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FOREIGN AFFAIRS Vol. 12 SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT No. 2 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS On the occasion of the eddy: by the Honorable William E. Borah, United States Senator from Idaho, before tle Council on Foreign Relations, New York, Fanuary 8, 1034. By Norman H. Davis HIS age in which we are living is more remarkable and more interesting in “Lmny respects than any preceding period of history. Never before has ere been such progress in science and industry, such a vast increase in ma~ terial wealth, or such a high level of general education. And yet, in spite of this, the world is today in an exceedingly unsettled condition economically, socially, psychologically and politically. The depression, which began over three years ago, and from which there are now promising evidences of recovery, was international in origin and no nation escaped from its effects. It brought home to us the fact that the nations have become so interdependent that what happens in one or more countries affects the others. Since many of the troubles in various nations today are mainly international in origin and scope, and since the interdependence of nations has become so complete that isolation is no longer possible or desirable, it is somewhat difficult to account for the wave of intense nationalism that has been sweeping the world. Fear is, of course, the chief cause of extreme nationalism and the chief obstacle to a solution of some of the difficulties that now confront us. All nations are seeking security, not only of life but of livelihood. As a result there is a growing tendency on the part of every country to divorce itself from ex- ternal ties and influences and to seek its salvation independently of its neigh- bors if not, indeed, at their expense. If this tendency continues to grow as at present, it will, I fear, not only create new problems but make more difficult the solution of some of the old ones. In facing the situation that exists today, it does us no good to look back regretfully and long for the good old days. The development of communica- tion, of trade, and of means of attack on land, on sea, under the sea, and from the air, has changed our environment. We are on this earth today. Our children will be on it tomorrow. What can we do to make our lot and theirs safer and happier than that of the generation which knew the horrors of the Great War? Of one thing we may be certain. The American people want peace. They do not want to be drawn into another war and they are opposed to any agree- ments which would commit them to go to war. How best to avoid war is not, however, such a simple matter. We may recall that the United States did not have any entangling alliances or commitments with any European power in 1914, and I trust we never will have any such entanglements. Nevertheless, aN NO ee