, at the Henry George Congress, where he heard much of the vigorous young institution, but seemed only mildly interested.

This retiring and lovable man sought me, as delegate of the School, before breakfast, for lunch, tea or dinner, to ask questions about this School which had aroused his interest. He finally decided that the HGS was safe for the enclaves, whether or not members should decide to change them to bring them more in line with Georgeist philosophy. Ignorance of Henry George's works on philosophy and the science of political economy, had allowed room for the most remarkable rumors concerning the enclaves. It was said that the low rents and taxes of residents was due to charity on the part of Mr. Warren, or on the other hand, that enclaves are a very subtle money-making scheme.

We became warm friends in the course of two weeks in London, and Fiske invited me to come to Tahanto, the enclave in which he lived and had the most active interest. In the light of the full moon (this is customary meeting time), I met the members of the enclave. At the close of the meeting twenty-seven members enrolled for a HGS course in Fundamental Economics and Social Philosophy. The difficulty of obtaining teachers is now offset by the smooth efficiency of the Correspondence Courses; there will undoubtedly be greater interest than ever since the loss of Mr. Warren's leadership and guidance forces members to try to understand the management of enclaves thoroughly themselves, both as to immediate details and as to background, basis for founding and possibility of expansion and change, to obtain more nearly full benefits from the Georgeist philosophy of freedom.

Their jealous neighbors, whose cost of living is higher than that of dwellers in enclaves, will be asking what is going to happen to enclaves now. It's up to the members to take HGSSS courses for their own information and to offer them to others as a way of explaining their meaning and possibilities. Why is Mr. Rockefeller so generally well liked? It is merely what he does, or is it more the way it is handled by his Ivy Lees? With its low pressure methods of asking and searching with, the Henry George School can do much for the enclaves.