The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-06-14
THE TRIPLE ALLIANCE.

France, it is said, has at last awolle
to a real sense of ITS loneliness as a
European power. She now sees her
self deserted by her old time allies,
and the Iron Chancellor, that once
rent her in tWai n, and who forced her
the republic to- become tribu-
tary power to rank Imperialism,
again looms up in all his
might, and the day of retribution for
Frenchmen is further than ever from
accomplish ment. Certainly the Re
public trenlbles, and for the best OF
reasons. Much has been said OF the
triple alliance. 1t is a work upon /
which Bismarck has been laboriHg for |
years. At the be- ginning OF 1881 |
the relations betwee Russia and Ger |
many were precari Gus. Slkobeloft's |
Pan-Slavic crusade led the Teutons
to expect tremen dous onslaught OF
Russians, and in case Of war there
was little doubt bW France would as
sist the Gar. EgIE atieff was Gallo ID
his predilectisnS:; and Gambetta
preached the peliI. y in France. Bis
marck first din ected his atten-
tion to fraaarm al relations be-
tween Germany and Austria;
and the latter WAS ready to obey the
behests of the gre 1T chancellor. 1t
was then that Skob eloff died, and Ig-
natieff gave way be fore the envoy Of
Bismarck. Gasnbe tta's de ath re-
moved an other obst acle i'm his way,
and Pri nee NapoleonSs in discre-
tions CT :eated further disss ention
in Fran ce, allowing the comp letion
of the Germans plans. The third
party to the enterprise was sough t and
found il Italy, making the chain and
bounda ry complete. Though rel 'ug-
nant to many Italians. the princl. pies
OF UT 1ty had prevail ed in the
govern ment of Italy, and the king OF
Italy Consequently sympathyzed WI TN
the overnment at Berlin. Italia Ms
had lot forgotte indigni ties SUI
fered at the hands o.t leu
tons, but Rismarck uloothed
the way for rec9 nciliation, lie, adlng 10
mutual benefits, and the result is lhaO'
Germany, AustC ia and Italy are at last
Joined in triple alliance, 1he
strongest potiti cal combinatio IN
Europe. The p osition of the euro
pean goveTnna ents, therefore, Is
now as ia lows: Spain as
too unimpOgs ant to be ia EFn
into account 2 rance is compile. f4y
isolated, with 8 ermany on her , asst
and Italy on ber southeast; the p "
ties to the alEsaa ;e form thick col r
pact wedge from the Baltic to Sicily :;
Russia would mo dare single-handed
to declare war upon them; while
Great Britain is too much occupied /
with home an6 colonial affairs to
take sides in au conflict unless it
could he shown that she would be q
large gamer tn ereby. But all this
does not pE,01 immediate war.
France will mi It pick quarrel,
and Germany CA l afford to bide her
time, but it mfly be anticipated, ard
France should st and prepared. Even
now it is said Y ON Moltke is survey
ing the lines asni making maps for the
future. 1t may be supposed the plan
Of partitioninsg France is as follows
Belgium tG, fia We French Flanders
Switzerlaad.EbT or three coveted dis
tricts or, her.Mt st Spain will be salts
fed with, RssVI leland Itaiy's share of
the spoiIs,Y Will be her old-time terri
tory, Savow aI id Nice, and Germany
herself will take the rest of
Lorrai ne Perh APPS even Calais will be
handle d over to England. Thus
Fran ce pictures herself the prey of
all er rapaciou 5 neighbors, and it is
not strange tt lat she should and
agt .ast as she contempt stes the poss l.
BILE realization of her fears. That
hi r position is unenviable will not Zoe
d enied; that it. is desperate is untrue e.
fhe policy for France to
pursue is plain. Let French
men concentrate their energies
upon France. The triple alliance
may be broken up, nd Bismarck will
not live forever, viii. le with his de; Ith
absolutism dies. No nation ever per
ished save through its own 1ault ano
\ folly.