384 World Federation and Social Progress 



should become more moral, but that they should 

 become more intelligent. It is not necessary that 

 men or nations be asked to sacrifice their interests, 

 but only that they shall recognize what are their 

 true interests. 



The obstacles in the way of world federation are 

 undoubtedly formidable. Among the most im- 

 portant obstacles, besides those produced by the 

 prominence in the minds of men of the philosophy 

 of force, are : land hunger and desire for territorial 

 conquest; the spirit of jingoism and the desire for 

 national expansion; the enormous financial inter- 

 ests involved in the private manufacture of arma- 

 ments ; the special interests created by militarism ; 

 a distrust and even defiance of the principles 

 of international justice; race prejudice and race 

 hatred, egotism and social myopia of the nations; 

 national illusions; the powerful effect of inertia 

 and indifference; traditions and old routines; and 

 the poverty of imagination which results in social 

 fatalism — the belief that federation is impossible 

 or impracticable. ^ 



The advantages of world federation will be 

 irresistible to overcome all obstacles once they are 

 known. The economic advantages alone are 

 fraught with the highest significance for the future 

 welfare of the human race. It offers the only 



^ Novikov has devoted a chapter to the analysis of each of the 

 chief obstacles to world federation in his La federation de V Europe 

 (Paris, 1901), and reaches the conclusion that they are all based 

 upon illusions due to ignorance and the absence of an enlightened 

 public opinion in regard to international relations. 



