“And when all the nations are well along on that path, I shall have something else for them.  But first they must travel that path for themselves.  They must demonstrate that the intelligence of mankind to-day, with the mechanical energy now at its disposal, is capable of organizing society so that food and shelter be made automatic, labour be reduced to a three-hour day, and joy and laughter be made universal.  And when that is accomplished, not by me but by the intelligence of mankind, then I shall make a present to the world of a new mechanical energy.  This is my discovery.  This Energon is nothing more nor less than the cosmic energy that resides in the solar rays.  When it is harnessed by mankind it will do the work of the world.  There will be no more multitudes of miners slaving out their lives in the bowels of the earth, no more sooty firemen and greasy engineers.  All may dress in white if they so will.  The work of life will have become play and young and old will be the children of joy, and the business of living will become joy; and they will compete, one with another, in achieving ethical concepts and spiritual heights, in fashioning pictures and songs, and stories, in statecraft and beauty craft, in the sweat and the endeavour of the wrestler and the runner and the player of games—­all will compete, not for sordid coin and base material reward, but for the joy that shall be theirs in the development and vigour of flesh and in the development and keenness of spirit.  All will be joy-smiths, and their task shall be to beat out laughter from the ringing anvil of life.

“And now one word for the immediate future.  On New Year’s Day all nations shall disarm, all fortresses and war-ships shall be dismantled, and all armies shall be disbanded.

Goliah.”

On New Year’s Day all the world disarmed.  The millions of soldiers and sailors and workmen in the standing armies, in the navies, and in the countless arsenals, machine-shops, and factories for the manufacture of war machinery, were dismissed to their homes.  These many millions of men, as well as their costly war machinery, had hitherto been supported on the back of labour.  They now went into useful occupations, and the released labour giant heaved a mighty sigh of relief.  The policing of the world was left to the peace officers and was purely social, whereas war had been distinctly anti-social.

Ninety per cent. of the crimes against society had been crimes against private property.  With the passing of private property, at least in the means of production, and with the organization of industry that gave every man a chance, the crimes against private property practically ceased.  The police forces everywhere were reduced repeatedly and again and again.  Nearly all occasional and habitual criminals ceased voluntarily from their depredations.  There was no longer any need for them to commit crime.  They merely changed with changing conditions.