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Unhappily； these two guiding principles of the modern point of
view self…help and equal opportunity have proved to be
incompatible with one another under the circumstances of the new
order of things。 So there has come into view this project of a
league； by which it is proposed to play fast and loose with the
inalienable right of national self…help by setting up some sort
of a collusive arrangement between the Powers； a conspiracy in
restraint of national intrigue； looking to a reasonable
disallowance of force and fraud in the pursuit of national
ambitions。
Under the material circumstances of the new order those
correctives that were once counted on to keep the run of things
within the margin of tolerance have ceased to be a sufficient
safeguard。 By use and wont； in the Liberal scheme of statecraft
as well as in the scheme of freely competitive business； implicit
faith has hitherto been given to the remedial effect of punitive
competition and the punitive correction of excesses by law and
custom。 It has been a system of adjustment by punitive
afterthought。 All of which may once have been well enough in its
time； so long as the rate and scale of the movement of things
were slow enough and small enough to be effectually overtaken and
set to rights by afterthought。 The modern eighteenth…century
point of view presumes an order of things which is amenable to
remedial adjustment after the event。 But the new order of
industry； and that sweeping equilibrium of material forces that
embodies the new order； is not amenable to afterthought。 Where
human life and human fortunes are exposed to the swing of the
machine system； or to the onset of national ambitions that are
served by the machine industry； it is safety first or none。
However； ripe statesmen and over…ripe captains of finance have so
secure a grasp of first principles that they are still able to
believe quite sincerely in the good old plan of remedial
afterthought； and it still commands the affectionate service of
the jurists and the diplomatic corps。 Meantime the far…reaching；
swift…moving； wide…sweeping machine technology has been drawn
into the service of national pretensions； as well as of the
vested interests that find shelter under the national
pretensions； and both the remedial diplomats and the
self…determination of nations are on the way to become a tale
that was told。
The divine right of nations appears to be a blurred
after…image of the divine rights of kings。 It rests on ground
more archaic and less open to scrutiny than the Natural Right of
self…direction as it applies in the case of individual persons。
It is a highly prized national asset； in the nature of an
imponderable； and； very much as is true of the divine right of
kings； any spoken doubt of its paramount validity comes near
being a sin against the Holy Ghost。 It can not safely be
scrutinised or defined in matter…of…fact words。 As is true of the
divine right of kings； so also as regards the divine right of
nations； it is extremely difficult to show that it serves the
common good in any material way； in any way that can be
formulated or verified in terms of tangible performance。
Evidently it does not come in under that mechanistic conception
that rules the scheme of knowledge and belief wherever and so far
as material science and the machine technology have reshaped
men's habits of thought。 Indeed； it is not a technological
conception； late or early。 It is not statable in terms of
mechanical efficiency； or even in terms of price。 Hence it is
spoken of； often and eloquently； as being 〃beyond price。〃 It is
more nearly akin to magic and religion。 It should perhaps best be
conceived as an end in itself； or a thing…in…itself again in
close analogy with the divine right of kings。 But there is no
question of its substantial reality and its paramount efficacy
for good and ill。
The divine that is to say inscrutable and irresponsible
right of kings reached its best estate and put on divinity in the
stirring times of the Era of State…making； when the princes and
prelates 〃tore each other in the slime。〃 It was of a proprietary
nature； a vested interest； something in the nature of intangible
assets which embodied the usufruct of the realm； including its
population and resources； and which could be turned to account in
the pursuit of princely or dynastic advantages at home and
abroad。 This divine right of princes was disallowed among the
more civilised peoples on the transition to modern ways of
thinking； and the sovereign rights of the prince were then taken
over at least in form and principle by the people at large；
and they have continued to be held by them as some sort of
imponderable 〃community property；〃 at least in point of form
and profession。 The vested interest of the prince or the dynasty
in the usufruct of the underlying community is thereby presumed
to have become a collective interest vested in the people of the
nations and giving them a 〃right of user〃 in their own persons；
knowledge； skill and resources。
The mantle of princely sovereignty has fallen on the common
man formally and according to the letter of the legal
instruments。 In practical effect； as 〃democratic sovereignty〃 it
has been converted into a cloak to cover the nakedness of a
government which does business for the kept classes。 In practical
effect； the shift from the dynastic politics of the era of
state…making to the Liberal policies based on the enlightened
principles of the eighteenth century has been a shift from the
pursuit of princely dominion to an imperialistic enterprise for
the protection and furtherance of those vested interests that are
domiciled within the national frontiers。 That such has been the
practical outcome is due to the fact that these enlightened
principles of the eighteenth century comprise as their chief
article the 〃natural〃 right of ownership。 The later course of
events has decided that the ownership of property in sufficiently
large blocks will control the country's industrial system and
thereby take over the disposal of the community's net output of
product over cost； on which the vested interests live and on
which； therefore； the kept classes feed。 Hence the chief concern
of those gentlemanly national governments that have displaced the
dynastic states is always and consistently the maintenance of the
rights of ownership and investment。
However； these pecuniary interests of investment and free
income are not all that is covered by the mantle of democratic
sovereignty。 Nor will it hold true that the common man has no
share in the legacy of sovereignty and national enterprise which
the enlightened democratic commonwealth has taken over from the
departed dynastic r間ime。 The divine right of the prince included
certain imponderables； as well as the usufruct of the material
resources of the realm。 There were the princely dignity and
honor； which were no less substantial an object of value and
ambition and were no less tenaciously held by the princes of the
dynastic