"Let us repress the spirit of hatred. We are justly indignant at the way in which the enemy Powers have waged war. We trust that our victory will warn the world that such methods must never be resorted to again, and that those guilty of them will be punished. But is it wise to talk of banning a whole people for all time to come? The German people are under a harsh and tyrannous rule, which has not only deceived and misled them, but silences any protest—and there are those who wish to protest—against its crimes. Some day, we hope, they will overthrow it, when they have learnt the truth. To indulge revenge will be to sow the seeds of future wars. Nations cannot hate one another for ever, and the sooner they cease to do so the better for all of them. We must of course take all proper steps to defend ourselves in future from any dangers that might arise if after the war the enemy countries were to resume an insidious hostility. That is at present no more than a possibility which may never arise."
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Presidents of the Board of Trade (United Kingdom)Academics from Northern IrelandPoliticians from Northern IrelandChief Secretaries for IrelandBritish Ambassadors to the United States
Original Language: English
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Speech ("The Church and International Relations") to the Autumnal Assembly of the Congregational Union of England and Wales in Birmingham (3 October 1916), quoted in The Times (4 October 1916), p. 5
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/James_Bryce%2C_1st_Viscount_Bryce
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James Bryce, 1st Viscount Bryce
James Bryce, 1st Viscount Bryce, OM, GCVO, PC, FRS, FBA (10 May 1838 – 22 January 1922) was an Ulster-born academic, jurist, historian, and Liberal politician.
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