,,an ,,essay ,,on ,,the ,,american ,,contribution ,,and ,,the ,,democratic ,,idea ,by ,winston ,churchill ,i4 ,failure to recognize that the ,american1 is at heart an idealist is to lack understanding of our national character4 ,two of our greatest interpreters proclaimed it1 ,emerson and ,william ,james4 ,in a recent address at the ,paris ,sorbonne on 8,american ,idealism10 ,m4 ,firmin ,roz observed that a people is rarely justly estimated by its contemporaries4 ,the ,french1 he says1 have been celebrated chiefly for the skill of their chefs and their vaudeville actors1 while in the disturbed #8speculum mundi' ,americans have appeared as a collection of money grabbers whose philosophy is the dollar4 ,it remained for the war to reveal the true nature of both peoples4 ,the ,american colonists1 ,m4 ,roz continues1 unlike other colonists1 were animated not by material motives1 but by the desire to safeguard and realize an ideal2 our inherent characteristic today is a belief in the virtue and power of ideas1 of a national1 indeed1 of a universal1 mission4 ,in the ,eighteenth ,century we proposed a ,philosophy and adopted a ,constitution far in advance of the political practice of the day1 and set up a government of which ,europe predicted the early downfall4 ,nevertheless1 thanks partly to good fortune1 and to the farseeing wisdom of our early statesmen who perceived that the success of our experiment depended upon the maintenance of an isolation from ,european affairs1 we established democracy as a practical form of government4 ,we have not always lived up to our beliefs in ideas4 ,in our dealings with other nations1 we yielded often to imperialistic ambitions and thus1 to a certain extent1 justified the cynicism of ,europe4 ,we took what we wanted--and more4 ,from ,spain we seized western ,florida2 the annexation of ,texas and the subsequent war with ,mexico are acts upon which we cannot look back with unmixed democratic pride2 while more than once we professed a naive willingness to fight ,england in order to push our boundaries further north4 ,we regarded the ,monroe ,doctrine as altruistic1 while others smiled4 ,but it suited ,england1 and her sea power gave it force4 ,our war with ,spain in #ahih1 however1 was fought for an idea1 and1 despite the imperialistic impulse that followed it1 marks a transition1 an advance1 in international ethics4 ,imperialistic cynics were not lacking to scoff at our protestation that we were fighting ,spain in order to liberate ,cuba2 and yet this1 for the ,american people at large1 was undoubtedly the inspiration of the war4 ,we kept our promise1 we did not annex ,cuba1 we introduced into international affairs what is known as the ,big ,brother idea4 ,then came the ,platt ,amendment4 ,cuba was free1 but she must not wallow near our shores in an unhygienic state1 or borrow money without our consent4 ,we acquired valuable naval bases4 ,moreover1 the sudden and unexpected acquisition of ,porto ,rico and the ,philippines made us imperialists in spite of ourselves4 ,nations as well as individuals1 however1 must be judged by their intentions4 ,the sound public opinion of our people has undoubtedly remained in favour of ultimate self-government for the ,philippines1 and the greatest measure of self-determination for little ,porto ,rico2 it has been unquestionably opposed to commercial exploitation of the islands1 desirous of yielding to these peoples the fruits of their labour in developing the resources of their own lands4 ,an intention1 by the way1 diametrically different from that of ,germany4 ,in regard to our protectorate in the island of ,san ,domingo1 our 8semi-protectorate0 in ,nicaragua1 the same argument of intention may fairly be urged4 ,germany1 who desired them1 would have exploited them4 ,to a certain extent1 no doubt1 as a result of the momentum of commercial imperialism1 we are still exploiting them4 ,but the attitude of the majority of ,americans toward more backward peoples is not cynical2 hence there is hope that a democratic solution of the ,caribbean and ,central ,american problem may be found4 ,and we are not ready1 as yet1 to accept without further experiment the dogma that tropical and sub-tropical people will not ultimately be able to govern themselves4 ,if this eventually1 prove to be the case at least some such experiment as the new ,british ,labour ,party has proposed for the ,empire may be tried4 ,our general theory that the exploitation of foreign peoples reacts unfavourably on the exploiters is undoubtedly sound4 ,nor are the ethics of the manner of our acquisition of a part of ,panama and the ,canal wholly defensible from the point of view of international democracy4 ,yet it must be remembered that ,president ,roosevelt was dealing with a corrupt1 irresponsible1 and hostile government1 and that the ,canal had become a necessity not only for our own development1 but for that of the civilization of the world4 ,the ,spanish ,war1 as has been said1 marked a transition1 a development of the ,american ,idea4 ,in obedience to a growing perception that dominion and exploitation are incompatible with and detrimental to our system of government1 we fought in good faith to gain self-determination for an alien people4 ,the only real peril confronting democracy is the arrest of growth4 ,its true conquests are in the realms of ideas1 and hence it calls for a statesmanship which1 while not breaking with the past1 while taking into account the inherent nature of a people1 is able to deal creatively with new situations--always under the guidance of current social science4 ,woodrow ,wilson's ,mexican policy1 being a projection of the ,american ,idea to foreign affairs1 a step toward international democracy1 marks the beginning of a new era4 ,though not wholly understood1 though opposed by a powerful minority of our citizens1 it stirred the consciousness of a national mission to which our people are invariably ready to respond4 ,since it was essentially experimental1 and therefore not lacking in mistakes1 there was ample opportunity for a criticism that seemed at times extremely plausible4 ,the old and tried method of dealing with such anarchy as existed across our southern border was made to seem the safe one2 while the new1 because it was untried1 was presented as disastrous4 ,in reality1 the reverse was the case4 ,mr4 ,wilson's opponents were1 generally speaking1 the commercial classes in the community1 whose environment and training led them to demand a foreign policy similar to that of other great powers1 a financial imperialism which is the logical counterpart in foreign affairs of the commercial exploitation of domestic national resources and domestic labour4 ,these were the classes which combated the growth of democracy at home1 in national and state politics4 ,from their point of view--not that of the larger vision--they were consistent4 ,on the other hand1 the nation grasped the fact that to have one brand of democracy at home and another for dealing with foreign nations was not only illogical but1 in the long run1 would be suicidal to the ,republic4 ,and the people at large were committed to democratic progress at home4 ,they were struggling for it4 ,one of the most important issues of the ,american liberal movement early in this century had been that for the conservation of what remains of our natural resources of coal and metals and oil and timber and waterpower for the benefit of all the people1 on the theory that these are the property of the people4 ,but if the natural resources of this country belong to the people of the ,united ,states1 those of ,mexico belong to the people of ,mexico4 ,it makes no difference how 8lazy10 ignorant1 and indifferent to their own interests the ,mexicans at present may be4 ,and even more important in these liberal campaigns was the issue of the conservation of human resources--men and women and children who are forced by necessity to labour4 ,these must be protected in health1 given economic freedom and a just reward for their toil4 ,the ,american democracy1 committed to the principle of the conservation of domestic natural and human resources1 could not without detriment to itself persist in a foreign policy that ignored them4 ,for many years our own government had permitted the squandering of these resources by adventurous capitalists2 and gradually1 as we became a rich industrial nation1 these capitalists sought profitable investments for their increasing surplus in foreign lands4 ,their manner of acquiring 8concessions0 in ,mexico was quite similar to that by which they had seized because of the indifference and ignorance of our own people--our own mines and timber lands which our government held in trust4 ,sometimes these ,american 8concessions0 have been valid in law though the law itself violated a democratic principle2 more often corrupt officials winked at violations of the law1 enabling capitalists to absorb bogus claims4 ,the various rulers of ,mexico sold to ,american and other foreign capitalists the resources belonging to the people of their country1 and pocketed1 with their followers1 the proceeds of the sale4 ,their control of the country rested upon force2 the stability of the ,diaz rule1 for instance1 depended upon the 8,president's0 ability to maintain his dictatorship--a precarious guarantee to the titles he had given4 ,hence the premium on revolutions4 ,there was always the incentive to the upstart political and military buccaneer to overthrow the dictator and gain possession of the spoils1 to sell new doubtful concessions and levy new tribute on the capitalists holding claims from a former tyrant4 ,the foreign capitalists appealed to their governments2 commercial imperialism responded by dispatching military forces to protect the lives and 8property0 of its citizens1 in some instances going so far as to take possession of the country4 ,a classic case1 as cited by ,hobson1 is ,britain's ,south ,african ,war1 in which the blood and treasure of the people of the ,united ,kingdom were expended because ,british capitalists had found the ,boers recalcitrant1 bent on retaining their own country for themselves4 ,to be sure1 ,south ,africa1 like ,mexico is rich in resources for which advancing civilization continually makes demands4 ,and1 in the case of ,mexico1 the products of the tropics1 such as rubber1 are increasingly necessary to the industrial powers of the temperate zone4 ,on the other hand1 if the exploiting nation aspire to self-government1 the imperialistic method of obtaining these products by the selfish exploitation of the natural and human resources of the backward countries reacts so powerfully on the growth of democracy at home--and hence on the growth of democracy throughout the world--as to threaten the very future of civilization4 ,the ,british ,liberals1 when they came into power1 perceived this1 and at once did their best to make amends to ,south ,africa by granting her autonomy and virtual independence1 linking her to ,britain by the silken thread of ,anglo-,saxon democratic culture4 ,how strong this thread has proved is shown by the action of those of ,dutch blood in the ,dominion during the present war4 ,eventually1 if democracy is not to perish from the face of the earth1 some other than the crude imperialistic method of dealing with backward peoples1 of obtaining for civilization the needed resources of their lands1 must be inaugurated--a democratic method4 ,and this is perhaps the supreme problem of democracy today4 ,it demands for its solution a complete reversal of the established policy of imperialism1 a new theory of international relationships1 a mutual helpfulness and partnership between nations1 even as democracy implies cooperation between individual citizens4 ,therefore ,president ,wilson laid down the doctrine that ,american citizens enter ,mexico at their own risk2 that they must not expect that ,american blood will be shed or the nation's money be expended to protect their lives or the 8property0 they have acquired from ,mexican dictators4 ,this applies also to the small capitalists1 the owners of the coffee plantations1 as well as to those ,americans in ,mexico who are not capitalists but wage earners4 ,the people of ,mexico are entitled to try the experiment of self-determination4 ,it is an experiment1 we frankly acknowledge that fact1 a democratic experiment dependent on physical science1 social science1 and scientific education4 ,the other horn of the dilemma1 our persistence in imperialism1 is even worse--since by such persistence we destroy ourselves4 ,a subjective judgment1 in accordance with our own democratic standards1 by the ,american ,government as to the methods employed by a ,huerta1 for instance1 is indeed demanded2 not on the ground1 however1 that such methods are 8good0 or 8bad02 but whether they are detrimental to ,mexican self-determination1 and hence to the progress of our own democracy4 ,,ii4 ,if ,america had started to prepare when ,belgium was invaded1 had entered the war when the ,lusitania was sunk1 ,germany might by now have been defeated1 hundreds of thousands of lives might have been spared4 ,all this may be admitted4 ,yet1 looking backward1 it is easy to read the reason for our hesitancy in our national character and traditions4 ,we were pacifists1 yes1 but pacifists of a peculiar kind4 ,one of our greatest ,american prophets1 ,william ,james1 knew that there was an issue for which we were ready to fight1 for which we were willing to make the extreme sacrifice1--and that issue he defined as 8war against war40 ,it remained for ,america to make the issue4 ,peoples do not rush to arms unless their national existence is threatened4 ,it is what may be called the environmental cause that drives nations quickly into war4 ,it drove the ,entente nations into war1 though incidentally they were struggling for certain democratic institutions1 for international justice4 ,but in the case of ,america1 the environmental cause was absent4 ,whether or not our national existence was or is actually threatened1 the average ,american does not believe that it is4 ,he was called upon to abandon his tradition1 to mingle in a ,european conflict1 to fight for an idea alone4 ,ideas require time to develop1 to seize the imagination of masses4 ,and it must be remembered that in #aiad the great issue had not been defined4 ,curiously enough1 now that it is defined1 it proves to be an ,american issue--a logical and positive projection of our ,washingtonian tradition and ,monroe doctrine4 ,these had for their object the preservation and development of democracy1 the banishment from the ,western ,hemisphere of ,european imperialistic conflict and war4 ,we are now1 with the help of our allies1 striving to banish these things from the face of the earth4 ,it is undoubtedly the greatest idea for which man has been summoned to make the supreme sacrifice4 ,its evolution has been traced4 ,democracy was the issue in the ,spanish ,war1 when we fought a weak nation4 ,we have followed its broader application to ,mexico1 when we were willing to ignore the taunts and insults of another weak nation1 even the loss of 8prestige10 for the sake of the larger good4 ,and we have now the clue to the ,president's interpretation of the nation's mind during the first three years of the present war4 ,we were willing to bear the taunts and insults of ,germany so long as it appeared that a future world peace night best be brought about by the preservation of neutrality1 by turning the weight of the impartial public opinion of our democracy and that of other neutrals against militarism and imperialism4 ,our national aim was ever consistent with the ideal of ,william ,james1 to advance democracy and put an end to the evil of war4 ,the only sufficient reason for the abandonment of the ,washingtonian policy is the furtherance of the object for which it was inaugurated1 the advance of democracy4 ,and we had established the precedent1 with ,spain and ,mexico1 that the ,republic shall engage in no war of imperialistic conquest4 ,we war only in behalf of1 or in defence of1 democracy4 ,before the entrance of ,america1 however1 the issues of the ,european ,war were by no means clear cut along democratic lines4 ,what kind of democracy were the allies fighting for8 ,nowhere and at no time had it been defined by any of their statesmen4 ,on the contrary1 the various allied governments had entered into compacts for the transference of territory in the event of victory2 and had even1 by the offer of rewards1 sought to play one small nation against another4 ,this secret diplomacy of bargains1 of course1 was a ,european heritage1 the result of an imperialistic environment which the ,american did not understand1 and from which he was happily free4 ,its effect on ,france is peculiarly enlightening4 ,the hostility of ,european governments1 due to their fear of her republican institutions1 retarded her democratic growth1 and her history during the reign of ,napoleon ,,iii is one of intrigue for aggrandizement differing from ,bismarck's only in the fact that it was unsuccessful4 ,britain1 because she was separated from the continent and protected by her fleet1 virtually withdrew from ,european affairs in the latter part of the nineteenth century1 and1 as a result1 made great strides in democracy4 ,the aggressions of ,germany forced ,britain in self-defence into coalitions4 ,because of her power and wealth she became the ,entente leader1 yet her liberal government was compelled to enter into secret agreements with certain allied governments in order to satisfy what they deemed to be their needs and just ambitions4 ,she had honestly sought1 before the war1 to come to terms with ,germany1 and had even proposed gradual disarmament4 ,but1 despite the best intentions1 circumstances and environment1 as well as the precarious situation of her empire1 prevented her from liberalizing her foreign relations to conform with the growth of democracy within the ,united ,kingdom and the ,dominions4 ,americans felt a profound pity for ,belgium4 ,but she was not1 as ,cuba had been1 our affair4 ,the great majority of our citizens sympathized with the ,entente1 regarded with amazement and disgust the sudden disclosure of the true character of the ,german militaristic government4 ,yet for the average ,american the war wore the complexion of other ,european conflicts1 was one involving a ,balance of ,power1 mysterious and inexplicable4 ,to him the underlying issue was not democratic1 but imperialistic2 and this was partly because he was unable to make a mental connection between a ,european war and the brand of democracy he recognized4 ,preaching and propaganda fail unless it can be brought home to a people that something dear to their innermost nature is at stake1 that the fate of the thing they most desire1 and are willing to make sacrifices for1 hangs in the balance4 ,during a decade the old political parties1 between which there was now little more than an artificial alignment1 had been breaking up4 ,americans were absorbed in the great liberal movement begun under the leadership of ,president ,roosevelt1 the result of which was to transform democracy from a static to a pragmatic and evolutionary conception1--in order to meet and correct new and unforeseen evils4 ,political freedom was seen to be of little worth unless also accompanied by the economic freedom the nation had enjoyed before the advent of industrialism4 ,clerks and farmers1 professional men and shopkeepers and artisans were ready to follow the liberal leaders in states and nation2 intellectual elements from colleges and universities were enlisted4 ,paralleling the movement1 at times mingling with it1 was the revolt of labour1 manifested not only in political action1 but in strikes and violence4 ,readily accessible books and magazines together with club and forum lectures in cities1 towns1 and villages were rapidly educating the population in social science1 and the result was a growing independent vote to make politicians despair4 ,here was an instance of a democratic culture growing in isolation1 resentful of all external interference4 ,to millions of ,americans--especially in our middle western and western states--bent upon social reforms1 the ,european ,war appeared as an arresting influence4 ,american participation meant the triumph of the forces of reaction4 ,colour was lent to this belief because the conservative element which had opposed social reforms was loudest in its demand for intervention4 ,the wealthy and travelled classes organized preparedness parades and distributed propaganda4 ,in short1 those who had apparently done their utmost to oppose democracy at home were most insistent that we should embark upon a war for democracy across the seas4 ,again1 what kind of democracy8 ,obviously a status quo1 commercially imperialistic democracy1 which the awakening liberal was bent upon abolishing4 ,there is undoubtedly in such an office as the ,american presidency some virtue which1 in times of crisis1 inspires in capable men an intellectual and moral growth proportional to developing events4 ,lincoln1 our most striking example1 grew more between #ahfa and #ahfe than during all the earlier years of his life4 ,nor is the growth of democratic leaders1 when seen through the distorted passions of their day1 apparently a consistent thing4 ,greatness1 near at hand1 is startlingly like inconsistency2 it seems at moments to vacillate1 to turn back upon and deny itself1 and thus lays itself open to seemingly plausible criticism by politicians and time servers and all who cry out for precedent4 ,yet it is an interesting and encouraging fact that the faith of democratic peoples goes out1 and goes out alone1 to leaders who--whatever their minor faults and failings--do not fear to reverse themselves when occasion demands2 to enunciate new doctrines1 seemingly in contradiction to former assertions1 to meet new crises4 ,when a democratic leader who has given evidence of greatness ceases to develop new ideas1 he loses the public confidence4 ,he flops back into the ranks of the conservative he formerly opposed1 who catch up with him only when he ceases to grow4 ,in #aiaf the majority of the ,american people elected ,mr4 ,wilson in the belief that he would keep them out of war4 ,in #aiag he entered the war with the nation behind him4 ,a recalcitrant ,middle ,west was the first to fill its quota of volunteers1 and we witnessed the extraordinary spectacle of the endorsement of conscription3 ,what had happened8 ,a very simple1 but a very great thing ,mr4 ,wilson had made the issue of the war a democratic issue1 an ,american issue1 in harmony with our national hopes and traditions4 ,but why could not this issue have been announced in #aiad or #aiae8 ,the answer seems to be that peoples1 as well as their leaders and interpreters1 must grow to meet critical situations4 ,in #ahfa the moral idea of the ,civil ,war was obscured and hidden by economic and material interests4 ,the ,abraham ,lincoln who entered the ,white ,house in #ahfa was indeed the same man who signed the ,emancipation ,proclamation in #ahfc2 and yet1 in a sense1 he was not the same man2 events and responsibilities had effected a profound but logical growth in his personality4 ,and the people of the ,union were not ready to endorse ,emancipation in #ahfa4 ,in #ahfc1 in the darkest hour of the war1 the spirit of the ,north responded to the call1 and1 despite the vilification of the ,president1 was true to him to victory4 ,more significant still1 in view of the events of today1 is what then occurred in ,england4 ,the ,british ,government was unfriendly2 the ,british people as a whole had looked upon our ,civil ,war very much in the same light as the ,american people regarded the present war at its inception--which is to say that the economic and materialistic issue seemed to overshadow the moral one4 ,when ,abraham ,lincoln proclaimed it to be a war for human freedom1 the sentiment of the ,british people changed--of the ,british people as distinct from the governing classes2 and the textile workers of the northern counties1 whose mills could not get cotton on account of the blockade1 declared their willingness to suffer and starve if the slaves in ,america might be freed4 ,abraham ,lincoln at that time represented the ,american people as the ,british ,government did not represent the ,british people4 ,we are concerned today with peoples rather than governments4 ,it remained for an ,american ,president to announce the moral issue of the present war1 and thus to solidify behind him1 not only the liberal mind of ,america1 but the liberal elements within the nations of ,europe4 ,he became the democratic leader of the world4 ,the issue1 simply stated1 is the advancement of democracy and peace4 ,they are inseparable4 ,democracy1 for progress1 demands peace4 ,it had reached a stage1 when1 in a contracting world1 it could no longer advance through isolation3 its very existence in every country was threatened1 not only by the partisans of reaction from within1 but by the menace from without of a militaristic and imperialistic nation determined to crush it1 restore superimposed authority1 and dominate the globe4 ,democracy1 divided against itself1 cannot stand4 ,a league of democratic nations1 of democratic peoples1 has become imperative4 ,hereafter1 if democracy wins1 self-determination1 and not imperialistic exploitation1 is to be the universal rule4 ,it is the extension1 on a world scale1 of ,mr4 ,wilson's ,mexican policy1 the application of democratic principles to international relationships1 and marks the inauguration of a new era4 ,we resort to force against force1 not for dominion1 but to make the world safe for the idea on which we believe the future of civilization depends1 the sacred right of self-government4 ,we stand prepared to treat with the ,german people when they are ready to cast off autocracy and militarism4 ,our attitude toward them is precisely our attitude toward the ,mexican ,people4 ,we believe1 and with good reason1 that the ,german system of education is authoritative and false1 and was more or less deliberately conceived in order to warp the nature and produce complexes in the mind of the ,german people for the end of preserving and perpetuating the power of the ,junkers4 ,we have no quarrel with the duped and oppressed1 but we war against the agents of oppression4 ,to the conservative mind such an aspiration appears chimerical4 ,but ,america1 youngest of the nations1 was born when modern science was gathering the momentum which since has enabled it to overcome1 with a bewildering rapidity1 many evils previously held by superstition to be ineradicable4 ,as a corollary to our democratic creed1 we accepted the dictum that to human intelligence all things are possible4 ,the virtue of this dictum lies not in dogma1 but in an indomitable attitude of mind to which the world owes its every advance in civilization2 quixotic1 perhaps1 but necessary to great accomplishment4 ,in searching for a present-day protagonist1 no happier example could be found than ,mr4 ,henry ,ford1 who exhibits the characteristic ,american mixture of the practical and the ideal4 ,he introduces into industry humanitarian practices that even tend to increase the vast fortune which by his own efforts he has accumulated4 ,he sees that democratic peoples do not desire to go to war1 he does not believe that war is necessary and inevitable1 he lays himself open to ridicule by financing a ,peace ,mission4 ,circumstances force him to abandon his project1 but he is not for one moment discouraged4 ,his intention remains4 ,he throws all his energy and wealth into a war to end war1 and the value of his contribution is inestimable4 ,a study of ,mr4 ,ford's mental processes and acts illustrates the true mind of ,america4 ,in the autumn of #aiaf ,mr4 ,wilson declared that 8the people of the ,united ,states want to be sure what they are fighting about1 and they want to be sure that they are fighting for the things that will bring the world justice and peace4 ,define the elements2 let us know that we are not fighting for the prevalence of this nation over that1 for the ambitions of this group of nations as compared with the ambitions of that group of nations1 let us once be convinced that we are called in to a great combination for the rights of mankind1 and ,america will unite her force and spill her blood for the great things she has always believed in and followed40 8,america is always ready to fight for the things which are ,american40 ,even in these sombre days that mark the anniversary of our entrance into the war4 ,but let it be remembered that it was in the darkest days of the ,civil ,war ,abraham ,lincoln boldly proclaimed the democratic1 idealistic issue of that struggle4 ,the ,russian ,revolution1 which we must seek to understand and not condemn1 the ,allied defeats that are its consequences1 can only make our purpose the firmer to put forth all our strength for the building up of a better world4 ,the ,president's masterly series of state papers1 distributed in all parts of the globe1 have indeed been so many ,proclamations of ,emancipation for the world's oppressed4 ,not only powerful nations shall cease to exploit little nations1 but powerful individuals shall cease to exploit their fellow men4 ,henceforth no wars for dominion shall be waged1 and to this end secret treaties shall be abolished4 ,peoples through their representatives shall make their own treaties4 ,and just as democracy insures to the individual the greatest amount of self-determination1 nations also shall have self-determination1 in order that each shall be free to make its world contribution4 ,all citizens have duties to perform toward their fellow citizens2 all democratic nations must be interdependent4 ,with this purpose ,america has entered the war4 ,but it implies that our own household must be swept and cleaned4 ,the injustices and inequalities existing in our own country1 the false standards of worth1 the materialism1 the luxury and waste must be purged from our midst4 ,,iii4 ,in fighting ,germany we are indeed fighting an evil ,will--evil because it seeks to crush the growth of individual and national freedom4 ,its object is to put the world back under the thrall of self-constituted authority4 ,so long as this ,will can compel the bodies of soldiers to do its bidding1 these bodies must be destroyed4 ,until the ,will behind them is broken1 the world cannot be free4 ,junkerism is the final expression of reaction1 organized to the highest efficiency4 ,the war against the ,junkers marks the consummation of a long struggle for human liberty in all lands1 symbolizes the real cleavage dividing the world4 ,as in the ,french ,revolution and the wars that followed it1 the true significance of this war is social4 ,but today the ,russian ,revolution sounds the keynote4 ,revolutions tend to express the extremes of the philosophies of their times--human desires1 discontents1 and passions that cannot be organized4 ,the ,french ,revolution was a struggle for political freedom2 the underlying issue of the present war is economic freedom--without which political freedom is of no account4 ,it will not1 therefore1 suffice merely to crush the ,junkers1 and with them militarism and autocracy4 ,unless1 as the fruit of this appalling bloodshed and suffering1 the democracies achieve economic freedom1 the war will have been fought in vain4 ,more revolutions1 wastage and bloodshed will follow1 the world will be reduced to absolute chaos unless1 in the more advanced democracies1 an intelligent social order tending to remove the causes of injustice and discontent can be devised and ready for inauguration4 ,this new social order depends1 in turn1 upon a world order of mutually helpful1 free peoples1 a league of ,nations4--,if the world is to be made safe for democracy1 this democratic plan must be ready for the day when the ,german ,junker is beaten and peace is declared4 ,the real issue of our time is industrial democracy we must face that fact4 ,and those in ,america and the ,entente nations who continue to oppose it will do so at their peril4 ,fortunately1 as will be shown1 that element of our population which may be designated as domestic ,junkers is capable of being influenced by contemporary currents of thought1 is awakening to the realization of social conditions deplorable and dangerous4 ,prosperity and power had made them blind and arrogant4 ,their enthusiasm for the war was1 however1 genuine2 the sacrifices they are making are changing and softening them2 but as yet they can scarcely be expected1 as a class1 to rejoice over the revelation--just beginning to dawn upon their minds--that victory for the ,allies spells the end of privilege4 ,their conception of democracy remains archaic1 while wealth is inherently conservative4 ,those who possess it in ,america have as a rule received an education in terms of an obsolete economics1 of the thought of an age gone by4 ,it is only within the past few years that our colleges and universities have begun to teach modern economics1 social science and psychology--and this in the face of opposition from trustees4 ,successful business men1 as a rule1 have had neither the time nor the inclination to read books which they regard as visionary1 as subversive to an order by which they have profited4 ,and that some ,americans are fools1 and have been dazzled in ,europe by the glamour of a privilege not attainable at home1 is a deplorable yet indubitable fact4 ,these have little sympathy with democracy2 they have even been heard to declare that we have no right to dictate to another nation1 even an enemy nation1 what form of government it shall assume4 ,we have no right to demand1 when peace comes1 that the negotiations must be with the representatives of the ,german people4 ,these are they who deplore the absence among us of a tradition of monarchy1 since the ,american people 8should have something to look up to40 ,but this state of mind1 which needs no comment1 is comparatively rare1 and represents an extreme4 ,we are not lacking1 however1 in the type of conservative who1 innocent of a knowledge of psychology1 insists that 8human nature cannot be changed10 and that the 8survival of the fittest0 is the law of life1 yet these would deny ,darwin if he were a contemporary4 ,they reject the idea that society can be organized by intelligence1 and war ended by eliminating its causes from the social order4 ,on the contrary they cling to the orthodox contention that war is a necessary and salutary thing1 and proclaim that the ,american fibre was growing weak and flabby from luxury and peace1 curiously ignoring the fact that their own economic class1 the small percentage of our population owning sixty per cent4 of the wealth of the country1 and which therefore should be most debilitated by luxury1 was most eager for war1 and since war has been declared has most amply proved its courage and fighting quality4 ,this1 however1 and other evidences of the patriotic sacrifices of those of our countrymen who possess wealth1 prove that they are still ,americans1 and encourages the hope and belief that as ,americans they ultimately will do their share toward a democratic solution of the problem of society4 ,many of them are capable of vision1 and are beginning to see the light today4 ,in ,america we succeeded in eliminating hereditary power1 in obtaining a large measure of political liberty1 only to see the rise of an economic power1 and the consequent loss of economic liberty4 ,the industrial development of the ,united ,states was of course a necessary and desirable thing1 but the economic doctrine which formed the basis of ,american institutions proved to be unsuited to industrialism1 and introduced unforeseen evils that were a serious menace to the ,republic4 ,an individualistic economic philosophy worked admirably while there was ample land for the pioneer1 equality of opportunity to satisfy the individual initiative of the enterprising4 ,but what is known as industrialism brought in its train fear and favour1 privilege and poverty1 slums1 disease1 and municipal vice1 fostered a too rapid immigration1 established in ,america a tenant system alien to our traditions4 ,the conditions which existed before the advent of industrialism are admirably pictured1 for instance1 in the autobiography of ,mr4 ,charles ,francis ,adams1 when he describes his native town of ,quincy in the first half of the ,nineteenth ,century4 ,in those early communities1 poverty was negligible1 there was no great contrast between rich and poor2 the artisan1 the farmer1 the well-to-do merchant met on terms of mutual self-respect1 as man to man2 economic class consciousness was non-existent2 education was so widespread that ,european travellers wonderingly commented on the fact that we had no 8peasantry02 and with few exceptions every citizen owned a piece of land and a home4 ,property1 a refuge a man may call his own1 and on which he may express his individuality1 is essential to happiness and self-respect4 ,today1 less than two thirds of our farmers own their land1 while vast numbers of our working men and women possess nothing but the labour of their hands4 ,the designation of labour as 8property0 by our courts only served to tighten the bonds1 by obstructing for a time the movement to decrease the tedious and debilitating hours of contact of the human organism with the machine1--a menace to the future of the race1 especially in the case of women and children4 ,if labour is 8property10 wretches driven by economic necessity have indeed only the choice of a change of masters4 ,in addition to the manual workers1 an army of clerical workers of both sexes likewise became tenants1 and dependents who knew not the satisfaction of a real home4 ,such conditions gradually brought about a profound discontent1 a grouping of classes4 ,among the comparatively prosperous there was set up a social competition in luxury that was the bane of large and small communities4 ,skilled labour banded itself into unions1 employers organized to oppose them1 and the result was a class conflict never contemplated by the founders of the ,republic1 repugnant to democracy which by its very nature depends for its existence on the elimination of classes4 ,in addition to this1 owing to the unprecedented immigration of ignorant ,europeans to supply the labour demand1 we acquired a sinister proletariat of unskilled economic slaves4 ,before the war labour discovered its strength2 since the war began1 especially in the allied nations with quasi-democratic institutions1 it is aware of its power to exert a leverage capable of paralyzing industry for a period sufficient to destroy the chances of victory4 ,the probability of the occurrence of such a calamity depends wholly on whether or not the workman can be convinced that it is his war1 for he will not exert himself to perpetuate a social order in which he has lost faith1 even though he now obtains a considerable increase in wages4 ,agreements entered into with the government by union leaders will not hold him if at any time he fails to be satisfied that the present world conflict will not result in a greater social justice4 ,this fact has been demonstrated by what is known as the 8shop steward0 movement in ,england1 where the workers repudiated the leaders' agreements and everywhere organized local strikes4 ,and in ,america1 the unskilled workers are largely outside of the unions4 ,the workman has a natural and laudable desire to share more fully in the good things of life4 ,and it is coming to be recognized that material prosperity1 up to a certain point1 is the foundation of mental and spiritual welfare3 clean and comfortable surroundings1 beauty1 rational amusements1 opportunity for a rational satisfaction of the human instincts are essential to contentment and progress4 ,the individual1 of course1 must be enlightened2 and local labour unions1 recognizing this1 are spending considerable sums all over the country on schools to educate their members4 ,if a workman is a profiteer1 he is more to be excused than the business profiteer1 against whom his anger is directed2 if he is a spendthrift1 prodigality is a natural consequence of rapid acquisition4 ,we have been a nation of spendthrifts4 ,a failure to grasp the psychology of the worker involves disastrous consequences4 ,a discussion as to whether or not his attitude is unpatriotic and selfish is futile4 ,no more profound mistake could be made than to attribute to any element of the population motives wholly base4 ,human nature is neither all black nor all white1 yet is capable of supreme sacrifices when adequately appealed to4 ,what we must get into our minds is the fact that a social order that insured a large measure of democracy in the early days of the ,republic is inadequate to meet modern industrial conditions4 ,higher wages1 material prosperity alone will not suffice to satisfy aspirations for a fuller self-realization1 once the method by which these aspirations can be gained is glimpsed4 ,for it cannot be too often repeated that the unquenchable conflicts are those waged for ideas and not dollars4 ,these are tinged with religious emotion4 ,,iv4 ,mr4 ,wilson's messages to the ,american people and to the world have proclaimed a new international order1 a ,league of ,democracies4 ,and in a recent letter to ,new ,jersey ,democrats we find him warning his party1 or more properly the nation1 of the domestic social changes necessarily flowing from his international program4 ,while rightly resolved to prosecute the war on the battle lines to the utmost limit of ,american resources1 he points out that the true significance of the conflict lies in 8revolutionary change40 8,economic and social forces10 he says1 8are being released upon the world1 whose effect no political seer dare to conjecture40 ,and we 8must search our hearts through and through and make them ready for the birth of a new day--a day we hope and believe of greater opportunity and greater prosperity for the average mass of struggling men and women40 ,he recognizes that the next great step in the development of democracy which the war must bring about--is the emancipation of labour2 to use his own phrase1 the redemption of masses of men and women from 8economic serfdom40 8,the old party slogans10 he declares1 8will mean nothing to the future40 ,judging from this announcement1 the ,president seems prepared to condemn boldly all the rotten timbers of the social structure that have outlived their usefulness--a position that hitherto no responsible politician has dared to take4 ,politicians1 on the contrary1 have revered the dead wood1 have sought to shore the old timbers for their own purposes4 ,but so far as any party is concerned1 ,mr4 ,wilson stands alone4 ,both of the two great parties1 the ,republican and the ,democratic1 in order to make a show of keeping abreast of the times1 have merely patched their platforms with the new ideas4 ,the ,socialist ,party in the ,united ,states is relatively small1 is divided against itself1 and has given no evidence of a leadership of broad sanity and vision4 ,it is fortunate we have been spared in this country the formation of a political labour party1 because such a party would have been composed of manual workers alone1 and hence would have tended further to develop economic class consciousness1 to crystallize class antagonisms4 ,today1 however1 neither the ,republican nor the ,democratic party represents the great issue of the times2 the cleavage between them is wholly artificial4 ,the formation of a ,liberal ,party1 with a platform avowedly based on modern social science1 has become essential4 ,such a party1 to be in harmony with our traditions and our creed1 to arrest in our democracy the process of class stratification which threatens to destroy it1 must not draw its members from the ranks of manual labour alone1 but from all elements of our population4 ,it should contain all the liberal professions1 and clerks and shopkeepers1 as well as manual workers2 administrators1 and even those employers who have become convinced that our present economic system does not suffice to meet the needs of the day4 ,in short1 membership in such a party1 as far as possible1 should not be based upon occupation or economic status1 but on an honest difference of view from that of the conservative opposition4 ,this would be a distinctly ,american solution4 ,in order to form such a party a campaign of education will be necessary4 ,for today ,mr4 ,wilson's strength is derived from the independent vote representing the faith of the people as a whole2 but the majority of those who support the ,president1 while they ardently desire the abolition in the world of absolute monarchy1 of militarism and commercial imperialism1 while they are anxious that this war shall expedite and not retard the social reforms in which they are interested1 have as yet but a vague conception of the social order which these reforms imply4 ,it marks a signal advance in democracy when liberal opinion in any nation turns for guidance and support to a statesman of another nation4 ,no clearer sign of the times could be desired than the fact that our ,american ,president has suddenly become the liberal leader of the world4 ,the traveller in ,france1 and especially in ,britain1 meets on all sides striking evidence of this4 ,in these countries1 until ,america's entrance into the war1 liberals had grown more and more dissatisfied with the failure of their governments to define in democratic terms the issue of the conflict1 had resented the secret inter-allied compacts1 savouring of imperialism and containing the germs of future war4 ,they are now looking across the ,atlantic for leadership4 ,in ,france ,m4 ,albert ,thomas declared that ,woodrow ,wilson had given voice to the aspirations of his party1 while a prominent ,liberal in ,england announced in a speech that it had remained for the ,american ,president to express the will and purpose of the ,british people4 ,the new ,british ,labour ,party and the ,inter-,allied ,labour and ,socialist ,conferences have adopted ,mr4 ,wilson's program and have made use of his striking phrases4 ,but we have between ,america and ,britain this difference3 in ,america the ,president stands virtually alone1 without a party behind him representing his views2 in ,britain the general democratic will of the nation is now being organized1 but has obtained as yet no spokesman in the government4 ,extraordinary symptomatic phenomena have occurred in ,russia as well as in ,britain4 ,in ,russia the rebellion of an awakening people against an age-long tyranny has almost at once leaped to the issue of the day1 taken on the complexion of a struggle for industrial democracy4 ,whether the ,germans shall be able to exploit the country1 bring about a reaction and restore for a time monarchical institutions depends largely upon the fortunes of the war4 ,in ,russia there is revolution1 with concomitant chaos2 but in ,britain there is evolution1 an orderly attempt of a people long accustomed to progress in self-government to establish a new social order1 peacefully and scientifically1 and in accordance with a traditional political procedure4 ,the recent development of the ,british ,labour ,party1 although of deep significance to ,americans1 has taken place almost without comment in this country4 ,it was formally established in #aijj1 and was then composed of manual workers alone4 ,in #aijf1 out of #ej candidates at the polls1 #ci were elected to ,parliament2 in #aiaj1 #db were elected4 ,the ,parliamentary ,labour ,party1 so called1 has now been amalgamated with four and a half millions of ,trade ,unionists1 and with the three and a half millions of members of the ,co-operative ,wholesale ,society and the ,co-operative ,union4 ,allowing for duplication of membership1 these three organizations--according to ,mr4 ,sidney ,webb--probably include two fifths of the population of the ,united ,kingdom4 8,so great an aggregation of working class organizations10 he says1 8has never come shoulder to shoulder in any country40 ,other smaller societies and organizations are likewise embraced1 including the ,socialists4 ,and now that the suffrage has been extended1 provision is made for the inclusion of women4 ,the new party is organizing in from three to four hundred constituencies1 and at the next general election is not unlikely to gain control of the political balance of power4 ,with the majority of ,americans1 however1 the word 8labour0 as designating a party arouses suspicion and distrust4 ,by nature and tradition we are inclined to deplore and oppose any tendency toward the stratification of class antagonisms--the result of industrial discontent--into political groups4 ,the ,british tradition is likewise hostile to such a tendency4 ,but in ,britain the industrial ferment has gone much further than with us1 and such a result was inevitable4 ,by taking advantage of the ,british experience1 of the closer ties now being knit between the two democracies1 we may in ,america be spared a stage which in ,britain was necessary4 ,indeed1 the program of the new ,british ,labour ,party seems to point to a distinctly ,american solution1 one in harmony with the steady growth of ,anglo-,saxon democracy4 ,for it is now announced that the word 8labour10 as applied to the new party1 does not mean manual labour alone1 but also mental labour4 ,the ,british unions have gradually developed and placed in power leaders educated in social science1 who have now come into touch with the intellectual leaders of the ,united ,kingdom1 with the sociologists1 economists1 and social scientists4 ,the surprising and encouraging result of such association is the announcement that the new ,labour ,party is today publicly thrown open to all workers1 both by hand and by brain1 with the object of securing for these the full fruits of their industry4 ,this means the inclusion of physicians1 professors1 writers1 architects1 engineers1 and inventors1 of lawyers who no longer regard their profession as a bulwark of the status quo2 of clerks1 of administrators of the type evolved by the war1 who indeed have gained their skill under the old order but who now in a social spirit are dedicating their gifts to the common weal1 organizing and directing vast enterprises for their governments4 ,in short1 all useful citizens who make worthy contributions--as distinguished from parasites1 profiteers1 and drones1 are invited to be members2 there is no class distinction here4 ,the fortunes of such a party are1 of course1 dependent upon the military success of the allied armies and navies4 ,but it has defined the kind of democracy the ,allies are fighting for1 and thus has brought about an unqualified endorsement of the war by those elements of the population which hitherto have felt the issue to be imperialistic and vague rather than democratic and clear cut4 ,president ,wilson's international program is approved of and elaborated4 ,the ,report on ,reconstruction of the new ,british ,labour ,party is perhaps the most important political document presented to the world since the ,declaration of ,independence4 ,and like the ,declaration1 it is written in the pure ,english that alone gives the high emotional quality of sincerity4 ,the phrases in which it tersely describes its objects are admirable4 8,what is to be reconstructed after the war is over is not this or that government department1 this or that piece of social machinery1 but ,society itself40 ,there is to be a systematic approach towards a 8healthy equality of material circumstance for every person born into the world1 and not an enforced dominion over subject nations1 subject colonies1 subject classes1 or a subject sex40 ,in industry as well as in government the social order is to be based 8on that equal freedom1 that general consciousness of consent1 and that widest participation in power1 both economic and political1 which is characteristic of democracy40 ,but all this1 it should be noted1 is not to be achieved in a year or two of 8feverish reconstruction02 8each brick that the ,labour ,party helps to lay shall go to erect the structure it intends and no other40 ,in considering the main features of this program1 one must have in mind whether these are a logical projection and continuation of the ,anglo-,saxon democratic tradition1 or whether they constitute an absolute break with that tradition4 ,the only valid reason for the adoption of such a program in ,america would be1 of course1 the restoration of some such equality of opportunity and economic freedom as existed in our ,republic before we became an industrial nation4 8,the first condition of democracy10--to quote again from the program1 8is effective personal freedom40 ,what is called the 8,universal ,enforcement of the ,national ,minimum0 contemplates the extension of laws already on the statute books in order to prevent the extreme degradation of the standard of life brought about by the old economic system under industrialism4 ,a living minimum wage is to be established4 ,the ,british ,labour ,party intends 8to secure to every member of the community1 in good times and bad alike444 all the requisites of healthy life and worthy citizenship40 ,after the war there is to be no cheap labour market1 nor are the millions of workers and soldiers to fall into the clutches of charity2 but it shall be a national obligation to provide each of these with work according to his capacity4 ,in order to maintain the demand for labour at a uniform level1 the government is to provide public works4 ,the population is to be rehoused in suitable dwellings1 both in rural districts and town slums2 new and more adequate schools and training colleges are to be inaugurated2 land is to be reclaimed and afforested1 and gradually brought under common ownership2 railways and canals are to be reorganized and nationalized1 mines and electric power systems4 ,one of the significant proposals under this head is that which demands the retention of the centralization of the purchase of raw materials brought about by the war4 ,in order to accomplish these objects there must be a 8,revolution in ,national ,finance40 ,the present method of raising funds is denounced2 and it is pointed out that only one quarter of the colossal expenditure made necessary by the war has been raised by taxation1 and that the three quarters borrowed at onerous rates is sure to be a burden on the nation's future4 ,the capital needed1 when peace comes1 to ensure a happy and contented democracy must be procured without encroaching on the minimum standard of life1 and without hampering production4 ,indirect taxation must therefore be concentrated on those luxuries of which it is desirable that the consumption be discouraged4 ,the steadily rising unearned increment of urban and mineral land ought1 by appropriate direct taxation1 to be brought into the public exchequer2 8the definite teachings of economic science are no longer to be disregarded40 ,hence incomes are to be taxed above the necessary cost of family maintenance1 private fortunes during life and at death2 while a special capital levy must be made to pay off a substantial portion of the national debt4 8,the ,democratic ,control of ,industry0 contemplates the progressive elimination of the private capitalist and the setting free of all who work by hand and brain for the welfare of all4 ,the ,surplus ,wealth is to be expended for the ,common ,good4 ,that which ,carlyle designates as the 8inward spiritual10 in contrast to the 8outward economical10 is also to be provided for4 8,society10 says the document1 8like the individual1 does not live by bread alone1 does not exist only for perpetual wealth production40 ,first of all1 there is to be education according to the highest modern standard2 and along with education1 the protection and advancement of the public health1 #8mens sana in corpore sano'4 ,while large sums must be set aside1 not only for original research in every branch of knowledge1 but for the promotion of music1 literature1 and fine art1 upon which 8any real development of civilization fundamentally depends40 ,in regard to the ,british ,empire1 the ,labour ,party urges self-government for any people1 whatever its colour1 proving itself capable1 and the right of that people to the proceeds of its own toil upon the resources of its territory4 ,an unequivocal stand is taken for the establishment1 as a part of the treaty of peace1 of a ,universal ,society of ,nations2 and recognizing that the future progress of democracy depends upon co-operation and fellowship between liberals of all countries1 the maintenance of intimate relationships is advocated with liberals oversea4 ,finally1 a scientific investigation of each succeeding problem in government is insisted upon1 and a much more rapid dissemination among the people of the science that exists4 8,a plutocratic party may choose to ignore science1 but no labour party can hope to maintain its position unless its proposals are1 in fact1 the outcome of the best political science of its time40 ,v4 ,there are1 it will be seen1 some elements in the program of the new ,british ,labour ,party apparently at variance with ,american and ,english institutions1 traditions1 and ideas4 ,we are left in doubt1 for instance1 in regard to its attitude toward private property4 ,the instinct for property is probably innate in humanity1 and ,american conservatism in this regard is1 according to certain modern economists1 undoubtedly sound4 ,a man should be permitted to acquire at least as much property as is required for the expression of his personality2 such a wise limitation1 also1 would abolish the evil known as absentee ownership4 ,again1 there will arise in many minds the question whether the funds for the plan of ,national finance outlined in the program may be obtained without seriously deranging the economic system of the nation and of the world4 ,the older school denounces the program as ,utopian4 ,on the other hand1 economists of the modern school who have been consulted have declared it practical4 ,it is certain that before the war began it would not have been thought possible to raise the billions which in four years have been expended on sheer destruction2 and one of our saddest reflections today must be of regret that a small portion of these billions which have gone to waste could not have been expended for the very purposes outlined--education1 public health1 the advancement of science and art1 public buildings1 roads and parks1 and the proper housing of populations6 ,it is also dawning upon us1 as a result of new practices brought about by the war1 that our organization of industry was happy-go-lucky1 inefficient and wasteful1 and that a more scientific and economical organization is imperative4 ,under such a new system it may well be1 as modern economists claim1 that1 we shall have an ample surplus for the ,common ,good4 ,the chief objection to a ,national or ,democratic ,control of ,industry has been that it would tend to create vast political machines and thus give the politicians in office a nefarious power4 ,it is not intended here to attempt a refutation of this contention4 ,the remedy lies in a changed attitude of the employee and the citizen toward government1 and the fact that such an attitude is now developing is not subject to absolute proof4 ,it may be said1 however1 that no greater menace to democracy could have arisen than the one we seem barely to have escaped--the control of politics and government by the capitalistic interests of the nation4 ,what seems very clear is that an evolutionary drift toward the national control of industry has for many years been going on1 and that the war has tremendously speeded up the tendency4 ,government has stepped in to protect the consumer of necessities from the profiteer1 and is beginning to set a limit upon profits2 has regulated exports and imports2 established a national shipping corporation and merchant marine1 and entered into other industries2 it has taken over the railroads at least for the duration of the war1 and may take over coal mines1 and metal resources1 as well as the forests and water power2 it now contemplates the regulation of wages4 ,the exigency caused by the war1 moreover1 has transformed the former practice of international intercourse4 ,co-operation has replaced competition4 ,we are reorganizing and regulating our industries1 our business1 making sacrifices and preparing to make more sacrifices in order to meet the needs of our ,allies1 now that they are sore beset4 ,for a considerable period after the war is ended1 they will require our aid4 ,we shall be better off than any other of the belligerent nations1 and we shall therefore be called upon to practice1 during the years of reconstruction1 a continuation of the same policy of helpfulness4 ,indeed1 for the nations of the world to spring1 commercially speaking1 at one another's throats would be suicidal even if it were possible4 ,mr4 ,sidney ,webb has thrown a flood of light upon the conditions likely to prevail4 ,for example1 speculative export trade is being replaced by collective importing1 bringing business more directly under the control of the consumer4 ,this has been done by co-operative societies1 by municipalities and states1 in ,switzerland1 ,france1 the ,united ,kingdom1 and in ,germany4 ,the ,co-operative ,wholesale ,society of ,great ,britain1 acting on behalf of three and a half million families1 buys two and a half million dollars of purchases annually4 ,and the ,entente nations1 in order to avoid competitive bidding1 are buying collectively from us1 not only munitions of war1 but other supplies1 while the ,british ,government has made itself the sole importer of such necessities as wheat1 sugar1 tea1 refrigerated meat1 wool1 and various metals4 ,the ,french and ,italian governments1 and also certain neutral states1 have done likewise4 ,a purchasing commission for all the ,allies and ,america is now proposed4 ,after the war1 as an inevitable result1 for one thing1 of transforming some thirty million citizens into soldiers1 of engaging a like number of men and women at enhanced wages on the manufacture of the requisites of war1 ,mr4 ,webb predicts a world shortage not only in wheat and foodstuffs but in nearly all important raw materials4 ,these will be required for the resumption of manufacture4 ,in brief1 international co-operation will be the only means of salvation4 ,the policy of international trade implied by world shortage is not founded upon a law of 8supply and demand40 ,the necessities cannot be permitted to go to those who can afford to pay the highest prices1 but to those who need them most4 ,for the 8free play of economic forces0 would mean famine on a large scale1 because the richer nations and the richer classes within the nations might be fully supplied2 but to the detriment and ruin of the world the poorer nations and the poorer classes would be starved4 ,therefore governments are already beginning to give consideration to a new organization of international trade for at least three years after the war4 ,now if this organization produce1 as it may produce1 a more desirable civilization and a happier world order1 we are not likely entirely to go back--especially in regard to commodities which are necessities--to a competitive system4 ,the principle of 8priority of need0 will supersede the law of 8supply and demand40 ,and the organizations built up during the war1 if they prove efficient1 will not be abolished4 ,hours of labour and wages in the co-operative ,league of ,nations will gradually be equalized1 and tariffs will become things of the past4 8,the axiom will be established10 says ,mr4 ,webb1 8that the resources of every country must1 be held for the benefit not only of its own people but of the world4444 ,the world shortage will1 for years to come1 make import duties look both oppressive and ridiculous40 ,so much may be said for the principle of ,democratic ,control4 ,in spite of all theoretical opposition1 circumstances and evolution apparently point to its establishment4 ,a system that puts a premium on commercial greed seems no longer possible4 ,the above comments1 based on the drift of political practice during the past decade and a half1 may be taken for what they are worth4 ,predictions are precarious4 ,the average ,american will be inclined to regard the program of the new ,british ,labour ,party as the embodiment of what he vaguely calls ,socialism1 and to him the very word is repugnant4 ,although he may never have heard of ,marx1 it is the ,marxian conception that comes to his mind1 and this implies coercion1 a government that constantly interferes with his personal liberty1 that compels him to tasks for which he has no relish4 ,but your ,american1 and your ,englishman1 for that matter1 is inherently an individualist he wants as little government as is compatible with any government at all4 ,and the descendants of the continental ,europeans who flock to our shores are ,anglo-,saxonized1 also become by environment and education individualists4 ,the great importance of preserving this individualism1 this spirit in our citizens of self-reliance1 this suspicion against too much interference with personal liberty1 must at once be admitted4 ,and any scheme for a social order that tends to eliminate and destroy it should by ,americans be summarily rejected4 ,the question of supreme interest to us1 therefore1 is whether the social order implied in the ,british program is mainly in the nature of a development of1 or a break with1 the ,anglo-,saxon democratic tradition4 ,the program is derived from an ,english source4 ,it is based on what is known as modern social science1 which has as its ultimate sanction the nature of the human mind as revealed by psychology4 ,a consideration of the principles underlying this proposed social order may prove that it is essentially--if perhaps paradoxically--individualistic1 a logical evolution of institutions which had their origin in the ,magna ,charta4 ,our ,declaration of ,independence proclaimed that every citizen had the right to 8life1 liberty1 and the pursuit of happiness10 which means the opportunity to achieve the greatest self-development and self-realization4 ,the theory is that each citizen shall find his place1 according to his gifts and abilities1 and be satisfied therewith4 ,we may discover that this is precisely what social science1 in an industrial age1 and by spiritualizing human effort1 aims to achieve4 ,we may find that the appearance of such a program as that of the ,british ,labour ,party1 supported as it is by an imposing proportion of the population of the ,united ,kingdom1 marks a further step1 not only in the advance of social science and democracy1 but also of ,christianity4 ,i mention ,christianity1 not for controversial or apologetic reasons1 but because it has been the leaven of our western civilization ever since the fall of the ,roman ,empire4 ,its constant influence has been to soften and spiritualize individual and national relationships4 ,the bitter controversies1 wars1 and persecutions which have raged in its name are utterly alien to its being4 ,and that the present war is now being fought by the ,allies in the hope of putting an end to war1 and is thus in the true spirit of ,christianity1 marks an incomparable advance4 ,almost up to the present day1 both in our conception and practice of ,christianity1 we have largely neglected its most important elements4 ,christian orthodoxy1 as ,auguste ,sabatier points out1 is largely derived from the older supernatural religions4 ,the preservative shell of dogma and superstition has been cracking1 and is now ready to burst1 and the social teaching of ,jesus would seem to be the kernel from which has sprung modern democracy1 modern science1 and modern religion--a trinity and unity4 ,for nearly two thousand years orthodoxy has insisted that the social principles of ,christianity are impractical4 ,and indeed1 until the present day1 they have been so4 ,physical science1 by enormously accelerating the means of transportation and communication1 has so contracted the world as to bring into communion peoples and races hitherto far apart2 has made possible an intelligent organization of industry which1 for the first time in history1 can create a surplus ample to maintain in comfort the world's population4 ,but this demands the will to co-operation1 which is a ,christian principle--a recognition of the brotherhood of man4 ,furthermore1 physical science has increased the need for world peace and international co-operation because the territories of all nations are now subject to swift and terrible invasion by modern instruments of destruction1 while the future submarine may sweep commerce from the seas4 ,again1 orthodoxy declares that human nature is inherently 8bad10 while true ,christianity1 endorsed by psychology1 proclaims it inherently 8good10 which means that1 properly guided1 properly educated1 it is creative and contributive rather than destructive4 ,no more striking proof of this fact can be cited than the modern experiment in prison reform in which hardened convicts1 when 8given a chance10 frequently become useful citizens4 ,unjust and unintelligent social conditions are the chief factors in making criminals4 ,our most modern system of education1 of which ,professor ,john ,dewey is the chief protagonist1 is based upon the assertions of psychology that human nature is essentially 8good0 creative4 ,every normal child is supposed to have a special 8distinction0 or gift1 which it is the task of the educator to discover4 ,this distinction found1 the child achieves happiness in creation and contribution4 ,self-realization demands knowledge and training3 the doing of right is not a negative but a positive act2 it is not without significance that the ,greek word for sin is literally 8missing the mark40 ,christianity emphasizes above all else the worth of the individual1 yet recognizes that the individual can develop only in society4 ,and if the individual be of great worth1 this worth must be by society developed to its utmost4 ,universal suffrage is a logical corollary4 ,universal suffrage1 however1 implies individual judgment1 which means that the orthodox principle of external authority is out of place both in ,christianity and democracy4 ,the ,christian theory is that none shall intervene between a man's ,maker and himself2 democracy presupposes that no citizen shall accept his beliefs and convictions from others1 but shall make up his own mind and act accordingly4 ,open-mindedness is the first requisite of science and democracy4 ,what has been deemed1 however1 in ,christianity the most unrealizable ideal is that which may be called pacifism--to resist not evil1 to turn the other cheek1 to agree with your adversary while you are in the way with him4 8,i come not10 said ,jesus1 in one of those paradoxical statements hitherto so difficult to understand1 8,i come not to bring peace1 but a sword40 ,it is indeed what we are fighting for--peace4 ,but we believe today1 more strongly than ever before1 as democracy advances1 as peoples tend to gain more and more control over their governments1 that even this may not be an unrealizable ideal4 ,democracies1 intent on self-realization and self-development1 do not desire war4 ,the problem of social science1 then1 appears to be to organize human society on the principles and ideals of ,christianity4 ,but in view of the fact that the trend of evolution is towards the elimination of commercial competition1 the question which must seriously concern us today is--,what in the future shall be the spur of individual initiative8 ,orthodoxy and even democratic practice have hitherto taken it for granted--in spite of the examples of highly socialized men1 benefactors of society--that the average citizen will bestir himself only for material gain4 ,and it must be admitted that competition of some sort is necessary for self-realization1 that human nature demands a prize4 ,there can be no self-sacrifice without a corresponding self-satisfaction4 ,the answer is that in the theory of democracy1 as well as in that of ,christianity1 individualism and co-operation are paradoxically blended4 ,for competition1 ,christianity substitutes emulation4 ,and with democracy1 it declares that mankind itself can gradually be rained towards the level of the choice individual who does not labour for gain1 but in behalf of society4 ,for the process of democracy is not degrading1 but lifting4 ,like ,christianity1 democracy demands faith1 and has as its inspiring interpretation of civilization evolution towards a spiritual goal4 ,yet the kind of faith required is no longer a blind faith1 but one founded on sane and carefully evolved theories4 ,democracy has become a scientific experiment4 ,in this connection1 as one notably inspired by emulation1 by the joy of creative work and service1 the medical profession comes first to mind4 ,the finer element in this profession is constantly increasing in numbers1 growing more and more influential1 making life less easy for the quack1 the vendor of nostrums1 the commercial proprietor of the bogus medical college4 ,the doctor who uses his talents for gain is frowned upon by those of his fellow practitioners whose opinion really counts4 ,respected physicians in our cities give much of their time to teaching1 animating students with their own spirit2 and labour long hours1 for no material return1 in the clinics of the poor4 ,and how often1 in reading our newspapers1 do we learn that some medical scientist1 by patient work1 and often at the risk of life and health1 has triumphed over a scourge which has played havoc with humanity throughout the ages6 ,typhoid has been conquered1 and infant paralysis2 gangrene and tetanus1 which have taken such toll of the wounded in ,flanders and ,france2 yellow fever has been stamped out in the tropics2 hideous lesions are now healed by a system of drainage4 ,the very list of these achievements is bewildering1 and latterly we are given hope of the prolongation of life itself4 ,here in truth are ,christian deeds multiplied by science1 made possible by a growing knowledge of and mastery over ,nature4 ,such men by virtue of their high mission are above the vicious social and commercial competition poisoning the lives of so many of their fellow citizens4 ,in our democracy they have found their work1 and the work is its own reward4 ,they give striking testimony to the theory that absorption in a creative or contributive task is the only source of self-realization4 ,and he has little faith in mankind who shall declare that the medical profession is the only group capable of being socialized1 or1 rather1 of socializing themselves--for such is the true process of democracy4 ,public opinion should be the leaven4 ,what is possible for the doctor is also possible for the lawyer1 for the teacher4 ,in a democracy1 teaching should be the most honoured of the professions1 and indeed once was1--before the advent of industrialism1 when it gradually fell into neglect1--occasionally into deplorable submission to the possessors of wealth4 ,yet a wage disgracefully low1 hardship1 and even poverty have not hindered men of ability from entering it in increasing numbers1 renouncing ease and luxuries4 ,the worth of the contributions of our professors to civilization has been inestimable2 and fortunately signs are not lacking that we are coming to an appreciation of the value of the expert in government1 who is replacing the panderer and the politician4 ,a new solidarity of teaching professional opinion1 together with a growing realization by our public of the primary importance of the calling1 is tending to emancipate it1 to establish it in its rightful place4 ,nor are our engineers without their ideal4 ,a ,goethals did not cut an isthmus in two for gain4 ,industrialism1 with its concomitant 8corporation0 practice1 has undoubtedly been detrimental to the legal profession1 since it has resulted in large fees2 in the accumulation of vast fortunes1 frequently by methods ethically questionable4 ,grave social injustices have been done1 though often in good faith1 since the lawyer1 by training and experience1 has hitherto been least open to the teachings of the new social science1 has been an honest advocate of the system of #8laissez faire'4 ,but to say that the ,american legal profession is without ideals and lacking in the emulative spirit would be to do it a grave injustice4 ,the increasing influence of national and state bar associations evidences a professional opinion discouraging to the unscrupulous2 while a new evolutionary and more humanitarian conception of law is now beginning to be taught1 and young men are entering the ranks imbued with this4 ,legal clinics1 like medical clinics1 are established for the benefit of those who cannot afford to pay fees1 for the protection of the duped from the predatory quack4 ,and1 it must be said of this profession1 which hitherto has held a foremost place in ,america1 that its leaders have never hesitated to respond to a public call1 to sacrifice their practices to serve the nation4 ,their highest ambition has even been to attain the ,supreme ,court1 where the salary is a mere pittance compared to what they may earn as private citizens4 ,thus we may review all the groups in the nation1 but the most significant transformation of all is taking place within the business group1--where indeed it might be least expected4 ,even before the war there were many evidences that the emulative spirit in business had begun to modify the merely competitive1 and we had the spectacle of large employers of labour awakening to the evils of industrialism1 and themselves attempting to inaugurate reforms4 ,as in the case of labour1 it would be obviously unfair to claim that the employer element was actuated by motives of self-interest alone2 nor were their concessions due only to fear4 ,instances could be cited1 if there were space1 of voluntary shortening of hours of labour1 of raising of wages1 when no coercion was exerted either by the labour unions or the state2 and--perhaps to their surprise employers discovered that such acts were not only humane but profitable6 ,among these employers1 in fact1 may be observed individuals in various stages of enlightenment1 from the few who have educated themselves in social science1 who are convinced that the time has come when it is not only practicable but right1 who realize that a new era has dawned2 to others who still believe in the old system1 who are trying to bolster it up by granting concessions1 by establishing committees of conference1 by giving a voice and often a financial interest1 but not a vote1 in the conduct of the corporation concerned4 ,these are the counterpart1 in industry1 of sovereigns whose away has been absolute1 whose intentions are good1 but who hesitate1 often from conviction1 to grant constitutions4 ,yet even these are responding in some degree to social currents1 though the aggressive struggles of labour may have influenced them1 and partially opened their eyes4 ,they are far better than their associates who still seek to control the supplies of food and other necessities1 whose efficiency is still solely directed1 not toward a social end1 but toward the amassing of large fortunes1 and is therefore wasted so far as society is concerned4 ,they do not perceive that by seeking to control prices they merely hasten the tendency of government control1 for it is better to have government regulation for the benefit of the many than proprietary control1 however efficient1 for the benefit of the few4 ,that a significant change of heart and mind has begun to take place amongst capitalists1 that the nucleus of a 8public opinion0 has been formed within an element which1 by the use and wont of business and habits of thought might be regarded as least subject to the influence of social ideas1 is a most hopeful augury4 ,this nascent opinion has begun to operate by shaming unscrupulous and recalcitrant employers into better practices4 ,it would indeed fare ill with democracy if1 in such an era1 men of large business proved to be lacking in democratic initiative1 wholly unreceptive and hostile to the gradual introduction of democracy into industry1 which means the perpetuation of the ,american ,idea4 ,fortunately1 with us1 this capitalistic element is of comparatively recent growth1 the majority of its members are essentially ,americans2 they have risen from small beginnings1 and are responsive to a democratic appeal--if that appeal be properly presented4 ,and1 as a matter of fact1 for many years a leaven had been at work among them2 the truth has been brought home to them that the mere acquisition of wealth brings neither happiness nor self-realization2 they have lavished their money on hospitals and universities1 clinics1 foundations for scientific research1 and other gifts of inestimable benefit to the nation and mankind4 ,although the munificence was on a ,medicean scale1 this private charity was in accord with the older conception of democracy1 and paved the way for a new order4 ,the patriotic and humanitarian motive aroused by the war greatly accelerated the socializing transformation of the business man and the capitalist4 ,we have1 indeed1 our profiteers seeking short cuts to luxury and wealth2 but those happily most representative of ,american affairs1 including the creative administrators1 hastened to ,washington with a willingness to accept any position in which they might be useful1 and in numerous instances placed at the disposal of the government the manufacturing establishments which1 by industry and ability1 they themselves had built up4 ,that in thus surrendering the properties for which they were largely responsible they hoped at the conclusion of peace to see restored the #8status quo ante' should not be held against them4 ,some are now beginning to surmise that a complete restoration is impossible2 and as a result of their socializing experience1 are even wondering whether it is desirable4 ,these are beginning to perceive that the national and international organizations in the course of construction to meet the demands of the world conflict must form the model for a future social structure2 that the unprecedented pressure caused by the cataclysm is compelling a recrystallization of society in which there must be fewer misfits1 in which many more individuals than formerly shall find public or semi-public tasks in accordance with their gifts and abilities4 ,it may be argued that war compels socialization1 that after the war the world will perforce return to materialistic individualism4 ,but this calamity1 terrible above all others1 has warned us of the imperative need of an order that shall be socializing1 if we are not to witness the destruction of our civilization itself4 ,confidence that such an order1 thanks to the advancement of science1 is now within our grasp should not be difficult for ,americans1 once they have rightly conceived it4 ,we1 who have always pinned our faith to ideas1 who entered the conflict for an ,idea1 must be the last to shirk the task1 however ,herculean1 of world reconstruction along the lines of our own professed faith4 ,we cannot be renegades to ,democracy4 ,above all things1 then1 it is essential for us as a people not to abandon our faith in man1 our belief that not only the exceptional individual but the majority of mankind can be socialized4 ,what is true of our physicians1 our scientists and professional men1 our manual workers1 is also true of our capitalists and business men4 ,in a more just and intelligent organization of society these will be found willing to administer and improve for the common weal the national resources which formerly they exploited for the benefit of themselves and their associates4 ,the social response1 granted the conditions1 is innate in humanity1 and individual initiative can best be satisfied in social realization4 ,universal education is the cornerstone of democracy4 ,and the recognition of this fact may be called the great ,american contribution4 ,but in our society the fullest self-realization depends upon a well balanced knowledge of scientific facts1 upon a rounded culture4 ,thus education1 properly conceived1 is a preparation for intelligent1 ethical1 and contented citizenship4 ,upon the welfare of the individual depends the welfare of all4 ,without education1 free institutions and universal suffrage are mockeries2 semi-learned masses of the population are at the mercy of scheming politicians1 controversialists1 and pseudo-scientific religionists1 and their votes are swayed by prejudice4 ,in a materialistic competitive order1 success in life depends upon the knack--innate or acquired1 and not to be highly rated--of outwitting one's neighbour under the rules of the game--the law2 education is merely a cultural leaven within the reach of the comparatively few who can afford to attend a university4 ,the business college is a more logical institution4 ,in an emulative civilization1 however1 the problem is to discover and develop in childhood and youth the personal aptitude or gift of as many citizens as possible1 in order that they may find self-realization by making their peculiar contribution towards the advancement of society4 ,the prevailing system of education1 which we have inherited from the past1 largely fails to accomplish this4 ,in the first place1 it has been authoritative rather than scientific1 which is to say that students have been induced to accept the statements of teachers and text books1 and have not been trained to weigh for themselves their reasonableness and worth2 a principle essentially unscientific and undemocratic1 since it inculcates in the future citizen convictions rather than encourages the habit of open-mindedness so necessary for democratic citizenship4 ,for democracy--it cannot be too often repeated--is a dynamic thing1 experimental1 creative in its very essence4 ,no static set of opinions can apply to the constantly changing aspect of affairs4 ,new discoveries1 which come upon us with such bewildering rapidity1 are apt abruptly to alter social and industrial conditions1 while morals and conventions are no longer absolute4 ,sudden crises threaten the stability of nations and civilizations4 ,safety lies alone in the ability to go forward1 to progress4 ,psychology teaches us that if authoritative opinions1 convictions1 or 8complexes0 are stamped upon the plastic brain of the youth they tend to harden1 and he is apt to become a ,democrat or ,republican1 an ,episcopalian or a ,baptist1 a free trader or a tariff advocate or a ,manchester economist without asking why4 ,such 8complexes0 were probably referred to by the celebrated physician who emphasized the hopelessness of most individuals over forty4 ,and every reformer and forum lecturer knows how difficult it is to convert the average audience of seasoned adults to a new idea3 he finds the most responsive groups in the universities and colleges4 ,it is significant that the 8educated0 adult audiences in clubs and prosperous churches are the least open to conversion1 because1 in the scientific sense1 the 8educated0 classes retain complexes1 and hence are the least prepared to cope with the world as it is today4 ,the ,german system1 which has been bent upon installing authoritative conviction instead of encouraging freedom of thought1 should be a warning to us4 ,again1 outside of the realm of physical science1 our text books have been controversial rather than impartial1 especially in economics and history2 resulting in erroneous and distorted and prejudiced ideas of events1 such for instance1 as our ,american ,revolution4 ,the day of the controversialist is happily coming to an end1 and of the writer who twists the facts of science to suit a world of his own making1 or of that of a group with which he is associated4 ,theory can now be labelled theory1 and fact1 fact4 ,impartial and painstaking investigation is the sole method of obtaining truth4 ,the old system of education benefited only the comparatively few to whose nature and inclination it was adapted4 ,we have need1 indeed1 of classical scholars1 but the majority of men and women are meant for other work2 many1 by their very construction of mind1 are unfitted to become such4 ,and only in the most exceptional cases are the ancient languages really mastered2 a smattering of these1 imposed upon the unwilling scholar by a principle opposed to psychology1--a smattering from which is derived no use and joy in after life1 and which has no connection with individual inclination--is worse than nothing4 ,precious time is wasted during the years when the mind is most receptive4 ,while the argument of the old school that discipline can only be inculcated by the imposition of a distasteful task is unsound4 ,as ,professor ,dewey points out1 unless the interest is in some way involved there can be no useful discipline4 ,and how many of our university and high school graduates today are in any sense disciplined8 ,stimulated interest alone can overcome the resistance imposed by a difficult task1 as any scientist1 artist1 organizer or administrator knows4 ,men will discipline themselves to gain a desired end4 ,under the old system of education a few children succeed either because they are desirous of doing well1 interested in the game of mental competition2 or else because they contrive to clothe with flesh and blood some subject presented as a skeleton4 ,it is not uncommon1 indeed1 to recognize in later years with astonishment a useful citizen or genius whom at school or college we recall as a dunce or laggard4 ,in our present society1 because of archaic methods of education1 the development of such is largely left to chance4 ,those who might have been developed in time1 who might have found their task1 often become wasters1 drudges1 and even criminals4 ,the old system tends to make types1 to stamp every scholar in the same mould1 whether he fits it or not4 ,more and more the parents of today are looking about for new schools1 insisting that a son or daughter possesses some special gift which1 under teachers of genius1 might be developed before it is too late4 ,and in most cases1 strange to say1 the parents are right4 ,they themselves have been victims of a standardized system4 ,a new and distinctly ,american system of education1 designed to meet the demands of modern conditions1 has been put in practice in parts of the ,united ,states4 ,in spite of opposition from school boards1 from all those who cling to the conviction that education must of necessity be an unpalatable and 8disciplinary0 process1 the number of these schools is growing4 ,the objection1 put forth by many1 that they are still in the experimental stage1 is met by the reply that experiment is the very essence of the system4 ,democracy is experimental1 and henceforth education will remain experimental for all time4 ,but1 as in any other branch of science1 the element of ascertained fact will gradually increase3 the latent possibilities in the mind of the healthy child will be discovered by knowledge gained through impartial investigation4 ,the old system1 like all other institutions handed down to us from the ages1 proceeds on no intelligent theory1 has no basis on psychology1 and is accepted merely because it exists4 ,the new education is selective4 ,the mind of each child is patiently studied with the view of discovering the peculiar bent1 and this bent is guided and encouraged4 ,the child is allowed to forge ahead in those subjects for which he shows an aptitude1 and not compelled to wait on a class4 ,such supervision1 of course1 demands more teachers1 teachers of an ability hitherto deplorably rare1 and thoroughly trained in their subjects1 with a sympathetic knowledge of the human mind4 ,theirs will be the highest and most responsible function in the state1 and they must be rewarded in proportion to their services4 ,a superficial criticism declares that in the new schools children will study only 8what they like40 ,on the contrary1 all subjects requisite for a wide culture1 as well as for the ability to cope with existence in a highly complex civilization1 are insisted upon4 ,it is true1 however1 that the trained and gifted teacher is able to discover a method of so presenting a subject as to seize the imagination and arouse the interest and industry of a majority of pupils4 ,in the modern schools ,french1 for example1 is really taught2 pupils do not acquire a mere smattering of the language4 ,and1 what is more important1 the course of study is directly related to life1 and to practical experience1 instead of being set forth abstractly1 as something which at the time the pupil perceives no possibility of putting into use4 ,at one of the new schools in the south1 the ignorant child of the mountains at once acquires a knowledge of measurement and elementary arithmetic by laying out a garden1 of letters by inscribing his name on a little signboard in order to identify his patch--for the moment private property4 ,and this principle is carried through all the grades4 ,in the ,gary ,schools and elsewhere the making of things in the shops1 the modelling of a ,panama ,canal1 the inspection of industries and governmental establishments1 the designing1 building1 and decoration of houses1 the discussion and even dramatization of the books read1--all are a logical and inevitable continuation of the abstract knowledge of the schoolroom4 ,the success of the direct application of learning to industrial and professional life may also be observed in such colleges as those at ,cincinnati and ,schenectady1 where young men spend half the time of the course in the shops of manufacturing1 corporations1 often earning more than enough to pay their tuition4 ,children are not only prepared for democratic citizenship by being encouraged to think for themselves1 but also to govern and discipline themselves4 ,on the moral side1 under the authoritative system of lay and religious training1 character was acquired at the expense of mental flexibility--the ,puritan method2 our problem today1 which the new system undertakes1 is to produce character with open-mindedness--the kind of character possessed by many great scientists4 ,absorption in an appropriate task creates a moral will1 while science1 knowledge1 informs the mind why a thing is 8bad0 or 8good10 disintegrating or upbuilding4 ,moreover1 these children are trained for democratic government by the granting of autonomy4 ,they have their own elected officials1 their own courts2 their decisions are1 of course1 subject to reversal by the principal1 but in practice this seldom occurs4 ,the ,gary ,schools and many of the new schools are public schools4 ,and the principle of the new education that the state is primarily responsible for the health of pupils--because an unsound body is apt to make an unsound citizen of backward intelligence--is now being generally adopted by public schools all over the country4 ,this idea is essentially an element of the democratic contention that all citizens must be given an equality of opportunity--though all may not be created equal--now becoming a positive rather than a negative right1 guaranteed by the state itself4 ,an earnest attempt is thus made by the state to give every citizen a fair start that in later years he may have no ground for discontent or complaint4 ,he stands on his own feet1 he rises in proportion to his ability and industry4 ,hence the program of the ,british ,labour ,party rightly lays stress on education1 on 8freedom of mental opportunity40 ,the vast sums it proposes to spend for this purpose are justified4 ,if such a system of education as that briefly outlined above is carefully and impartially considered1 the objection that democratic government founded on modern social science is coercive must disappear4 ,so far as the intention and effort of the state is able to confer it1 every citizen will have his choice of the task he is to perform for society1 his opportunity for self-realization4 ,for freedom without education is a myth4 ,by degrees men and women are making ready to take their places in an emulative rather than a materialistically competitive order4 ,but the experimental aspect of this system should always be borne in mind1 with the fact that its introduction and progress1 like that of other elements in the democratic program1 must be gradual1 though always proceeding along sound lines4 ,for we have arrived at that stage of enlightenment when we realize that the only mundane perfection lies in progress rather than achievement4 ,the millennium is always a lap ahead4 ,there would be no satisfaction in overtaking it1 for then we should have nothing more to do1 nothing more to work for4 ,the ,german ,junkers have prostituted science by employing it for the destruction of humanity4 ,in the name of ,christianity they have waged the most barbaric war in history4 ,yet if they shall have demonstrated to mankind the futility of efficiency achieved merely for material ends2 if1 by throwing them on a world screen1 they shall have revealed the evils of power upheld alone by ruthlessness and force1 they will unwittingly have performed a world service4 ,privilege and dominion1 powers and principalities acquired by force must be sustained by force4 ,to fail will be fatal4 ,even a duped people1 trained in servility1 will not consent to be governed by an unsuccessful autocracy4 ,arrogantly ,germany has staked her all on world domination4 ,hence a victory for the ,allies must mean a democratic ,germany4 ,nothing short of victory4 ,there can be no arrangement1 no agreement1 no parley with or confidence in these modern scions of darkness--,hohenzollerns1 ,hindenburgs1 ,zudendorffs and their tools4 ,propaganda must not cease2 the eyes of ,germans still capable of sight must be opened4 ,but1 as the ,president says1 force must be used to the limit--force for a social end as opposed to force for an evil end4 ,there are those among us who advocate a boycott of ,germany after peace is declared4 ,these would seem to take it for granted that we shall fall short of victory1 and hence that selfish retaliative or vindictive practices between nations1 sanctioned by imperialism1 will continue to flourish after the war4 ,but should ,germany win she will see to it that there is no boycott against her4 ,a compromised peace would indeed mean the perpetuation of both imperialism and militarism4 ,it is characteristic of those who put their faith in might alone that they are not only blind to the finer relationships between individuals and nations1 but take no account of the moral forces in human affairs which in the long run are decisive1--a lack of sensitiveness which explains ,germany's colossal blunders4 ,the first had to do with ,britain4 ,the ,german militarists persisted in the belief that the ,united ,kingdom was degenerated by democracy1 intent upon the acquisition of wealth1 distracted by strife at home1 uncertain of the ,empire1 and thus would selfishly remain aloof while the ,kaiser's armies overran and enslaved the continent4 ,what happened1 to ,germany's detriment1 was the instant socialization of ,britain1 and the binding together of the ,british ,empire4 ,germany's second great blunder was an arrogant underestimation of a self-reliant people of ,english culture and traditions4 ,she believed that we1 too1 had been made flabby by democracy1 were wholly intent upon the pursuit of the dollar--only to learn that ,america would lavish her vast resources and shed her blood for a cause which was ,american4 ,germany herself provided that cause1 shaped the issues so that there was no avoiding them4 ,she provided the occasion for the socializing of ,america also2 and thus brought about1 within a year1 a national transformation which in times of peace might scarce in half a century have been accomplished4 ,above all1 as a consequence of these two blunders1 ,germany has been compelled to witness the consummation of that which of all things she had most to fear1 the cementing of a lasting fellowship between the ,english speaking ,republic and the ,english speaking ,empire4 ,for we had been severed since the #ahth ,century by misunderstandings which of late ,germany herself had been more or less successful in fostering4 ,she has furnished a bond not only between our governments1 but--what is vastly more important for democracy--a bond between our peoples4 ,our soldiers are now side by side with those of the ,empire on the ,frontier of ,freedom2 the blood of all is shed and mingled for a great cause embodied in the ,anglo-,saxon tradition of democracy2 and our peoples1 through the realization of common ideas and common ends1 are learning the supreme lesson of co-operation between nations with a common past1 are being cemented into a union which is the symbol and forerunner of the democratic league of ,nations to come4 ,henceforth1 we believe1 because of this union1 so natural yet so long delayed1 by virtue of the ultimate victory it forecasts1 the sun will never set on the ,empire of the free1 for the drum beats of democracy have been heard around the world4 ,to this ,empire will be added the precious culture of ,france1 which the courage of her sons will have preserved1 the contributions of ,italy1 and of ,russia1 yes1 and of ,japan4 ,our philosophy and our religion are changing2 hence it is more and more difficult to use the old terms to describe moral conduct4 ,we say1 for instance1 that ,america's action in entering the war has been 8unselfish40 ,but this merely means that we have our own convictions concerning the ultimate comfort of the world1 the manner of self-realization of individuals and nations4 ,we are attempting to turn calamity into good4 ,if this terrible conflict shall result in the inauguration of an emulative society1 if it shall bring us to the recognition that intelligence and science may be used for the upbuilding of such an order1 and for an eventual achievement of world peace1 every sacrifice shall have been justified4 ,such is the ,american ,issue4 ,our statesmen and thinkers have helped to evolve it1 our people with their blood and treasure are consecrating it4 ,and these statesmen and thinkers1 of whom our ,american ,president is not the least1 are of democracy the pioneers4 ,from the mountain tops on which they stand they behold the features of the new world1 the dawn of the new day hidden as yet from their brothers in the valley4 ,let us have faith always that it is coming1 and struggle on1 highly resolving that those who gave their lives in the hour of darkness shall not have died in vain4