ternal and external
much greater than those which she would incur by intervention. Third,
that if America's influence is in the manner indicated made the deciding
factor in the establishment of a new form of world society, she would
virtually take the leadership of Western civilization, and her capital
become the centre of the political organization of the new world State.
While "world domination" by military means has always proved a dangerous
diet for all nations that have eaten of it heretofore, the American form
of that ambition would have this great difference from earlier
forms--that it would be welcomed instead of being resisted by the
dominated. America would have given a new meaning to the term and found
a means of satisfying national pride, certainly more beneficial than
that which comes of military glory.

I envisage the whole problem, however, first and last in this
discussion on the basis of America's interest; and the test which I
would apply to the alternatives now presenting themselves is simply
this: What on balance is most advantageous, in the broadest and largest
sense of the term, in its moral as well as its material sense, to
American interest?

Now I know full well that there is much to be said against the step
which I think America should initiate. I suppose the weight of the
reasons against it would be in some such order as the following: First,
that it is a violation of the ancient tradition of American statecraft
and of the rule laid down by Washington concerning the avoidance of
entangling alliances. Second, that it may have the effect which he
feared of dragging this country into war on matters in which it had no
concern. Third, that it will militarize the country, and so, Fourth,
lead to the neglect of those domestic problems upon which the progress
of our nation depends.

I will take the minor points first and will deal with the major
consideration presently.

First, I would remind the reader of what I pointed out in the last
article, that there is no such thing as being unaffected by the military
policies of Europe, and there never has been. At this present moment a
campaign for greatly increased armaments is being waged on the strength
of what is taking place in the Old World, and our armaments are directly
and categorically dictated by what foreign nations do in the matter. So
that it is not a question in practice of being independent of the
policies of other nations; we are not ind