THE PURSUIT OF IDEALS. 19 



highest ideal of world prosperity and universal peace. 

 Coming from Wales, idealism was perhaps expected from 

 him. He set out two fundamental principles which, rightly 

 applied, he thought would result in benefiting not one, but 

 every nation : 



1st. Let every Land and Nation produce in greatest abun- 

 dance what nature, experience and science, show it 

 can produce best and cheapest. 



2nd. Let there be free international exchange and co-opera- 

 tion in the distribution of these products. Then all 

 the inhabitants of the world could obtain and enjoy 

 some share of the good things the world contains and 

 produces, even though their own country may be poor 

 and cold and unproductive in many things desirable 

 and essential, at the smallest possible cost. 



If each nation will only energetically so produce and exchange, 

 famine everywhere would become almost impossible, and food 

 everywhere much more abundant, varied, and cheap, and 

 toil less slavish. 



High wages could be maintained from the increased pro- 

 duction, hours of labour probably reduced and greater leisure 

 secured for social and intellectual life. 



Don't think life would be easy then ! But it would certainly 

 be easier and much more humane, and it should be our mission 

 to make it so as far as possible. 



As an example of how the spirit of co-operation and friendly 

 rivalry works compared with aggressive hate. Only let us 

 look back on the History of our own country : Begin with the 

 Highland Clans of Scotland their cruelty and injustice! to 

 each other was heart-rending ; now they are brothers all. 

 Come to the bitter and bloody struggles between the English 

 and the Scotch, and the English and the Welsh. Now we are 

 Britons all, and together stand or fall in things national. 



With air service, electricity and steam, we are practically 

 nearer most nations of the world now than were the North of 

 Scotland men to the South of England men in the old coaching 

 days. 



We have great and difficult problems yet to solve among 

 ourselves, but who would return to the old war-like state of 

 things. Is there any reason why all the nations of the earth 

 should not be at least on the same terms as we here are now ? 



The moral law was given by Infinite Wisdom to enable man 

 to make the best of life, alike for himself and for his neighbours. 

 Free Trade seems to me in no way to run counter to it, but to 

 harmonise with it, or I might have less faith in it. 



