84 THE SHADOW OF THE WORLD’S FUTURE
even migration may be promoted with a sinister intention.
 It may even happen that one nation is anxious to
see migration promoted elsewhere, in order to relieve
its own fears of consequences.
The whole plexus of relations which modern transport
 and economics, and the intricacies of trade and
commerce have established, have really welded the
peoples of the earth into a kind of pseudo-solidarity.
The evidence of this is that disaster to any one people
means some measure of disaster to all. By the application
 of science to industry, and by the magic of invention,
 the life of humanity has been quickened and
enriched, and the possibilities of physical and psychical
enjoyment have been promoted. The plane of possible
moral and intellectual effort has also been raised.
Through this the destinies of the peoples of the earth
have become a much deeper and more intricate
problem. It is one, however, which needs to be
faced. Every day this need becomes nore pressing.
There is a reason for this. Man’s power to destroy has
been enormously enhanced by recent achievements in
chemical and physical science. On the other hand,
although his power to ameliorate and meet all evils has
also advanced, the measure of this advance is relatively
insignificant as compared with his powers of spreading
ruin and disaster. As a consequence war has become
more pregnant with horror, and more frightful in its
effects both material and psychical. In addition to the
magnitude of the wreckage actually done, a still greater
avil is that war tends to engender perpetual distrust
and a sense of insecurity, and further it breeds suspicion
and dislike and a deep hatred. These deflect human
=fforts into a markedly anti-social direction.
Behind evils such as have been referred to lies the
spirit of selfishness. Its manifestations are of course
protean, and often it is masked behind what, on a
superficial view, appears to be a commendable national