JX 1775 1175 THE SOCIETY OF FREE NATIONS Copyright, 1919, by Harper & Brothers CONTENTS THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS WHICH WERE FORCED UPON THE ALLIED WORLD FOREWORD THE papers reprinted in this book appeared originally in the New York Evening Post of February 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, and March 1, 6, and 7. The writer spent most of the year 1918 in Europe, in the work of the Allied Maritime Transport Council, where he had the opportunity to see the great difficulties in securing effective international co-operation even at a time when the Allied Governments had the strongest self-interest in working together. Chapter VI contains some description of the work of the Allied Maritime Transport Council and other co-operative agencies forced upon the Allies by the pressure of the war. Except for that chapter there is little in this volume that may be called original. The aim of the writer has been to review some of the efforts heretofore made to avert war, to consider some of the forces that have been working to bring the world closer together, to give a short account of the growth of the spirit of nationality, and to indicate the conflict between the national aspirations of the separate States and the idea of a League of Nations. The papers were written with reference to the fundamental problems which seem to underlie effective co-operation rather than as a criticism of the draft of Covenant submitted to the Peace Conference on February 14, 1919, by the special Commission on the League of Nations. A review, however, of some of the principal features of that draft of Covenant will be found in Chapter IX. The papers have been slightly revised since their appearance in the New York Evening Post, some foot-notes have been added, and a short bibliography is given at the end of each chapter. The literature on the subject, especially during the last year, is very large, and no effort has been made to give a complete bibliography of the authorities consulted. The writer is conscious of the shortcomings of this volume. Faults in style will be forgiven in a book written necessarily in haste; faults in substance or in reasoning perhaps will be corrected by others. There is one thing to be said for a book, even with faults, upon the important topic of world organization—it may present a point of view which will lead to a better book. March 20, 1919. D. W. M. |