For the immediate future events are taking charge, and the near destiny of Europe is no longer in the hands of any man.

The events of the coming year will not be shaped by the deliberate acts of statesmen, but by the hidden currents, flowing continually beneath the surface of political history, of which no one can predict the outcome.

In one way only can we influence these hidden currents,--by setting in motion those forces of instruction and imagination which change _opinion_.

The assertion of truth, the unveiling of illusion, the dissipation of hate, the enlargement and instruction of men's hearts and minds, must be the means.
In this autumn of 1919, in which I write, we are at the dead season of our fortunes.

The reaction from the exertions, the fears, and the sufferings of the past five years is at its height.