door to world peace." These words are taken from the concluding chapter of The Price of Peace, a hook published in 1935 by two American economists, Frank H. Simonds and Brooks Emeny. They are writing of the American Democracy; hut every word of what they say applies, mutatis mutandis, to the British Democracy. In a later paragraph the authors specifically mention our country. The British and American people, they say, have resolved "to combine the profits of exclusive nationalism with the benefits of internationalism ..•• They have invited all peoples to join them in a partnership to preserve peace, hut have ·reserved to themselves the profits of such peace, whil~ leaving to the others the privilege of paying the costs." Not unnaturally the others are declining the invitation. The pacifist insists that if we want other people to make sacrifices we must begin by making sacrifices ourselves; that it is only by being generous (even at our own expense) and by telling the truth (even though that truth he to our own discredit) that we shall elicit generosity and truth from others. X "General principles," says the objector, "are all very fine; hut we live in a world of particular and specific realities. How do you expect your pacifism to work in the circumstances of the present moment? What about Italy and Abyssinia, for example? What about sanctions? What about Germany? What about Japan?" The pacifist solution to these pressing contemporary problems can be outlined quite briefly. Let us begin by describing the historical antecedents which have led up to the present situation. Germany, Italy, and Japan are three countries whose position in the post• war world is fundamentally similar. All suffer from a sense of grievance-of grievance, moreover, which the existing circumstances of the world very largely 23 Bib oteca Gino c1anco
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