Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 69.djvu/156

152 communities outside of Europe have their affairs settled by representatives of the people—the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan. Even China has recently appointed a commission to travel in Europe and America to inspect the best forms of representative government. Federal government has been successfully tried in a number of cases—the United States, Germany, Switzerland, Canada and Australia. The moral sentiment which will support such a movement has been increased very noticeably in the nineteenth century. The idea of the brotherhood of man has gained great strength; there is a growing idea that moral law is fully as binding on nations as on individuals; there is an ever increasing number who think it is just as wrong to kill a man in battle as to commit murder. Then along with these forces there is the so-called 'Welt-Geist,' a cosmopolitan spirit, the idea of world-citizenship.

The hope that the powers may some time unite to establish a permanent international legislative body does not seem unreasonable. The past century produced what is called the Concert of European Powers. They have met at irregular intervals to discuss affairs of mutual interest; the enactments of some of these congresses have become recognized international law. A few examples will suffice. The Congress of Vienna (1814-1815) rearranged the map of Europe and undid much of the work of the revolutionary era. The Near Eastern Question has frequently occasioned united action on the part of the great powers of Europe. The navigation of the Rhine, the Elbe and the Danube has been regulated by European congresses, held at various times. In 1856, at Paris, the powers drew up rules concerning privateers, neutral goods, goods contraband of war and blockades; and these rules are a part of recognized international law to-day. In 1888 the Suez Canal was neutralized. In 1881 and 1885 the powers assembled in order to partition Africa peaceably and to make definite regulations concerning African affairs. In 1874, at Berne, was established the Universal Postal Union, whereby most of the nations of the world have secured a more adequate foreign-mail service. In the past few months the conference of Algeciras met to discuss international interests in Morocco. These facts show that in the past and present century the nations, not only of Europe, but of the whole world, have successfully cooperated in affairs of mutual interest. If they can meet irregularly for special purposes, it is not at all fanciful to think that at some future time they may meet periodically to make laws concerning all affairs of international polity.

There are also some practical reasons why the movement can and ought to succeed. The first is economic. The establishment of a world state will tend to secure peaceful intercourse between nations; there will be less and less occasion for war; international relations will