felt；　were　theirs　by　every　right　of　tradition。
  And　it　was　in　Sarajevo；　the　capital　of　Bosnia；　that　the
  archduke　Ferdinand；　heir　to　the　Austrian　throne；　was　murdered
  on　June　28　of　the　year　1914。　The　assassin　was　a　Serbian
  student　who　had　acted　from　purely　patriotic　motives。
  But　the　blame　for　this　terrible　catastrophe　which　was　the
  immediate；　though　not　the　only　cause　of　the　Great　World　War
  did　not　lie　with　the　half…crazy　Serbian　boy　or　his　Austrian
  victim。　It　must　be　traced　back　to　the　days　of　the　famous
  Berlin　Conference　when　Europe　was　too　busy　building　a　material
  civilisation　to　care　about　the　aspirations　and　the　dreams
  of　a　forgotten　race　in　a　dreary　corner　of　the　old　Balkan
  peninsula。
  A　NEW　WORLD
  THE　GREAT　WAR　WHICH　WAS　REALLY　THE
  STRUGGLE　FOR　A　NEW　AND
  BETTER　WORLD
  THE　Marquis　de　Condorcet　was　one　of　the　noblest　characters
  among　the　small　group　of　honest　enthusiasts　who　were
  responsible　for　the　outbreak　of　the　great　French　Revolution。
  He　had　devoted　his　life　to　the　cause　of　the　poor　and　the　unfortunate。
  He　had　been　one　of　the　assistants　of　d'Alembert　and
  Diderot　when　they　wrote　their　famous　Encyclopedie。　During
  the　first　years　of　the　Revolution　he　had　been　the　leader　of　the
  Moderate　wing　of　the　Convention。
  His　tolerance；　his　kindliness；　his　stout　common　sense；　had
  made　him　an　object　of　suspicion　when　the　treason　of　the　king
  and　the　court　clique　had　given　the　extreme　radicals　their　chance
  to　get　hold　of　the　government　and　kill　their　opponents。
  Condorcet　was　declared　‘‘hors　de　loi；''　or　outlawed；　an　outcast
  who　was　henceforth　at　the　mercy　of　every　true　patriot。　His
  friends　offered　to　hide　him　at　their　own　peril。　Condorcet
  refused　to　accept　their　sacrifice。　He　escaped　and　tried　to　reach
  his　home；　where　he　might　be　safe。　After　three　nights　in　the
  open；　torn　and　bleeding；　he　entered　an　inn　and　asked　for　some
  food。　The　suspicious　yokels　searched　him　and　in　his　pockets
  they　found　a　copy　of　Horace；　the　Latin　poet。　This　showed
  that　their　prisoner　was　a　man　of　gentle　breeding　and　had　no
  business　upon　the　highroads　at　a　time　when　every　educated
  person　was　regarded　as　an　enemy　of　the　Revolutionary　state。
  They　took　Condorcet　and　they　bound　him　and　they　gagged
  him　and　they　threw　him　into　the　village　lock…up；　but　in　the
  morning　when　the　soldiers　came　to　drag　him　back　to　Paris　and
  cut　his　head　off；　behold！　he　was　dead。
  This　man　who　had　given　all　and　had　received　nothing　had
  good　reason　to　despair　of　the　human　race。　But　he　has　written
  a　few　sentences　which　ring　as　true　to…day　as　they　did　one
  hundred　and　thirty　years　ago。　I　repeat　them　here　for　your
  benefit。
  ‘‘Nature　has　set　no　limits　to　our　hopes；''　he　wrote；　‘‘and
  the　picture　of　the　human　race；　now　freed　from　its　chains　and
  marching　with　a　firm　tread　on　the　road　of　truth　and　virtue
  and　happiness；　offers　to　the　philosopher　a　spectacle　which
  consoles　him　for　the　errors；　for　the　crimes　and　the　injustices
  which　still　pollute　and　afflict　this　earth。''
  The　world　has　just　passed　through　an　agony　of　pain　compared
  to　which　the　French　Revolution　was　a　mere　incident。
  The　shock　has　been　so　great　that　it　has　killed　the　last　spark　of
  hope　in　the　breasts　of　millions　of　men。　They　were　chanting　a
  hymn　of　progress；　and　four　years　of　slaughter　followed　their
  prayers　for　peace。　‘‘Is　it　worth　while；''　so　they　ask；　‘‘to　work
  and　slave　for　the　benefit　of　creatures　who　have　not　yet　passed
  beyond　the　stage　of　the　earliest　cave　men？''
  There　is　but　one　answer。
  That　answer　is　‘‘Yes！''
  The　World　War　was　a　terrible　calamity。　But　it　did　not
  mean　the　end　of　things。　On　the　contrary　it　brought　about　the
  coming　of　a　new　day。
  It　is　easy　to　write　a　history　of　Greece　and　Rome　or　the
  Middle　Ages。　The　actors　who　played　their　parts　upon　that
  long…forgotten　stage　are　all　dead。　We　can　criticize　them　with
  a　cool　head。　The　audience　that　applauded　their　efforts　has
  dispersed。　Our　remarks　cannot　possibly　hurt　their　feelings。
  But　it　is　very　difficult　to　give　a　true　account　of　contemporary
  events。　The　problems　that　fill　the　minds　of　the　people
  with　whom　we　pass　through　life；　are　our　own　problems；　and
  they　hurt　us　too　much　or　they　please　us　too　well　to　be　described
  with　that　fairness　which　is　necessary　when　we　are　writing
  history　and　not　blowing　the　trumpet　of　propaganda。　All
  the　same　I　shall　endeavour　to　tell　you　why　I　agree　with　poor
  Condorcet　when　he　expressed　his　firm　faith　in　a　better　future。
  Often　before　have　I　warned　you　against　the　false　impression
  which　is　created　by　the　use　of　our　so…called　historical
  epochs　which　divide　the　story　of　man　into　four　parts；　the　ancient
  world；　the　Middle　Ages；　the　Renaissance　and　the　Reformation；
  and　Modern　Time。　The　last　of　these　terms　is　the　most
  dangerous。　The　word　‘‘modern''　implies　that　we；　the　people
  of　the　twentieth　century；　are　at　the　top　of　human　achievement。
  Fifty　years　ago　the　liberals　of　England　who　followed　the　leadership
  of　Gladstone　felt　that　the　problem　of　a　truly　representative
  and　democratic　form　of　government　had　been　solved　forever
  by　the　second　great　Reform　Bill；　which　gave　workmen
  an　equal　share　in　the　government　with　their　employers。　When
  Disraeli　and　his　conservative　friends　talked　of　a　dangerous
  ‘‘leap　in　the　dark''　they　answered　‘‘No。''　They　felt　certain　of
  their　cause　and　trusted　that　henceforth　all　classes　of　society
  would　co…operate　to　make　the　government　of　their　common
  country　a　success。　Since　then　many　things　have　happened；
  and　the　few　liberals　who　are　still　alive　begin　to　understand
  that　they　were　mistaken。
  There　is　no　definite　answer　to　any　historical　problem。
  Every　generation　must　fight　the　good　fight　anew　or　perish
  as　those　sluggish　animals　of　the　prehistoric　world　have
  perished。
  If　you　once　get　hold　of　this　great　truth　you　will　get　a　new
  and　much　broader　view　of　life。　Then；　go　one　step　further
  and　try　to　imagine　yourself　in　the　position　of　your　own　great…
  great…grandchildren　who　will　take　your　place　in　the　year
  10；000。　They　too　will　learn　history。　But　what　will　they
  think　of　those　short　four　thousand　years　during　which　we　have
  kept　a　written　record　of　our　actions　and　of　our　thoughts？
  They　will　think　of　Napoleon　as　a　contemporary　of　Tiglath
  Pileser；　the　Assyrian　conqueror。　Perhaps　they　will　confuse
  him　with　Jenghiz　Khan　or　Alexander　the　Macedonian。　The
  great　war　which　has　just　come　to　an　end　will　appear　in　the　light
  of　that　long　commercial　conflict　which　settled　the　supremacy
  of　the　Mediterranean　when　Rome　and　Carthage　fought　during
  one　hundred　and　twenty…eight　years　for　the　mastery　of　the　sea。
  The　Balkan　troubles　of　the　19th　century　（the　struggle　for
  freedom　of　Serbia　and　Greece　and　Bulgaria　and　Montenegro）
  to　them　will　seem　a　continuation　of　the　disordered　conditions
  caused　by　the　Great　Migrations。　They　will　look　at　pictures
  of　the　Rheims　cathedral　which　only　yesterday　was　destroyed
  by　German　guns　as　we　look　upon　a　photograph　of　the　Acropolis
  ruined　two　hundred　and　fifty　years　ago　during　a　war
  between　the　Turks　and　the　Venetians。　They　will　regard　the
  fear　of　death；　which　is　still　common　among　many　people；　as　a
  childish　superstition　which　was　perhaps　natural　in　a　race　of
  men　who　had　burned　witches　as　late　as　the　year　1692。　Even
  our　hospitals　and　our　laboratories　and　our　operating　rooms
  of　which　we　are　so　proud　will　look　like　slightly　improved
  workshops　of　alchemists　and　mediaeval　surgeons。
  And　the　reason　for　all　this　is　simple。　We　modern　men　and
  women　are　not　‘‘modern''　at　all。　On　the　contrary　we　still
  belong　to　the　last　generations　of　the　cave…dwellers。　The　foundation
  for　a　new　era　was　laid　but　yesterday。　The　human　race
  was　given　its　first　chance　to　become　truly　civilised　when　it　took
  courage　to　question　all　things　and　made　‘‘knowledge　and
  understanding''　the　foundation　upon　which　to　create　a　more
  reasonable　and　sensible　society　of　human　beings。　The　Great
  War　was　the　‘‘growing…pain''　of　this　new　world。
  For　a　long　time　to　come　people　will　write　mighty　books　to
  prove　that　this　or　that　or　the　other　person　brought　about　the
  war。　The　Socialists　will　publish　volumes　in　which　they　will　ac…
  cuse　the　‘‘capitalists''　of　having　brought　about　the　war　for　‘‘commercial
  gain。''　The　capitalists　will　answer　that　they　lost　infinitely
  more　through　the　war　than　they　madethat　their　children
  were　among　the　first　to　go　and　fight　and　be　killedand
  they　will　show　how　in　every　country　the　bankers　tried　their
  very　best　to　avert　the　outbreak　of　hostilities。　French　historians
  will　go　through　the　register　of　German　sins　from　the
  days　of　Charlemagne　until　the　days　of　William　of　Hohenzollern
  and　German　historians　will　return　the　compliment　and
  will　go　through　the　list　of　French　horrors　from　the　days　of
  Charlemagne　until　the　days　of　President　Poincare。　And
  then　they　will　establish　to　their　own　satisfaction　that　the　other
  fellow　was　guilty　of　‘‘causing　th