CHAPTEK I

J* INTRODUCTORY

The power to become habituated to his surround-ings is a marked characteristic of mankind. Very fewof us realise with conviction the intensely unusual,unstable, complicated, unreliable, temporary natureof the economic organisation by which WesternEurope has lived for the last 1 half century. Weassume some of the most peculiar and temporaryof our late advantages as natural, permanent, andto be depended on, and we lay our plans accordingly.On this sandy and false foundation we scheme forsocial improvement and dress our political platforms,pursue our animosities and particular ambitions, andfeel ourselves with enough margin in hand to foster,not assuage, civil conflict in the European family.Moved by insane delusion and reckless self-regard,the German people overturned the foundations onwhich we all lived and built. But the spokesmenof the French and British peoples have run the riskof completing the ruin, which Germany began, bya Peace which, if it is carried into effect, must impair

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