33 °

ESSAYS IN PERSUASION

PART

that I should have belonged to this party if Ihad been born a hundred years earlier), butbecause they have ceased to be applicableto modern conditions. Our programme mustdeal not with the historic issues of Liberalism,but with those matters—whether or not theyhave already become party questions—which areof living interest and urgent importance to-day.We must take risks of unpopularity and derision.Then our meetings will draw crowds and ourbody be infused with strength.

ir

I divide the questions of to-day into fiveheadings:—

1. Peace Questions.

2. Questions of Government.

3. Sex Questions.

4. Drug Questions.

5. Economic Questions.

On Peace Questions let us be Pacifist to theutmost. As regards the Empire, I do not thinkthat there is any important problem except inIndia. Elsewhere, so far as problems of govern-ment are concerned, the process of friendly dis-integration is now almost complete—to thegreat benefit of all. But as regards Pacifism and Armaments we are only just at the begin-ning. I should like to take risks in the interestsof Peace, just as in the past we have taken risksin the interests of War. But I do not want these