The Days of a Man 



La course of treaties, were alien to our policy. "The race for the 

 abyss" (la course vers I'abimi) 1 had raged furiously 

 while we looked on as unsympathetic spectators. 

 Furthermore, though the overwhelming crime of 

 bringing on the war was Germany's alone, other 

 nations were chargeable with "contributory negli- 

 gence" or even occasional provocation. 



In all our dealings with Europe, we had made it 

 plain that America would form no alliance, close or 

 limited, and the second election of Mr. Wilson rested 

 on the fact that "he kept us out of war." That nega- 

 tive position, however, could not be indefinitely pro- 

 longed; circumstances demanded either intervention 

 or mediation, each admitting of no delay, and each 

 requiring firm and positive action upheld by "sus- 

 tained nerve." 



Having, then, reason to think that some form of 

 mediation guaranteeing the integrity of Belgium and 

 France might be within the range of possibility, and 

 no one else taking the lead, I conceived a plan of my 

 own, to the carrying out of which I reserved (as 

 already explained) the proceeds of various lecture 

 campaigns, with promise of further aid, if needed, 

 A plan for from certain friends. In brief, I proposed to go to 

 mediation Amsterdam or Berne with a small group of well- 

 informed Americans, and, working in cooperation 

 with the Central Organization, call in for consultation 

 certain men of character and influence, English, 

 French, and German, in the hope of developing some 

 scheme of progressive mediation which might lead to 

 a "covenanted peace." And I was ready to give 

 money and time even to a bare possibility of success. 

 Then, however, we did not realize that "the Sys- 



1 Jules Prudhommeaux in La Paix par le Droit. 



674] 



