The age-herald., 1898-10-25
ENGLAND-FRANCE
 A CENTURY AGO

From the Chicago T1meS-Herald
 War between England and France is not likely, but 1t Is quite possible. The rela-
 tions between the two countries are more strained than they have been at any time for nearly a century. It is eighty-three
 years since the two nations have been at
 war, and this marks the longest period of
 time since the eleventh century that has
 elapsed without war or the twQ@Rations
 being on the verge of it. The sieztion is
 shown clearly by the fact that until 1901
 the royal arms of Great Britain and the
 kings of England claimed sovereignty for
 centuries over their Gallic neighbors. For
 much of this time the sovereignty was
 real A glance at a map of that period
 will show that in the thirteenth century the king of England was master of 8
 greater part of the territory now known
 as France than was he who claimed to be
 king of France alone. Bngland's modern
 history is generally supposed to date from
 the Norman conquest, when the bold
 Frenohmen under William of Normandy
 won the battle of Hastings. William was crowned December 25, 1066, and it Is not a very sweeping assertion to say that from that time until the capture of Napoleon by Captain Maitland on July 15, 1915, the two nations have always been fighting, or near it. These wars have their origins in the pretensions of the Norman kings to lands in France, as well as to those they had conquered. Normandy was restive under a nonresident king and revolted. The defeat of Henry l. by Robert in 1106 was decisive for a generation. But Philip Augustus, king of France, regarded King John as his vassal. and summoned him for trial for the murder of his nephew. Refusal resulted in the declaration that John had forfeited his French lands, and, war ensuing Philip won Q20D not only Normandy, which gave him the control of the mouth of the Seine, but also Anjou, Maine and Tpuraine. From that time a real state of war existed be- tween France and England, each nation
 preparing for the conflict. which, break
 ing out in 1928, lasted until 1453, or 115 years,
 the longest war known to history. The
 specific hundred years were 1887 to 1437.
 Edward II. began the war. At first doing
 homage for his lands in France, he at last
 became exasperated and laid claim to the French throne. He assembled a fleet and defeated the French off Sluys in 134O, thus
 winning the first great English naval vics tory. Then he ravaged the country to the
 very walls of Paris. The battle of Crecy, 1346, resulted in the capture of Calais, af-
 fording the English, for 200 years, an open
 door into the heart of France. The war
 was not one of continuous fighting, but was
 broken by breathing spells. Agincourt and
 Potiers were notable English triumphs,
 and Henry VI. was proclaimed at Paris king of England and France. But when
 the war ended England had lost all of
 France but Calais. The Anglo-Saxon na- tion, desolated by the War of Roses," was
 unable to continue the struggle. Edward
 " invaded France in 1475, but Louis xI.
 defeated the British and bribed Edward
 to return. Another invasion of France took place in 1544 under the leadership of
 Henry VIII. This was in revenge for the
 aid given by France to Scotland, and re- suited in the battle of the Spurs--so known
 because the French cavalry fled so fast.
 In 1858 Guise took Calais for the French.
 The next great war in which France ard
 England were opposed was that known in
 Europe as the second coalition, which be-
 gan in 1888 and was known in America as
 King Williams war. Louis XIV, after
 overrunning Flanders and fighting Hol-
 land, invaded the Palatinate of the Rhine. Europe formed coalition against him, and
 William of Orange, then king of England,
 was the man who succeeded in checking the French kings ambitions. The
 eighteenth century began with the war of the Spanish succession, due to Louis claim of the crown of Spain for his grandson. Marlborough distinguished himself in this
 war, fought by all Europe against France. and one result of which was the cession of Newfoundland and Acadia to England. The French and Indian war in America, due to the rival claims of the colonizers, quickly followed, eliminating in the battle of Quebec September 13, 1759, which lost Canada to the French.
 In the war of American independence Louis XIV assisted the American colonists at first secretly and afterward openly, war existing between the old rivals until 17ss, when the peace of Versailles was signed. England was party in the great coalition against France, formed in 1792, to check the conquests of Napoleon who was rapid ly becoming master of the world. It was this war that ended the final downfall Of Napoleon and that gave enduring fame to Wellington and Nelson. The world Eas known no greater war, nor one more hotiy contested. Until the final defeat of Ma poleon at Waterloo the issue was in doubt, and it looked as if the Corsican would become the ruler of christendom. Since then the power or france mas peen chech- ed The nation has been torn by internal disputes until after the Franco-Prussisn war and unable to go to war with first class power. Rapid recovery from that dis aster has made the nation ready for war, but with only one power-Germany-the re- covery of Alsaoe and Lorraine being upper- most in the minds of the people and pre- venting assent to the czars proposal for disarmament. The British would rather fight France than any other nation. It is | this that has led Lord Salisbury to be firm | in his dealings with France. On the other | hand, France is more out of humor with | Germany, and this will probably prevent l her from doing anything that will lead to | war with her more ancient enemy, with | whom she has a longer score. The more | recent war wipes out the memory of the | others.
 | TUE RTGGrs~ rTTY