To-day the uprising of Socialist ideals, of the power of Trade Unions, and especially the formation of International Unions, show us that we are on the verge of this third stage. We are shaping our way towards the real Democracy, with the attainment of which wars--though they will not cease from the world--will certainly become much rarer. The international _entente_ already establishing itself among the manual workers of all the European countries--and which has now become an accepted principle of the Labour movement--is a guarantee and a promise of a more peaceful era; and those who know the artisans and peasants of this and other countries know well how little enmity they harbour in their breasts against each other. Racial and religious wars will no doubt for long continue; but wars to satisfy the ambitions of a military clique or a personal ruler, or the ambitions of a commercial group, or the schemes of financiers, or the engineering of the Press--wars from these all too fruitful causes will, under a sensible Democracy, cease. If Britain, during the last twenty years, had really favoured the cause of the People and their international understanding, there would have been no war now, for her espousal of the mass-peoples' cause would have made her so strong that it would have been too risky for any Government to attack her. But of course that could not have happened, for the simple reason that Conservatism and Liberalism are not Democracy. Conservatism is Feudalism, Liberalism is Commercialism, and Socialism only is in its essence Democracy. It is no good scolding at Sir Edward Grey for making friends with the Russian Government; for his only alternative would have been to join the "International"--which he certainly could not do, being essentially a creature of the commercial regime. The "Balance of Power" and the _ententes_ and alliances of Figure-head Governments _had_ to go on, till the day--which we hope is at hand--when Figure-heads will be no more needed. FOOTNOTES: [2] Reprinted by kind permission from the _English Review_ for December, 1914. [3] As an example of this belief, read the manifesto of Professor Eucken, who represents such a large section of German opinion, and note the absolute sincerity of its tone--as well as its simplicity. [4] _Wars and Capitalism_, by P. Kropotkin. (Freedom Press.) [5] See _Nash's Magazine_ for October, 1914, article by "Diplomatist." [6] Ibid. [7] In order to realize how easy such a process is, we have only to remember the steps by which the outbreak of the Boer War in 1899 was engineered. [8] Of course we must remember that there has been all along and is now in Germany a very large party, Socialist and other, which has _not_ been thus carried away; but for the moment its mouth is closed and it cannot make itself heard. [9] See Kropotkin's _War and Capitalism_, p. 12. [10] See note _infra_ on "Commercial Prosperity," p. 167. (Chapter XI below) IV THE CASE AGAINST GERMANY;