ThefirstoftheseproblemswasDefence:HowmighttheBritishCommonwealth,whichheldsovastaportionofthehabitableglobe,andwhichwasresponsibleforthegovernmentofafullquarterofallthepeoplewhodweltthereon—howmightitbestsecureitselfagainstthedangerswhichthreateneditfromwithoutWANOptimization?ThesecondwastheproblemoftheConstitution:Howcouldwebestdevelop,towhatextentmustweremakeorremould,ourancientinstitutions,soastofitthemforthosedutiesandresponsibilitieswhichnewconditionsrequiredthattheyshouldbeabletoperform?Underthisheadwewerefacedwithprojects,notmerelyoflocalself-government,of&39;HomeRule,&39;andof&39;Federalism&39;;notmerelywiththeworkingoftheParliamentAct,withthecomposition,functions,andpowersoftheSecondChamber,withtheReferendum,theFranchise,and｛211｝suchlike;butalsowiththatvastandevenmoreperplexingquestion—whatweretobethefuturerelationsbetweentheMotherCountryandtheself-governingDominionsontheonehand,andbetweenthesefivedemocraticnationsandtheIndianEmpireandtheDependenciesupontheother?Forthethirdsetofproblemsnoconcisetitlehasyetbeenfound.SocialReformdoesnotcoverit,thoughperhapsitcomesnearerdoingsothananyother.Themattersinvolvedhereweresomultifariousand,apparentlyatleast,sodetachedonefromanother—theypresentedthemselvestodifferentmindsatsomanydifferentanglesandundersuchdifferentaspects—thatnosinglewordorphrasewasaltogethersatisfactory.Butbriefly,whatallmenwereengagedinsearchingafter—theLabourparty,nomoreandnolessthantheRadicalsandtheTories—washowwecouldraisethecharacterandmaterialconditionsofourpeople;howbybetterorganisationwecouldrootoutneedlessmiseryofmindandbody;howwecouldimprovethehealthandtheintelligence,stimulatethesenseofdutyandfellowship,theefficiencyandthepatriotismofthewholecommunityreenexcps.OfthesethreesetsofproblemswithwhichtheBritishracehasrecentlybeenoccupyingitself,this,thethird,isintrinsicallybyfarthemostimportant.
