New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-03-05

The ALLEGED LAG UE AGAINST ENGLAND
The German Ministerial organs intimate that
a Continental league including Russia, Ger
many Austria, and if possible, France, is about
TO be formed against the maritime and COM
mercial prcponderance Of England or, ~ the
Eyeuy Zeihng puts it, "to break the insulr
supremacy of England, which by the annexation
of Egypt has completed tho links OF II gigantic
chain extending from Gibraltar to emma ANA
coiled around the body Of Europe, mOnOpOliz-
{" ing the commerce of the world and making the
Mediterranean sea and Indian Ocean English
slakes." The probability that this portcntous
preface really introduces u Continental alliance
for the objects stated ID not great. 1t may,
however, introduce one of those journalistic
raids which in these days are apt to indicate
the existing state of diplomatic and intema-
tional meteOrOlOgy. Such an alliance as Is re-
fcrrcd to would, if reality, be incapable OF
contning itself to legislative and fiscal attacks
upon the Common enemy. The failure OF
Napoleon BOnaparte i'll an almost precisely
similar enterprise, at tho beginning of the pre-
sent century, may perhaps not be II precedent
0uito in point, because Great Britain was then
in a pOstion to exercise very much wider
influence on the Continent than she could to-
day. But it is clear that Continental alliance
to break down her maritime and commercial
mower would have to be supported with nayies
and armies, and could not possibly be deter
mined in any other way, inasmuch AZ Great
Britain would be forced to fight for her
existence
The commercial aud maritime power Of
England can only be reduced by restricting her
markets and her business intercourse with the
rest of the world. The extent to which this
could be ELECTED by hostile and prohibitOry
legislation il probably considerable. but since
the powers adopting such methods must
necessarily hamper their own external commerce
in the process, the relative superiority of their
rival would remain much the same, even if the
aggregate of British trade was diminished.
Bui no such alliance could produce even this
much effect unless IL included France, and there
is no ground for surprising that the assent oil
France To such a scheme can be obtained. Her
jealousy of English influence IN Egypt cannot
l., mude to outweigh her hatred aud fear Of
Germany. and her statesmen know that the
momcnt German policy becomes antl-Engllsh,
that moment the Anglo-French alliance VIII
b,co,ue intimate. sincere, and elective. In
short such Continental alliance as Is talked
Of cannot include France, and therefore cannot
be carried out, for any attempt to put 1t III
oneration without her would simply divide
Europe into two immense camps far too evenly
matched to justify sanguine hopes ON either
side.
The rational presumption is that the sudden
outburst of the German Ministerial organs
| against Great Britain covers some less slSnll'
cant grievance, The commercial supremacy OI
the island Kingdom may DO cause Of Jealousy
but surely not a justification for combined
assault upon Anglo-Saxcn civilization. Were
| that permissible it would be time Tor Americans