they　were　discussing　with　very　keen　interest　that　persistent
  question；　〃the　ideal　battery。〃　　But　that　ambulance　sent　a　shaft
  of　light　into　our　carriage；　and　we　stared　together。
  Then　Colonel　Z　pointed　with　two　fingers　and　remarked　to　us；
  without　any　excess　of　admiration：
  〃/America！/〃
  Then　he　shrugged　his　shoulders　and　pulled　down　the　corners　of　his
  mouth。
  We　felt　there　was　nothing　more　to　add　to　that；　and　after　a　little
  pause　the　previous　question　was　resumed。
  I　state　these　things　in　order　to　make　it　clear　that　America　will
  start　at　a　disadvantage　when　she　starts　upon　the　mission　of
  salvage　and　reconciliation　which　is；　I　believe；　her　proper
  role　in　this　world　conflict。　　One　would　have　to　be　blind
  and　deaf　on　this　side　to　be　ignorant　of　European　persuasion　of
  America's　triviality。　　I　would　not　like　to　be　an　American
  travelling　in　Europe　now；　and　those　I　meet　here　and　there　have
  some　of　the　air　of　men　who　at　any　moment　may　be　dunned　for　a
  debt。　　They　explode　without　provocation　into　excuses　and
  expostulations。
  And　I　will　further　confess　that　when　Viscount　Grey　answered　the
  intimations　of　President　Wilson　and　ex…President　Taft　of　an
  American　initiative　to　found　a　World　League　for　Peace；　by　asking
  if　America　was　prepared　to　back　that　idea　with　force；　he　spoke
  the　doubts　of　all　thoughtful　European　men。　　No　one　but　an
  American　deeply　versed　in　the　idiosyncrasies　of　the　American
  population　can　answer　that　question；　or　tell　us　how　far　the
  delusion　of　world　isolation　which　has　prevailed　in　America　for
  several　generations　has　been　dispelled。　　But　if　the　answer　to
  Lord　Grey　is　〃Yes；〃　then　I　think　history　will　emerge　with　a
  complete　justification　of　the　obstinate　maintenance　of　neutrality
  by　America。　　It　is　the　end　that　reveals　a　motive。　　It　is　our
  ultimate　act　that　sometimes　teaches　us　our　original　intention。
  No　one　can　judge　the　United　States　yet。　　Were　you　neutral　because
  you　are　too　mean　and　cowardly；　or　too　stupidly　selfish；　or
  because　you　had　in　view　an　end　too　great　to　be　sacrificed　to　a
  moment　of　indignant　pride　and　a　force　in　reserve　too　precious　to
  dispel？　　That　is　the　still　open　question　for　America。
  Every　country　is　a　mixture　of　many　strands。　　There　is　a　Base
  America；　there　is　a　Dull　America；　there　is　an　Ideal　and　Heroic
  America。　　And　I　am　convinced　that　at　present　Europe　underrates
  and　misjudges　the　possibilities　of　the　latter。
  All　about　the　world　to…day　goes　a　certain　freemasonry　of　thought。
  It　is　an　impalpable　and　hardly　conscious　union　of　intention。　　It
  thinks　not　in　terms　of　national　but　human　experience；　it　falls
  into　directions　and　channels　of　thinking　that　lead　inevitably　to
  the　idea　of　a　world…state　under　the　rule　of　one　righteousness。
  In　no　part　of　the　world　is　this　modern　type　of　mind　so　abundantly
  developed；　less　impeded　by　antiquated　and　perverse　political　and
  religious　forms；　and　nearer　the　sources　of　political　and
  administrative　power；　than　in　America。　　It　does　not　seem　to
  matter　what　thousand　other　things　America　may　happen　to　be；
  seeing　that　it　is　also　that。　　And　so；　just　as　I　cling　to　the
  belief；　in　spite　of　hundreds　of　adverse　phenomena；　that　the
  religious　and　social　stir　of　these　times　must　ultimately　go　far
  to　unify　mankind　under　the　kingship　of　God；　so　do　I　cling　also　to
  the　persuasion　that　there　are　intellectual　forces　among　the
  rational　elements　in　the　belligerent　centres；　among　the　other
  neutrals　and　in　America；　that　will　co…operate　in　enabling　the
  United　States　to　play　that　role　of　the　Unimpassioned　Third
  Party；　which　becomes　more　and　more　necessary　to　a　generally
  satisfactory　ending　of　the　war。
  4
  The　idea　that　the　settlement　of　this　war　must　be　what　one　might
  call　an　unimpassioned　settlement　or；　if　you　will；　a　scientific
  settlement　or　a　judicial　and　not　a　treaty　settlement；　a
  settlement；　that　is；　based　upon　some　conception　of　what　is　right
  and　necessary　rather　than　upon　the　relative　success　or　failure　of
  either　set　of　belligerents　to　make　its　Will　the　standard　of
  decision；　is　one　that；　in　a　great　variety　of　forms　and　partial
  developments；　I　find　gaining　ground　in　the　most　different
  circles。　　The　war　was　an　adventure；　it　was　the　German　adventure
  under　the　Hohenzollern　tradition；　to　dominate　the　world。　　It　was
  to　be　the　last　of　the　Conquests。　　It　has　failed。　　Without　calling
  upon　the　reserve　strength　of　America　the　civilised　world　has
  defeated　it；　and　the　war　continues　now　partly　upon　the　issue
  whether　it　shall　be　made　for　ever　impossible；　and　partly　because
  Germany　has　no　organ　but　its　Hohenzollern　organisation　through
  which　it　can　admit　its　failure　and　develop　its　latent　readiness
  for　a　new　understanding　on　lines　of　mutual　toleration。　　For　that
  purpose　nothing　more　reluctant　could　be　devised　than　Hohenzollern
  imperialism。　　But　the　attention　of　every　new　combatantit　is　not
  only　Germany　nowhas　been　concentrated　upon　military
  necessities；　every　nation　is　a　clenched　nation；　with　its　powers
  of　action　centred　in　its　own　administration；　bound　by　many
  strategic　threats　and　declarations；　and　dominated　by　the　idea　of
  getting　and　securing　advantages。　　It　is　inevitable　that　a
  settlement　made　in　a　conference　of　belligerents　alone　will　be
  shortsighted；　harsh；　limited　by　merely　incidental　necessities；
  and　obsessed　by　the　idea　of　hostilities　and　rivalries　continuing
  perennially；　it　will　be　a　trading　of　advantages　for　subsequent
  attacks。　　It　will　be　a　settlement　altogether　different　in　effect
  as　well　as　in　spirit　from　a　world　settlement　made　primarily　to
  establish　a　new　phase　in　the　history　of　mankind。
  Let　me　take　three　instances　of　the　impossibility　of　complete
  victory　/on　either　side/　giving　a　solution　satisfactory　to
  the　conscience　and　intelligence　of　reasonable　men。
  The　firston　which　I　will　not　expatiate；　for　everyone　knows　of
  its　peculiar　difficultyis　Poland。
  The　second　is　a　little　one；　but　one　that　has　taken　hold　of　my
  imagination。　　In　the　settlement　of　boundaries　preceding　this　war
  the　boundary　between　Serbia　and　north…eastern　Albania　was　drawn
  with　an　extraordinary　disregard　of　the　elementary　needs　of　the
  Albanians　of　that　region。　　It　ran　along　the　foot　of　the　mountains
  which　form　their　summer　pastures　and　their　refuge　from　attack；
  and　it　cut　their　mountains　off　from　their　winter　pastures　and
  market　towns。　　Their　whole　economic　life　was　cut　to　pieces　and
  existence　rendered　intolerable　for　them。　　Now　an　intelligent
  Third　Party　settling　Europe　would　certainly　restore　these　market
  towns；　Ipek；　Jakova；　and　Prisrend；　to　Albania。　　But　the　Albanians
  have　no　standing　in　this　war；　theirs　is　the　happy　lot　that　might
  have　fallen　to　Belgium　had　she　not　resisted；　the　war　goes　to　and
  fro　through　Albania；　and　when　the　settlement　comes；　it　is　highly
  improbable　that　the　slightest　notice　will　be　taken　of　Albania's
  plight　in　the　region。　　In　which　case　these　particular　Albanians
  will　either　be　driven　into　exile　to　America　or　they　will　be
  goaded　to　revolt；　which　will　be　followed　no　doubt　by　the　punitive
  procedure　usual　in　the　Balkan　peninsula。
  For　my　third　instance　I　would　step　from　a　matter　as　small　as
  three　market　towns　and　the　grazing　of　a　few　thousand　head　of
  sheep　to　a　matter　as　big　as　the　world。　　What　is　going　to　happen
  to　the　shipping　of　the　world　after　this　war？　　The　Germans；　with
  that　combination　of　cunning　and　stupidity　which　baffles　the　rest
  of　mankind；　have　set　themselves　to　destroy　the　mercantile　marine
  not　merely　of　Britain　and　France　but　of　Norway　and　Sweden；
  Holland；　and　all　the　neutral　countries。　　The　German　papers　openly
  boast　that　they　are　building　up　a　big　mercantile　marine　that　will
  start　out　to　take　up　the　world's　overseas　trade　directly　peace　is
  declared。　　Every　such　boast　receives　careful　attention　in　the
  British　press。　　We　have　heard　a　very　great　deal　about　the　German
  will…to…power　in　this　war；　but　there　is　something　very　much　older
  and　tougher　and　less　blatant　and　conspicuous；　the　British　will。
  In　the　British　papers　there　has　appeared　and　gained　a　permanent
  footing　this　phrase；　〃ton　for　ton。〃　　This　means　that　Britain　will
  go　on　fighting　until　she　has　exacted　and　taken　over　from　Germany
  the　exact　equivalent　of　all　the　British　shipping　Germany　has
  submarined。　　People　do　not　realise　that　a　time　may　come　when
  Germany　will　be　glad　and　eager　to　give　Russia；　France　and　Italy
  all　that　they　require　of　her；　when　Great　Britain　may　be　quite
  content　to　let　her　allies　make　an　advantageous　peace　and　herself
  still　go　on　fighting　Germany。　　She　does　not　intend　to　let　that
  furtively　created　German　mercantile　marine　ship　or　coal　or　exist
  upon　the　high　seasso　long　as　it　can　be　used　as　an　economic
  weapon　against　her。　　Neither　Britain　nor　France　nor　Italy　can
  tolerate　anything　of　the　sort。
  It　has　been　the　peculiar　boast　of　Great　Britain　that　her　shipping
  has　been　unpatriotic。　　She　has　been　the　impartial　carrier　of　the
  whole　world。　　Her　shippers　may　have　served　their　own　profit；　they
  have　never　served　hers。　　The　fluctuations　of　freight　charges　may
  have　been　a　universal　nuisance；　but　they　have　certainly　not　been
  an　aggressive　national　conspiracy。　　It　is　Britain's　case　against
  any　German　ascendancy　at　sea；　an　entirely　convincing　case；　that
  such　an　ascendancy　wou