NOTES 301 



And much of the same sort may be said (but cannot be said 

 now) of those who rule other nations. 



Conclusion 



The war is the war, not of the nations, but of their mis- 

 rulers. The nations have been driven like sheep to the 

 slaughter. They have done their duty. But what of those 

 who plunged them into this tragedy ? 



The world is full of indignation. Who are these people 

 who govern us ? Hereditary princes, political adventurers, 

 hustings-orators. What sanction of superior wisdom and 

 virtue can they show to justify their position ? After the 

 war, the blood of our million sons and the sorrow of our 

 million daughters will demand the reply. 



Mankind, to which its own higher elements have given 

 dominion over earth, air, and sea, still remains the slave of its 

 own lower elements. The problem of the future is to discover 

 how freedom from this slavery — the real slavery — can be won. 

 Let us now proceed to examine one cause, and perhaps the 

 immediate cause, of the evil. 



The Reform of Democracy 



Distinctions 



Every one agrees that the world's first duty after the war 

 will be to attempt to render future wars impossible. This 

 implies the reform of all existing types of government. 



The politicians pretend that the war was due only to Prus- 

 sian militarism. So it was — in a positive sense. But in a 

 negative sense it was also greatly due to their own neglect of 

 the lessons of history and preference of personal and party 

 interests to those of their country. Moreover, we must not 

 forget that many wars and rebellions have occurred between 

 and in democracies, and that our party politicians nearly pro- 

 duced a civil war in Ireland just before the present greater 

 conflict began. Even if international wars are put a stop to, 

 there will still be nothing to prevent incessant internal revolu- 

 tions, separatist wars, and labour-wars in future democracies 

 existing under the names of Right and Liberty. 1 



1 On July 20 Mr. Lloyd George said that " Democracy is itself a guarantee of 

 peace." Hardly; but no real democracy would be capable of the long-premeditated 

 aggression of the German oligarchy. 

 20 



