eyond that of mere desirability. It is
now a question of commanding necessity, one can
justly say of life and death of the reached stage
of civilisation. Not pious wishes or theoretical
expositions will in regard to it now suffice. We
must have practical proposals, proposals of a
scheme to put disarmament into practice and
proposals of the means to induce the different
states to accept the scheme and to carry it out.

It is a big and pretentious programme here
suggested, the first to be decided by breaks with
the old principle of non-interference in state
affairs. But the times are so exceptional that
extraordinary measures cannot be shunned. If one
sees two lads fight each other with their fists or
even sticks one may well say, "Let them first
fight it out and then we shall see to bring them
to reason." But if they stand on board a ship and,
mad with rage, and, without interruption and
unremittingly, throw incendiary matter at each
other you would rather stop them before the ship
is in flames. Under other conditions it might be
the right thing to convoke a conference to be held
after the war is over. As it is now, reason would
demand not to adjourn the term to that juncture.
This is not the place to adjudicate
responsibilities. Suffice it to say that the
present aspect of the conflict is the worst since
its beginnings and threatens aggravations of its
horrors.

Of all the neutrals none is more predestined to
take the initiative in this grave matter than the
United States of America, by their great power, by
their geographical position, by the ethnological
composition of their citizens and last, but not
least, by their historical traditions they before
all are called to act. The small European nations
are already, as it were, too much under the fire
around them to be so free in their action as is
the government of the giant republic on the
western hemisphere. But that they would with the
greatest readiness join in the convocation of a
conference for the settlement of at least the two
first of the described subjects is sure beyond any
doubt.

The leader in the arrangement of this conference
is, in my opinion, the least objectionable, and at
the same time it is the most promisin