The reconstruction of South-Eastern Europe

THE RECONSTRUCTION OF SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPE

I INTRODUCTION

On the eve of the present war, as on the eve of other wars, many dreamers of the universal and enduring peace in Europe were encouraged to believe that their long-cherished dream would be at last realised. In spite of the heavy armaments of every State of Europe which were increasing from year to year, those dreamers hoped that even these, by making the war an ugly and vast butchery of nations, would further the cause of peace. But the hopes of the peacedreamers have been bitterly disappointed. Out of their dreams they have been awakened to the ghastly reality of a welter of bloodshed, a tremendous struggle of nations, such as the world had never seen before. Many an optimist of yesterday has joined the cry of the pessimists, who profess that war is the normal state of humanity, that mankind of to-day is not a whit

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