that the problem is
solved. Let us suppose that the society of nations, made up
of all the nations, had been created by common accord about
the year 1910 or 1912. What would it have accomplished?
After the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the
Hague Tribunal, or perhaps the Washington Tribunal, would
have made inquiry into the conditions of the murder. It
would have taken certain steps. And if Austria, still
dissatisfied, had invaded Serbia for the sake of revenge or
to give scope to her ambitious designs, if Germany had
joined with her in this, then all the other allied nations,
in the performance of their duty, would have entered into a
war against the central powers in order to force them to
respect the liberties and the integrity of little Serbia.
For there can be no rule without sanction therefore. No
international law is possible if there does not exist at the
service of this law the "organized force that is superior to
that of any nation or to that of any alliance of nations" of
which President Wilson speaks.

If the society of nations had existed in 1914 and if Germany
had violated its laws, the entire world would have taken
military action against Germany by means of war, economic
action by means of blockade and of depriving her of the
necessities of life. The entire world would have been at war
with her and her allies. And in order that the league of
nations might continue to exist, in order that the rule of
justice, scarcely outlined, could have continued to exist,
the victory of the entente powers would have been as
necessary as it is today. Mr. Lloyd-George and President
Wilson would have said, as they say today, "No league of
nations without victory."

The difference is that in 1914 a verdict in the case would
have been handed down by the common tribunal of the nations,
and that there would have been no possible discussion of the
violations of right committed by Germany nor on the
responsibility for having caused the war.

The difference would have been that in place of seeing the
neutral nations hesitating, frightened by German force,
disturbed by German lies, rallying only under the protection
of one of the Entente armies, at the moment when they had
seen on which side lay right, they wou