which periodically, within fixed intervals, assemble without
being convened by one Power or another. If this were done, we could say
that the hitherto unorganised Community of States had turned into an
organised League of Nations, for by such periodically assembling Hague
Peace Conferences there would be established an organ for the conduct
of all such international matters as require international legislation
or other international action.

However that may be, the organisation created by the fact that the Hague
Peace Conferences periodically assembled, would only be an immature one;
more steps would be necessary in order that the organisation of the
Community of States might become more perfect and more efficient. Yet
progress would be slow, for every attempt at a progressive step meets
with opposition, and it would be only when the _international_ interests
of the civilised States become victorious over their particular
_national_ interests that the Community of States would gradually
receive a more perfect organisation.

VI. There is no doubt that the experiences of mankind during the World
War have been quickening development more than could have been expected
in normal times. The universal demand for a new League of Nations
accepting the principles that every judicial dispute amongst nations
must be settled by International Courts and that every political dispute
must, before the parties resort to arms, be brought before a Council of
Conciliation, demonstrates clearly that the Community of States must now
deliberately give itself some kind of organisation, because without it
the principles just mentioned cannot be realised.

Now a number of schemes for the organisation of a new League of Nations
have been made public. They all agree upon the three aims of the League
and the three rules for the realisation of these aims which I mentioned
in my first lecture, namely compulsory settlement of all judicial
disputes by International Courts of Justice, compulsory mediation in
cases of political disputes by an International Council of Conciliation,
and the duty of the members of the League to turn against any one member
which should resort to arms in violation of the principles laid down by
the League. However, these schemes differ very much with regard to the
_organisation_ of the League. I cannot now discuss the various schemes
in detail. It must suffice to say that some of them embody proposals for
a more or less st