war have caused my general confidence in the orderly progress of civilization somewhat to readjust itself.  I think that any man who looks over the world and who knows something of the history of human society—­I mean any American who really believes in democracy and in human progress—­is somewhat saddened to see the exceeding slowness of that progress.  In the early days of our Republic hopeful Americans held the opinion that the other countries of the world would follow our example; that is to say, would educate the people, would give the masses a chance to become real men, would make their governments and institutions serve the people, would dispense with kings and gross privileges and become free.  Well, they haven’t done it.  France is nominally a republic, but the masses of its people are far, far backward.  Switzerland is a republic, but a very small one.  Denmark is a very free state, in spite of its monarchical form of government.  In South America they think they have republics, but they haven’t the slightest idea of the real education and freedom of the people.  Practically, therefore, the United States and the self-governing British colonies are the only really free countries of much importance in the whole world—­these and this Kingdom.  Our example hasn’t been followed.  In Europe, Germany and Russia in particular have monarchs who are in absolute command.  Thus on both sides the world, so far as government and the danger of war are concerned, there hasn’t been very much real progress in five hundred years.

This is a little disappointing.  And it means, of course, that we are likely to have periodical earthquakes like this present one till some radical change come.  Republics have their faults, no doubt.  But they have at least this virtue:  that no country where the people really have the control of their government is likely to start out deliberately on any war of conquest—­is not likely to run amuck—­and will not regard its population as mere food for shell and powder.

Nor do I believe that our example of our government has, relatively to our strength and wealth and population, as much influence in the world as we had one hundred years ago.  Our people have no foreign consciousness and I know that our government knows almost nothing about European affairs; nor do our people know.  As regards foreign affairs our government lacks proper machinery.  Take this as an illustration:  The President wrote vigorous and proper notes about the Lusitania and took a firm stand with Germany.  Germany has paid no attention to the Lusitania outrage.  Yet (as I understand it) the people will not run the risk of war—­or the Administration thinks they will not—­and hence the President can do nothing to make his threat good.  Therefore we stand in a ridiculous situation; and nobody cares how many notes we write.  I don’t know that the President could have done differently—­unless,