inaction. Whether Bulgaria will attain her goal by allying herself with one of her neighbors in order to bring the rest to justice, or by joining others stronger than herself, by neutrality or by war, now or later, are questions as to how her ethnic ideal is to be realized. That it will be realized will cease to be a certainty only when the Chronicler has recorded the death of the race which marched from Batak to Lule Burgas in thirty-five years.

THE CONCORDIA OF RACES

By Jinzo Naruse, Ph.D., President of Japan's Women's University, Tokyo

While the thickest of thick darkness still covers the valleys, there is yet a gleam upon the hills, and a glow in the upper air, which the Association Concordia is glad to discern.

Beginning with the tower of Babel, history repeats the old, old story of the rise and fall of mighty nations, of the aggrandizing dreams of men. Many a great Caesar, many an ambitious Napoleon has attempted to build up worldwide dominions with force and might; and failing left them in consternation and disaster. To them might gives right; yes, might is the supreme right. With mighty power, they not only trample on their political, military, or trade rivals, but ofttimes upon even their religious antagonists. "The flesh of the weak is the food of the strong.'

Now Germany is ravaging all Europe with the most tragic of wars. But according to the philosophy of Germany, war is not only right for the maintenance of her existence; war is "a necessity for her success;" aye, war for her is the only factor of education, culture, and ability. She believes that she is the divinely ordained nation; ordained to accomplish the salvation of the world by force, by despotic militarism. Therefore aggrandizement is a passion with her emperor. No cost is too great for him to pay for this cause. Almost everything consequently has been sacrificed to the construction of the stupendous temple of militarism, with which he would overawe the world.

I am not discussing the questions whether or not it is necessary for Germany to accumulate such mighty armaments for the maintenance of peace, or if it is morally right for her to fight for her own life and "success" as she is doing, and as the other powers might do under simi

lar circumstances. I want only to emphasize the most ancient and the most grave law of nature, that "things produce after their own kind." Yes, war begets nothing but war; militarism is the worst violator of peace, harmony, freedom, and justice. "Under any conditions war is sad enough. But the saddest thing is to know that even now, in the twentieth century after Christ, man still relies upon brute force to further his ambitions. Can we not learn to be ambitious for humanity instead of for a single nation?"

To save the world from this saddest calamity, and to produce a better and a more humane state of society, through the coöperation of different peoples and races, not only among religions, but among nations, is the great aim of the Association Concordia. In order to bring about such coöperation, I went to America and Europe two years ago. There I found, to my pleasant surprise, the same spirit, which had promoted the organization of the Association Concordia, awakened also deep in the heart of those nations. A spirit of ready approval and response to any appeal of the Concordia movement, was shown among the leading thinkers. The statements of their views, given me in answer to my questions-refer to the first number of the English Report of the Association Concordia-prove the verity of my words. Not only their words of sympathy, but their thoughts and sentiments have assumed a tangible form in the organization, first in the United States of America, and next in England. But this is not all. "There was established some years ago, in France," says President Butler in his personal letter to me, "under the leadership of Baron D'Estournelle de Constant, an organization known as Conciliation Internationale, having precisely the same end as you propose for Concordia. In the United States, the Association reaches more than 70,000 persons and is steadily developing its range of influence. Additional branches are being organized at this moment in Great Britain, in the Argentine Republic, in Spain, in Italy, and in America." The Baron himself wrote to me, "Before war, there is arbitration, but before arbitration

there must be conciliation, and before conciliation concordia. Such are the steps of the progress of ideas pursued today by the people of good intention in all civilized countries." Then in Rome, you will meet Mr. Hendrik Anderson, patiently and steadily working for more than ten years, "to create a world centre of communication." Strange coincidence you may say. But this is not a mere coincidence nor a miracle. In Germany, where general coöperative movements of any kind, owing to the notably independent attitude of each university as well as each scholar, are usually difficult to promote, both in herself and with other nations; I say even in this Germany, the aims of the Association Concordia attracted the attention of eminent scholars. They told me that through the deep intercourse of true personalities, ways might be opened for the long desired coöperation between the scholars and educators of the two nations. Surely this might have been done, and it will yet be done when the peaceful relations of the nations are restored. These are unmistakable proofs of the necessity and the desire for the birth of an international spirit. Professor Ross of the Wisconsin University said when I met him at the University last time, "The Concordia movement would have been impossible three years ago, but now it is not only possible but feasible."

The new conditions of modern social life physical, social, and cultural-are making possible a world-wide development in the higher life of the spirit. Modern popular education and the so-called scientific world-wide view are unifying the interests of the nations. But in the place of the geographical barriers, which have rapidly been overcome by the power of science, there are still other great obstinate barriersthe barriers of language, race-feeling, national interest, habits, and modes of thinking. How these barriers can best be removed and the nations be brought into a good mutual understanding is a very important question. Without this thorough understanding among the nations, all the prejudices can not be taken away and the mutual interests in the characteristics and peculiarities of each other can not be awakened. Appreciation and admiration of others'

superiority and a ready adoption of one another's best are essential to the enrichment of civilization.

A common language would be very helpful to facilitate such a world-wide intercourse; and the need, therefore, of the invention of such an international language will be felt more and more keenly. The universal language, the international alphabet, and like aids are gradually getting wider fields for their use. In Japan, the Educational Committee is now studying and devising the best method for substitution of the "Romaji," the Roman alphabet for the ideographic Chinese characters, which are a great obstacle to the people of the East, in their way of communication with the West.

If we could succeed in abolishing this great barrier, the barrier of different languages, what great progress there would be toward the desired end? After the war, however, may not perchance, the refined, elaborate, rhetorical English, with which Milton sang his immortal songs and Shakespeare painted his grand pictures of life of man, become the most favored and widely spoken tongue? Who knows?

To fight, to conquer, to have absolute control, "world power or downfall" is the desire of the few absolutists, the ambition of the few despotic chiefs of the nations. The rest of the multitude, the mass of the people, are generally industrious, devoted to their crafts, peace-loving, well contented with domestic duties and pleasures; whom the consuming passions and the burning ambitions of the few thrust into the whirlpool of horrible war. Destitution, destruction, and devastation are their only fate. Poor people! It is no fault of theirs, that they must thus suffer. No! under autocracy they have no choice, no will of their own. Absolute obedience and subjection are required. "For the success of an ambitious hero, the lives of a thousand, aye, ten thousand shall be sacrificed." Why, and how long will they endure these terrible calamities without an effort toward self-protection and self-preservation?

The growth of democracy, in some form, will now be an inevitable result in the interest of civilization. "Even a