Page:Jean Jaurès socialist and humanitarian 1917.djvu/147

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INTERNATIONAL PEACE
143

really offensive or only defensive. Jaurès replied that the test would in future be whether its promoters were willing to submit to arbitration.

In L'Armée Nouvelle he has developed his idea of free nations in a federation of humanity. [1]"It is only by the free federation of autonomous nations which have given up the exercise of military force, and have submitted themselves to the rules of law, that human unity can be realized. But it will not be by the suppression of national life but by its ennoblement. Nations will rise to be part of humanity without losing any of their independence, of their originality, of the liberty of their own genius.…

[1]"In the light of the new social order it is from henceforth a joy, a pride and a strength, for all the fighters for international Socialism to make an appeal to all that is most noble in the traditions, in the history and in the genius of the countries." Of all these acts of courage and efforts of mind he says, "We recall them, we invoke them, we say to men: Why should this movement cease?…

"The new humanity will only be rich and living if the originality of each people is retained in the general harmony.…

"This is why, in all its congresses, the Socialist and working-class International reminds the proletariat of all countries of the double and

  1. 1.0 1.1 L'Armée Nouvelle, pp. 454, 456-459.