can
develop from the policy which President Wilson pursued in dealing with
Germany before diplomatic relations were broken.

The chief effect of Mr. Wilson's policy is not going to be felt during
this war, but in the future. At the beginning of his administration he
emphasised the fact that in a democracy public opinion was a bigger
factor than armies and navies. If all Europe emerges from this war as
democratic as seems possible now one can see that Mr. Wilson has
already laid the foundation for future international relations between
free people and republican forms of governments. This war has defeated
itself. It is doubtful whether there ever will be another world war
because the opinion of all civilised people is mobilised against war.
After one has seen what war is like, one is against not only war itself
but the things which bring about war. This great war was made possible
because Europe has been expecting and preparing for it ever since 1870
and because the governments of Europe did not take either the people or
their neighbours into their confidence. President Wilson tried to show
while he was president that the people should be fully informed
regarding all steps taken by the Government. In England where the
press has had such a tussle to keep from being curbed by an autocratic
censorship the world has learned new lessons in publicity. The old
policy of keeping from the public unpleasant information has been
thrown overboard in Great Britain because it was found that it harmed
the very foundations of democracy.

[Illustration: A POST-CARD FROM GENERAL VON KLUCK.]

International relations in the future will, to a great extent, be
moulded along the lines of Mr. Wilson's policies during this war.
Diplomacy will be based upon a full discussion of all international
issues. The object of diplomacy will be to reach an understanding to
_prevent_ wars, not to _avoid_ them at the eleventh hour. Just as
enlightened society tries to _prevent_ murder so will civilised nations
in the future try to prevent wars.

Mr. Wilson expressed his faith in this new development in international
affairs by saying that "the opinion of the world is the mistress of the
world."

The important concern to-day is: How can this world opinion be moulded
into a world power?

Opinion cannot be codified like law because it is often the vanguard of
legislation. Public opinion is the reaction of a thousand and one
incidents upon th