and the Pole: no invasion of enemy territory is ever
undertaken. This explains the fact that in some places the frontiers
between the superstates are arbitrary. Eurasia, for example, could easily
conquer the British Isles, which are geographically part of Europe, or on
the other hand it would be possible for Oceania to push its frontiers to
the Rhine or even to the Vistula. But this would violate the principle,
followed on all sides though never formulated, of cultural integrity. If
Oceania were to conquer the areas that used once to be known as France and
Germany, it would be necessary either to exterminate the inhabitants, a
task of great physical difficulty, or to assimilate a population of about a
hundred million people, who, so far as technical development goes, are
roughly on the Oceanic level. The problem is the same for all three super-
states. It is absolutely necessary to their structure that there should be
no contact with foreigners, except, to a limited extent, with war prisoners
and coloured slaves. Even the official ally of the moment is always
regarded with the darkest suspicion. War prisoners apart, the average
citizen of Oceania never sets eyes on a citizen of either Eurasia or
Eastasia, and he is forbidden the knowledge of