o this: How can the
small or smaller nations be protected from attack by some larger
nation which believes that might makes right and is mighty in
industries, commerce, finance, and the military and naval arts? The
experience gained during the past year proves that there is but one
effective protection against such a power, namely, a firm league of
other powers--not necessarily numerous--which together are stronger in
industries, commerce, finance, and the military and naval arts than
the aggressive and ambitious nation which heartily believes in its own
invincibility and cherishes the ambition to conquer and possess.

Such a league is the present combination of Great Britain, France,
Russia, Italy, and Japan against the aggressive Central Monarchies and
Turkey; but this combination was not formed deliberately and with
conscious purpose to protect small States, to satisfy natural
national aspirations, and to make durable peace possible by removing
both fear of invasion and fear of the cutting off of overseas food and
raw materials. In spite of the lack of an explicit and comprehensive
purpose to attain these wise and precious ends, the solidity of the
alliance during a year of stupendous efforts to resist military
aggression on the part of Germany and Austria-Hungary certainly
affords good promise of success for a somewhat larger league in which
all the European nations--some, like the Scandinavian and the Balkans,
by representation in groups--and the United States should be included.
Such a league would have to act through a distinct and permanent
council or commission which would not serve arbitrary power, or any
peculiar national interest, and would not in the least resemble the
"Concert of Europe," or any of the disastrous special conferences of
diplomatists and Ministers for Foreign Affairs, called after wars
since that of 1870-71 to "settle" the questions the wars raised.

The experience of the past twelve months proves that such a league
could prevent any nation which disobeyed its orders from making use of
the oceans and from occupying the territory of any other nation.
Reduction of armaments, diminution of taxation, and durable peace
would ensue as soon as general confidence was established that the
league would fairly administer international justice, and that its
military and naval forces were ready and effective. Its function would
be limited to the prevention and punishment of violation of
international a