Page:The Spirit of the Chinese People.djvu/201

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the future, if the present actual actual situation now in Europe is to be saved, the only way to do it, it seems to me, is first to rescue the rulers, soldiers and diplomats of the countries now at war, from their present helplessness. The tragic hopelessness of the situation now in Europe, I wish to point here, is that everybody wants peace, but nobody has the courage or power to make peaee. I say therefore, the first thing to be done is to rescue the rulers, soldiers and diplomats from their present helpelessness; to find some means to give them power,—power to find a way to make peace. That, I think, can be done only in one way and that is for the people of Europe,—for the people of the countries now at war, to tear up their present Constitutions and Magna Chartas of Liberty, and make a new Magna, Charta—a Magna Charta of Loyalty-such as we Chinese have in our Religion of good citizenship here in China.

By this new Magna Charta of Loyalty, the people of the countries now at war must swear: first not to discuss, meddle or interfere in any way with the politics of the present war; secondly, absolutely to accept, submit to and abide by whatever terms of peace their actual rulers may decide upon among themselves. This new Magna Charta of Loyalty, will at once give the actual rulers of the countries now at war power and, with power, counrage to make peace; in fact, power and courage at once to order and command peace. I am perfectly sure that as soon as this power is given them, the actual rulers of the countries now at war, will