f Nations and supplying it with the rudiments of an
organisation.

How this could be accomplished in a very simple way the following three
lectures attempt to show. They likewise offer some very slight outlines
of a scheme for setting up International Councils of Conciliation as
well as an International Court of Justice comprising a number of
Benches. I would ask the reader kindly to take these very lightly
outlined schemes for what they are worth. Whatever may be their defects
they indicate a way out of some of the great difficulties which beset
the realisation of the universal demand for International Councils of
Conciliation and an International Court of Justice.

It is well known that several of the allied Governments have appointed
Committees to study the problem of a League of Nations and to prepare a
scheme which could be put before the coming Peace Congress. But unless
all, or at any rate all the more important, neutral States are
represented, it will be impossible for an all-embracing League of
Nations to be created by that Congress; although a scheme could well be
adopted which would keep the door open for all civilised States.
However, until all these States have actually been received within the
charmed circle, the League will not be complete nor its aims fully
realised. Whatever the coming Peace Congress may be able to achieve with
regard to a scheme for the establishment of the League of Nations,
another--the third--Hague Peace Conference will be needed to set it
going.

L. OPPENHEIM.

P.S.--While this Preface and volume were going through the Press,
Austria-Hungary and Germany surrendered, and unprecedented
revolutions broke out which swept the Hapsburg, the Hohenzollern,
and all the other German dynasties away. No one can foresee what
will be the ultimate fate and condition of those two once mighty
empires. It is obvious that, had the first and second lectures been
delivered after these stirring events took place, some of the views
to be found therein expressed would have been modified or
differently expressed. I may ask the reader kindly to keep this in
mind while reading the following pages. However, the general bearing
of the arguments, and the proposals for the organisation of the
League of Nations and the establishment of an International Court of
Justice and International Councils of Concilia