receded. World peace has become
not the dream of the poet but the confident hope of the world, whose
realization is the task whose accomplishment is set for the men of
this generation.

One by one the obstacles to world peace are being broken down.
Commerce has destroyed much of international prejudice. Community of
interest has obviated many former causes of quarrel. The sophistical
arguments of the friends of war are being answered by the logic of
hard facts. Warfare has been ameliorated by international agreement.
Vast reaches of territory have been neutralized. Unfortified cities
are no longer to be bombarded in any country. Actual disarmament has
taken place between the United States and Canada, between Chile and
Argentina.[1] Norway and Sweden have separated peaceably. Bulgaria has
achieved her independence without bloodshed. The Dogger Bank incident,
which a century earlier would have plunged England and Russia into
war, has been adjusted amicably. Two Hague Conferences have advanced
tremendously the progress of international amity. Over eighty
arbitration treaties are now in force. We already have a permanent
high court of nations, to which are being referred questions that
would once have resulted in war. And we are nearer than the dreamer of
last century dared hope to "the Parliament of man, the Federation of
the world."

[1] The famous "disarmament" between the Argentine Republic
and Chile was brought about by a series of four documents of
May 28, 1902, one of July 10, 1902, and one of January 9,
1903. A preliminary protocol declares the disposition of both
countries "to remove all causes for trouble in their
international relations." A general treaty of arbitration
unlimited in scope was signed for a period of ten years. A
convention bound each country to "desist from acquiring the
vessels of war now building for them, and from henceforth
making new acquisitions." Article II says that "the two
governments bind themselves not to increase their naval
armaments during a period of five years, without previous
notice." As a result of arbitration resulting from this
series of agreements the frontier was disarmed and remains
free from military posts. New naval programs of both
countries were formulated after the expiration of the period
of abnegation, and dreadnoughts are now in course of
construction.--_Editor._

But not yet has the mill