been slowly and painfully built up through the centuries if it will use the force of commerce that stands ready to its hand. This force of commerce can be applied from within. Nations can declare an economic embargo against an offending nation. Or it is more accurate to say the offending nation raises an economic embargo itself by its own act in breaking its pledge to other nations and placing itself outside the pale of civilization by becoming an outlaw. THE QUESTION OF PROFIT OR LOSS Or course, the one apparently strong and valid argument to be brought against economic pressure is that it would bring great loss to the commerce of the nations applying it. But that loss would be far less than the loss brought by war. And there would be no loss whatever if war were avoided. Still to the automobile factories in these great Lake Cities, working over time on war contracts, to the farmer enchanted with the magic of “dollar wheat” and to those especially affected by mounting export balances an economic pressure that resulted in smaller trade may seem an astonishing measure to adopt. But ask the cotton growers who had their market cut from under them by war; consider the virtual moratorium in this country when the exchanges closed, bringing an incalculable loss in shrinkage in security values and affecting all business; consider the industrial survey made in New York and other cities during the past winter showing that unemployment had increased threefold; listen to the poignant human appeal from our Charity Organizations; at least one must grant that the shield of Mars has two sides. And it has always had two sides. But the burnished side is not that which reflects the ghastly image of war. WHAT A TRIAL BALANCE OF COMMERCE SHOWS If a balance could be rightly struck in this country is there any one who believes that our interests would be best served by war in some other country? This is quite apart from any question of humanity or civilization. Let it be a trial balance of commerce alone and it will show a heavy debit against war. And an accounting will show the same result in all other countries. If this be true, with only current commerce entering into the equation, how staggeringly true it becomes when the piled up debts caused by war are considered. Economists who have examined the matter state that this war has already cost over forty billions of dollars. And the end is not yet.