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646 War and Self-Determinationin this just and miraculous peace there are no annexations, onlyrectified arrangements of control and territory, — but trustees,mandatories. A mandate from the League will be the safeguardof these less fortunate peoples. For we are, it seems, about to livein quite a new moralised world in which the general conscienceof mankind will be wide awake and effective and the League isthere to represent it. As its representative it will take a periodicalreport of their trust from the trustees, — who also as the greatpowers of the League will be themselves at once mandatories,leaders and deputies of this same general conscience. All existingforces are represented in just proportions in this very remarkableconstitution.The idealist may find much to object against the perpetuationand hardening of the unideal existent fact on which the systemof the League is founded, but undoubtedly that system hasa good deal to say for itself, can urge very urgent considerationsfrom the point of view of practical possibility. One indispensablecondition of its success is a solid central authority, strong andpermanent, capable of enforcing its decisions, and it must bean organ which all nations can accept as the natural head andfaithful dynamic expression of the corporate being of mankind.As far as is at all practicable at the moment, here is, it may besaid, just such an authority. The international body of mankindis still an amorphous mass, its constituent peoples unaccustomedto act together, heterogeneous by virtue of their various degreesof development, organised power, experience, civilisation: a freegeneral assembly, a parliament of the world, an equal federationof mankind, is out of the question; even an equal federation offree and civilised peoples is likely to be an incoherent and futilebody incapable of effective corporate action. What is to enforceand give practicality to the general needs and desires if not thepower, influence, authority and, where need is, the strong armof the great nations and empires acting in concert but with a dueregard for the common interests and general voice? Who else areto determine preponderatingly the decisions they will have toenforce or can give to them a permanent principle or sustainedpractical policy? No combination of little American republics