CH. xxn THE CAU.SES OF WAR, AND THE REMEDIES 385 



All civilized governments, whatever may be their pro- 

 fessions, act on the principle that extension of territory and 

 the absorption of adjacent or remote lands, so as to increase 

 both the extent of country and the population over which 

 they have SAvay, is a good in itself, quite irrespective of 

 the consent of the peoples so absorbed and governed, and 

 even when the peoples are alien in race, in language, and 

 in religion. Although they may not openly avow their 

 acceptance of this doctrine, yet they invariably act upon 

 it, though in some cases they think it necessary to make 

 excuses for their action. They declare that such conquest 

 and absorption is necessary for the national safety, for the 

 increase of trade, and for many other reasons. The 

 majority of the workers, and of educated people who do 

 not belong to the ruling or the military classes, however, 

 do not accept this principle. They more or less decisively 

 hold the opinion that governments can only justly derive 

 their power from the consent of the governed, and that all 

 wars for territory and all conquests of alien peoples are 

 wrong. 



The reason of this difference of opinion is very simple. 

 Ever}^ addition of territory, every fresh conquest even of 

 barbarous nations or of savages, provides outlets and 

 additional places of power and profit for the ever-in- 

 creasing numbers of the ruling classes, while it also 

 provides employment and advancement for an in- 

 creased military class, in first subduing and then co- 

 ercing the subject populations, and in preparing for the 

 inevitable frontier disputes and the resulting further 

 extensions of territory. Wars and conquests and ever- 

 expanding territories are thus found to be essential to 

 their existence and continued power as superior classes. 

 But the people outside these classes derive little, if any, 

 benefit from such extensions, while they invariably suffer 

 from increased taxation, either temporarily or permanently, 

 due to increased armaments which the protection of the 

 enlarged territory requires. Almost without exception 

 every war of modern times has been a dynastic war — a war 

 conceived and carried out in the interests of the two great 

 governing classes, but having no relation whatever to the 

 VOL. II c c 



