DINNER IN HONOR OF PROFESSOR JOHN BATES CLARK 367
That means a unifying of thought and feeling as well as of practical
action. A great number of changes are involved and I am not going to
recite them, but they have much to do with the question of future war
and peace. That question is not settled, and no one can accurately judge
as to the outlook; but some things we can know. Since the treaty of
Westphalia there have been intervals of peace tending, on the whole, to
grow longer. There have been three attempts to restore the ancient system
of great empires and the world has gathered its forces and successfully
resisted those efforts. The modern world has never been subjected to great
monarchies like those which gave to the ancient world nearly all the peace
that it ever enjoyed. Within their boundaries there was a large measure
of peace, but very little freedom, while beyond the borders, there was more
freedom than peace. That lived only under the shadow of despotism.
The question of the present day, aside from that of further practical
arts, is whether the unifying of the world, which has come about by an
sconomic evolution, will lead us to a peace that can coexist with freedom.
[s peace consistent with the independence of states? It is so if the
organic unity that the economic system creates can be carried over into
the realm of international politics. An heroic effort has been made to do
exactly that. A league of nations now exists and has the support of most
countries though Russia is not in it and, unhappily, America is not so. I
am as proud as I can be of my country, in almost everything that falls
within the sphere of economies. My pride is a negative quantity when it
comes to international politics. What I should like to see is the spirit of
world economics in some way penetrating world polities, and I should like
to see my country lead rather than obstruct this noble and redeeming
movement.
That is all the economics and politics that I shall indulge in just now;
otherwise I should be tempted to go much farther. I repeat my expression
of gratitude to you all, for your kind regards, for your inspiring presence,
and for something that will give me, not merely a day of happiness, but
what I have the audacity to hope will be a reasonably long evening of life
and similar happiness. All this and much more I hope and earnestly
invoke for you all.
Guest oF HONOR
Professor John Bates Clark
SPEAKERS
Dr. Nicholas Murray Butler
Professor Frank A. Fetter
Professor Franklin H. Giddings
Professor Edwin R. A. Seligman
GUESTS
Tugene E. Agger
Benjamin M. Anderson, Jr.
James W. Angell
Stephen Baker
George R. Beach
James C. Bonbright
Clarence W. Bowen
Wendell T. Bush