The San Francisco call., 1897-04-04
ALLIANCES THAT HAVE FAILED.

and Great Britain, it may be OF interest to
cast passing glance at the role which
international agreements of this character
have played in the past. Without in any
way wishing to depreciate the motives
that have prompted negotiations OF the
convention now before the United States
Senate. il may be pointed out that past
experience shows that treaties are only
made to be broken, and that inasmuch as
the rupture frequently is accepted as a
casus belli, they may be considered
on the whole as conducive rather
to war than to peace. True there
are some of the smaller nations OF
Europe, such as for instance Switzerland
and Belgium, as we'll as Luxemburg,
which are said to owe their existence and
their safety from invasion to the inter-
national treaties guaranteeing their neu-
trality. But it may be questioned whether
this respect of the latter is due SO much TO
the treaties as it is to the assurance enter
tanned by the great powers that if any one
of their number attempts to infringe that
neutrality it will have to defend by force
of arms any advantage that it may have
secured thereby, certain of not being per-
mitted to remain in undisputed possession
thereof. Treaties are only adhered to as
long as it is to the interest of the nations
who are parties TO the agreement to do so,
and the only exception TO the rule is that
of Italy, which has involved itself in
economic ruin for the sake of living up to
the terms and stipulations of it's alliance
with Germany.
Thus the so-caIled lax Treaty of Paris
which marked the close of the CTimean
war, and which was imposed upon Russia
by the vctors was only observed as long
as it suited the convenience of the Musco-
vite Government, and was denounced by
the Cars Chancellor, Prince Gortcha-
koff, IN 1871 as soon as ever the defeat of
France by Germany had deprived the
former power of the possibility of resent
ing the breaking of the agreement.
Scarcely one Of the stipulations of the in
ternational treaty which called into ex-
istence the Congo Free States has been OBJ
served by its sovereign, King Leopold of
Belgium, while the celebrated treaty at
Berlin of 1878 is in every sense of the word
dead letter, hardly any of the signatory
powers having adhered to the solemn
promises ana undertakings to which they
subscribed.
1Sooe JCol tLC VI TiHCc
Bismarck showed US how little reliance
could be placed upon the much-vaunted
Triple Alliance, since Germany at the very
time when it was bound by the most sa-
cred ties to a defensive and offensive
union with Austria and Italy against
Russia and France had actually made
secret agreement with the Czar behind
the back of her allies, while the recent
difficulties in connection with Crete are
serving 10 call the attention of the world
to the fallacy of placing any dependence
upon the continuance of the treaty of alli-
ance between Russia and France. In 1878
England made a treaty with Turkey,
by which in return for the ces-
sion OF the island of Cyprus she
guaranteed the integrity of the Ottoman
EN- pire. an undertaking which it is Meth er
polite or possible for her to fulfill. Russia
bound herself by treaty In the most sol
emn manner no. to restore the fortifica-
tions of the Black Sea port of Batoum, or
10 convert 1t into q naval stronghold, in
spite OF which it's defenses to-day rival
those of Portsmouth. France engaged
herself not to take possession of Tunis,
which in spite thereof has become one of
her colonial dependencies, while accord
ing to recent official reports published in
London, there is no doubt that GERMANY
has violated all the promises which she
made by treaty not to sell either spirits
or arms TO the natives of Africa, especially
those engaged In slave-trading pursuits.
could 60 on thus indefinitely. There
is not a single nation that has not to its
credit a large number of treaties which
al cd 70 1hoa os
promises, while if Italy, as above mentioned,
has achieved for herself reputation for rare
honesty in having observed her obligations in
connection with the Triple Alliance at the ex-
pense of her political and economic welfare,
II Is OF from any question of principle, but
solely because King Humbert and his family
are so alarmed by the rapid growth of repub-
licanism in his dominions that he looks more
10 foreign alliances for the maintenance of his
tottering throne than to the loyalty of
his subjects. Save for this the Triple Alliance
is in the estimation of foreign statesmen, not
worth the paper on v hich ii is written.
Austria is well known to have been seeking
both at St Petersburg, at Bucharest and at
Belgrade alliances in which Germany has no
part, while the feeling between Austria and
Italy is so bitter that it is ridiculous to i'm
agine for one instant that the one would ever
come TO the rescue of the other, treaty or>no
Italian is to wrest from Austria those of her
provinces that are populated by Italian-speak-
ing races, and which are known throughout
Humbert' kingdom by the name of italia
Irredenta." while in the same way Austrians
are equally bent on recovering the city of
Venice. which they look upon as one of the
lost and vet brightest jewels OF their EN-
peror's crown. In fact, the two nations have
not one interest in common, political histor-
ical or economical. On the contrary. in each
of these particulars they are diametrically op-
posed to one another. So it is idle to believe
for one moment that they can ever be relied
upon to live up to the terms of the alliance by
which they are supposed to be bound to one
another.
But the most striking illustration of the
wor;hlessness of alliances, as far as the per-
manent binding together of nations is con-
cerned, is afforded by the case OF France and
Russia. Seldom has a great nation gone to
such lengths or paid so heavily to secure an
alliance with a foreign power as has France in
the case OF Russia. With the memories of the
extravagant enthusiasm OF the welcome &C.
corded to the Gear and Czarina on the occa-
sion of their stay on the banks of the Seine
last autumn fresh in our minds, and our ears
still ringing with the echoes of the profes.
sions of brotherhood in peace and In war
that were uttered both by President Carnot
and Emperor Nicholas, it certainly seems start
ling 10 find French statesmen and politicians,
as well as the Parisian press, roundly con-
demning the subservency of the French Gov
eminent to St Petersburg as altogether un.
worthy of the dignity OF nation which to-