XI. THE STUDY AND PROPAGANDA OF DEMOCRACY




IN THE FOURTH YEAR

THE LEAGUE OF FREE NATIONS




I

THE WAY TO CONCRETE REALIZATION


More and more frequently does one hear this phrase, The League of
Nations, used to express the outline idea of the new world that will
come out of the war. There can be no doubt that the phrase has taken
hold of the imaginations of great multitudes of people: it is one of
those creative phrases that may alter the whole destiny of mankind. But
as yet it is still a very vague phrase, a cloudy promise of peace. I
make no apology therefore, for casting my discussion of it in the most
general terms. The idea is the idea of united human effort to put an end
to wars; the first practical question, that must precede all others, is
how far can we hope to get to a concrete realization of that?

But first let me note the fourth word in the second title of this book.
The common talk is of a "League of Nations" merely. I follow the man who