The Project Gutenberg EBook of The War and Democracy
by R.W. Seton-Watson, J. Dover Wilson, Alfred E. Zimmern,
and Arthur Greenwood

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Title: The War and Democracy

Authors: R.W. Seton-Watson, J. Dover Wilson, Alfred E. Zimmern,
and Arthur Greenwood

Release Date: January 10, 2004 [EBook #10668]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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THE WAR AND DEMOCRACY

by

R.W. SETON-WATSON, _D.Litt_.
J. DOVER WILSON
ALFRED E. ZIMMERN
and
ARTHUR GREENWOOD

1915

* * * * *
TO

The Workers' Educational Association

* * * * *

When wilt Thou save the people?
O God of mercy, when?
Not kings and lords, but nations!
Not thrones and crowns, but men!
Flowers of Thy heart, O God, are they;
Let them not pass, like weeds, away--
Their heritage a sunless day.
God save the people!

EBENEZER ELLIOTT.

"To remake the map of Europe, and to rearrange the peoples in accordance
with the special mission assigned to each of them by geographical, ethnical
and historical conditions--this is the first essential step for all."

MAZZINI (1832).

* * * * *

PREFACE

For many years past the prospect of universal war has haunted the dreams of
pacificists and militarists alike. Many of us, without denying its growing
menace, hoped against hope that it might be averted by the gradual
strengthening of international goodwill and mutual intercourse, and the
steady growth of democratic influences and political thought. But our
misgivings proved more prophetic than our hopes; and last August the great
war came upon us like a thief in the night. After four months of war we
feel that, in spite of the splendid response of the nation at large, in
spite of a unanimity which has no parallel in our previous history, there
are still large sections of the community who fail to realise the vastness
of the issues at stake, the formidable nature of the forces ranged agains