that the society of nations will exist some day. For
the honor of humanity we must hope that it will exist. But it is not
one day's work, nor the speaking of a single discourse nor the writing
of one article that will build it. In M. Clemenceau's words, right can
not be firmly established as long as the world is based on might. To
bring about the rule of Right, Might must be destroyed and driven out
as the very first move in the campaign for ultimate liberty.
German Might will not be destroyed by international compacts to which
Germany will be party. Recall the treaty guaranteeing Belgium's
integrity, which was one that Germany signed. Recall the Hague
Conventions, signed by this same Germany. The men are fools who will
not recall these things, who will not profit by them as examples.
German might will only be destroyed by international agreements to
which Germany is not a party, and which shall place German might
beyond the regions in which it can play a dangerous part.
Now we are not building this upon sand, but upon a foundation of solid
rock.
Germany needs two things to continue her national existence. She must
import from other countries certain products necessary to her
existence. For example, there is wool, of which she was obliged to
import 1,888,481 metric quintals in order to manufacture her sixteen
thousand grades of woolen fabrics. There is copper, of which Germany
imported 250,000 tons in 1913 (200,000 tons came from America), in
order to sell the merchandise she finds has a good market in foreign
countries. Considering all Germany's exports for the period from
1903-1913, we find that their total has passed from 6,400 millions to
12,600 millions, an increase of nearly one hundred per cent.
There lies the best, the true, indeed the only means whereby the
Allies can compel Germany to disarm. We do not demand that the
economic war shall continue after the actual warfare is at an end, but
we can demand that the Allies shall not lay aside their economic arms
when the Germans shall have laid aside their fighting arms. In other
words, we can demand that the Allies do not give Germany wool, copper
and money if they know that this wool, money and copper are to feed
the war machine. This war machine cost the German Empire nearly four
hundred millions of dollars according to the budget of 1914. Suppose
the Allies said to Germany, "As long as you have a military and naval
budget of four hundred millions of doll
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