defects and as a
support of international morality. Nothing could well be more speculative
or vague than this, and we have already seen the kind of difficulties
which surround the conception, especially the conflict between a
collective European constraint and an eager and energetic patriotism. We
must not, however, be deterred by the nebulous character of some of the
ideals which are floating through our minds. Ideals are always nebulous,
and always resisted by the narrow sort of practical men who suggest that
we are metaphysical dreamers unaware of the stern facts of life.
Nevertheless, the actual progress of the world depends on the visions of
idealists, and when the time comes for the reconstitution of Europe on a
new basis we must already have imaginatively thought out some of the ends
towards which we are striving. We must also be careful not to narrow our
conceptions to the level of immediate needs--that is not the right way of
any reform. Our conceptions must be as large and as wide and as
philanthropical as imagination can make them; otherwise Europe will miss
one of the greatest opportunities that it has ever had to deal with, and
we shall incur the bitterest of all disappointments--not to be awake when
the dawn appears.

GREATNESS OF STATES

What, then, are some of those nebulous visions which come before the minds
of eager idealists? We have got to envisage for ourselves a new idea of
what constitutes greatness in a state. Hitherto we have measured national
greatness by military strength, because most of the European nations have
attained their present position through successful war. So long as we
cherish a notion like this, so long shall we be under the heel of a
grinding militarism. We have set out as crusaders to destroy Prussian
militarism, and in pursuit of this quest we have invoked, as a matter of
necessity, the aid of our militarists. But when their work is done, all
peoples who value freedom and independence will refuse to be under the
heel of any military party. To be great is not, necessarily, to be strong
for war. There are other qualities which ought to enter into the
definition, a high standard of civilisation and culture--not culture in
the Prussian sense, but that which we understand by the term--the great
development and extension of knowledge, room for the discoveries of
science, quick susceptibility in the domain of art, the organisation of
literature--all these things are part and pa