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Foreword to the First EditionTHE FOUR essays published in this volume 1 were notwritten at one time or conceived with any intentionalconnection between them in idea or purpose. The firstwas written in the early months of the war, two others whenit was closing, the last recently during the formation and firstoperations of that remarkably ill-jointed, stumbling and hesitatingmachine, the League of Nations. But still they happen tobe bound together by a common idea or at least look at fourrelated subjects from a single general standpoint, — the obviousbut practically quite forgotten truth that the destiny of the racein this age of crisis and revolution will depend much more on thespirit which we are than on the machinery we shall use. A fewwords on the present bearing of this truth by way of forewordmay not be out of place.The whole difficulty of the present situation turns uponthe peculiar and critical character of the age in which we areliving. It is a period of immense and rapid changes so swift thatfew of us who live among them can hope to seize their wholeburden or their inmost meaning or to form any safe estimateof their probable outcome. Great hopes are abroad, high andlarge ideals fill the view, enormous forces are in the field. Itis one of those vast critical moments in the life of the racewhen all is pressing towards change and reconstitution. Theideals of the future, especially the ideals of freedom, equality,commonalty, unity, are demanding to be brought out from theirlimited field in the spiritual life or the idealism of the few andto be given some beginning of a true soul of action and bodilyshape in the life of the race. But banded against any such fulfilmentthere are powerful obstacles, and the greatest of them1 The present edition includes two additional essays. — Ed.