make way for the new life which is expanding behind it.
Broadly speaking, we may say that the institution of Patriotism is
_approaching_ this period--at any rate over Western Europe. The outlines
of an International life are becoming clearly visible behind it.

What we have to do is to help on that international life and spirit to
our best, and certainly clear out a lot of sham patriotism that stands
in its way; but this has to be done with discrimination and a certain
tact. People must be made to see that "my country, right or wrong," is
not the genuine article. They must be made to understand how easily this
sort of slapdash sentiment throws them into the hands of scheming
politicians and wire-pullers for sinister purposes--how readily it can
be made use of directly it has become a mere unreasoning instinct and
habit. If a war is wanted, or conscription, or a customs tariff--it may
be merely to suit the coward fears of autocratic rulers, or the selfish
interests of some group of contractors or concession-hunters--all that
the parties concerned have to do is to play the patriotic stop, and they
stand a good chance of getting what they want. Just now there is a good
bit of fleecing going on in this fashion--both of the public and the
wage-workers. Even in its more healthy forms, when delayed in too long,
patriotism easily becomes morbid and delays also the birth of the larger
spirit which is waiting behind it. The Continental Socialists complain
that their cause has hitherto made little progress in Alsace-Lorraine
and Poland for the simple reason that political circumstances have
over-accentuated the patriotic devotion in both these regions.

Thus we have to push on with discrimination. Always we have to remember
that the wide, free sense of equality and kinship which lies at the root
of Internationalism is the real goal, and that the other thing is but a
step on the way, albeit a necessary step. Always we have to press on
towards that great and final liberation--the realization of our common
humanity, the recognition of the same great soul of man slumbering under
all forms in the heart of all races--the one guarantee and assurance of
the advent of World-peace.

That we are verging rapidly towards some altered perspective I quite
believe; and the day is coming when in the social and political spheres
International activity will make excessive patriotism seem somewhat
ridiculous--as, in fact, it has already done in the