m blinding prejudice, thoughtfulness, a real desire for
truth, and enough common sense to understand that to talk of adding three
quarts of milk to three-quarters of a mile is to talk nonsense.

Chapter II. Childhood of Humanity

The conclusion of the World War is the closing of the period of the
childhood of humanity. This childhood, as any childhood, can be
characterized as devoid of any real understanding of values, as is that of
a child who uses a priceless chronometer to crack nuts.

This childhood has been unduly long, but happily we are near to the end of
it, for humanity, shaken by this war, is coming to its senses and must
soon enter its manhood, a period of great achievements and rewards in the
new and real sense of values dawning upon us.

The sacred dead will not have died for naught; the "red wine of youth,"
the wanton waste of life, has shown us the price of life, and we will have
to keep our oath to make the future worthy of their sweat and blood.

Early ideas are not necessarily true ideas.

There are different kinds of interpretations of history and different
schools of philosophy. All of them have contributed something to human
progress, but none of them has been able to give the world a basic
philosophy embracing the whole progress of science and establishing the
life of man upon the abiding foundation of Fact.

Our life is bound to develop according to evident or else concealed laws
of nature. The evident laws of nature were the inspiration of genuine
science in its cradle; and their interpretations or misinterpretations
have from the earliest times formed systems of law, of ethics, and of
philosophy.

Human intellect, be it that of an individual or that of the race, forms
conclusions which have to be often revised before they correspond
approximately to facts. What we call progress consists in coordinating
ideas with realities. The World War has taught something to everybody. It
was indeed a great reality; it accustomed us to think in terms of reality
and not in those of phantom speculation. Some unmistakable truths were
revealed. Facts and force were the things that counted. Power had to be
produced to destroy hostile power; it was found that the old political and
economic systems were not adequate to the task put upon them. The world
had to create new economic conditions; it was obliged to supplement the
old systems with special boards for food, coal, railroads, shipping,
labor, et