I'KKSIDKNT S ADDRESS. 7 



been dominant in Europe, and which has cuhiiinated in the great 

 war, is self-evident. What is not always as clearly recognized 

 is, that it is. and must always be. the natural effect of excessive 

 and self-contained national consciousness, however brought 

 about, to produce conditions which make war inevitable, unless 

 checked by counteracting forces. In the case of a small people 

 an emphasized nationalism may turn in the direction of exclusive- 

 ness which entails atrophy, but in the case of a great nation, 

 alert, ambitious, and progressive, it is much more likely to pro- 

 duce a type of imperialism, which in its turn will be productive 

 of all sorts of antagonisms. Excessive nationalism may produce 

 intensive culture, good and progressive for a time, but let the 

 excess develop into exclusiveness, and the effects can only be 

 detrimental. Its hope of the future lies in the reception and 

 assimilation of new immigrants and new ideas, and a true under- 

 standing of the relation of the part of humanity to the whole. 

 The hope for the great nation is that its consciousness shall be 

 made to tend in the direction of federation and co-operation. 

 Signs are not wanting that there is a strong tendency in that 

 direction to-day, and that what I have termed the lateral interests 

 of humanity may be more and more substituted for the vertical 

 divisions. Such a spirit is to the forefront in the various pleaf^ 

 which are being put forward for the recognition and emphasis 

 of the universal character of such human interests as are to 

 be found in labour, the conditions of industry, food production, 

 the health of the people, edtication, religion, literature, social 

 amenities and civilization in general. All of which means the 

 development of an international consciousness, whch after all 

 points in the right direction, if the solidarity be accepted. This 

 at least must be conceded, that biologically there is little justifica- 

 tion of the limitation oi outlook and interest so often present in 

 the artificial relationships which have hitherto existed between 

 different peoples. 



This need not impinge upon a natural and commendable love 

 rti cotintry. True patriotism is a noble quality, and when kept 

 free from selfishness and greed is productive of the loftiest ideals 

 and the divinest sacrifices. It engenders a healthful spirit of 

 emulation, and like the life-blood coursing through the human 

 body, reaches the remotest member of the nation in the most 

 distant land, and warms in him the consciousness of having a 

 share in a national heritage, and his own little measure of respon- 

 sibility in upholding the best of its traditions. But the perils 

 of excessive patriotism are many and great. To unduly differen- 

 tiate between our own nationality and that of other people tends 

 to the fault of giving an unnatural stress to the word " foreign,'' 

 and to the development of excessive means for self-protection, 

 which may easily become militarism. It may be that the respect 

 begotten by fear has its value, but it can never be the highest 

 kind of respect, and the defence of States against each other must 

 rely more and more in the future on the development of lateral 

 interests, and that consciousness begotten by the international 



