The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-03-18
SENSATIONAL WAR NEWS.

The sensation mongers have aban-
doned the idle tale of a combination
between Russia, Germany and France
against Great Britain and are now ex-
plotting predictions of French parti-
cipation with her ally, Russia, in the
war of conquest. the latter is waging,
under specified discoura gements,
against Japan, who has. SO far, out
Witted in strategy her huge antago-
mist.
The prediction is based upon the al
legged existence of a definite program
for joint naval action of France and
Russia against Japan. distracted from
the office of the French general staff
by French traitor. who has been
placed under arrest. The second ar
ticle of the Anglo Japan treaty of
1902 binds England to go to the help
Of Japan if any other power joins Rus
STA to attack Japan. France. however
will not be likely to make an open
aNOWal OF such purpose, if the naval
program We're true. She is more like
ly to deny the report which lie propa-
gated by military Qudnuncs and SEN
Satonal magazine writer's. AS long as
the triple alliance of Germany. Ans
rf- 1j1lI
something of Il guaranty of the main
tenance of the peace of Europe. for
that alliance is of purely defensive
character. i'll the interest of peace The
broils of soldiers belonging to the
British and French earrisons at shan
hai-kWan. at the terminus of the
great wall on the west shore of the
Gulf of Liao-tung, something over 200
miles southwest of Niu- chuang. are
not necessarily causes of war. Our
own government has had considerable
experience in brOils of our marines i'm
foreign ports, with no serious results.
The existing Franco Russian ALI
ance was entered into with the view.
on the part OF France, of having Rus
sian help i'll her possible future war
with Germany for the reconuuest of
Alsace- Lorraine. lost through the stu
pendous folly of Napoleon Ill in 1871.
1t does not require much Intelligence
tive ally of Russia. would, in the
event of an attack upon England.
have to bear the Severest stress of
british naval and army operations.
with only Il comparatively narrow
strip of navigable water between the
two countries. France is not known
TO nave any first-rate general or ad-
mlral. Her former experiences with
the English navy reveal a continuous
~ adverse record. Russia. moreover.
could not furnish nay substantial! help
to her ally. who would be taking the
maximum OF risk in her behalf and
be compelled to sustain enormous sa-
crlflces. All the previous attempts to
effect an alliance between France and
RUSSIA failed because of the abso-
lutely irreconcileable political tenden- |
cleS OF the two countries. The Tilsit |
and Erfurt efforts of the Napoleonic
regime We're only temporary confer
ences OF two despOts arranging for
The division of the habitable globe be- |
tween them. terminated by antagon1s-
TIC and bloody activities. The at
tempts of Russia and France to get |
together under Charles Y. and LOuis !
XVIII. failed completely. In the Sc
rret memorandum as to Russias for
@l2n policy presented to the Car Al |
AXander H.. in 1864. the declaration |
was made: We probably shall only |
come to an understanding with /
france, If We should feel the need to !,
turn Europe upside down, but even !
then, that would be at our expense"