Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1905-08-06
The AngIo-French Alliance.


"a high official of the foreign office"
has given an interview regarding the
relations between Great Britain
France and Germany in which the in
teresting declaration is made that
Great Britain would welcome defen-
sive alliance with France. The rea-
son given is that such an alliance
would insure a long continuance of
European peace by acting as a check
to German ambitions.
A year ago the suggestion of such
compact between England and
France would have been ridiculous;
now it is perfectly reasonable. The
growing entente between these ancient
enemies has been one of the conspic-
uous events in recent world politics
It is only about five years ago that
they were at swords points over Fa-
shoda, but no sooner had King Ed
ward assembled the throne than he be-
gan the difficult task of bringing his
own country into closer relations with
/ its neighbor across the channel. How
well he has succeeded is now appar-
ent. The kaiser may be the greatest
statesman in Europe, but the king is
certainly the cleverest diplomat, and
in this work he has been aided by the
president of. the French republic, who
! happens to be man unusually well
supplied with good. hard common
sense.
The fall Of Russia has made the
Franco Russian alliance almost
worthless. so far as defensive v3lue to
France is concerned, for its prime OBJ
| ject was to protect her from German
aggression. Now. the MuscOvite bug
aboo frightens nobody, and France
must look elsewhere for a friend. The
kaiser has been quick to show his
realization of Russian impotency, not
ably in the Moroccan aaffir, which lie
never would have dared initiate if the
war in the far east had turned out
differently.
! 1t has been suggested that the con-
| ference between the car and the kali
/ ser in the Baltic sea was fOr'the pu--
| pose Of bringing about a better under
standing between their respective
governments. Wilhelm is believed to
desire this not merely to weaken
France but to solve the vexed Polish
question. which is almost as serious
in German Poland as it is in the coun-
try tributary to Warsaw. II an en-
tente between Russia and Germany
should be brought about, the natural
consequence would be an Anglo
French alliance. and conversely, if
Great Britain and France should come
into too close relationship the car and
the kaiser would be driven together by
force of necessity.
Such an alignment would bring
about peculiar condition. The Eng
Iish and French would rule the seas,
for their combined navies would be
stronger than those of all the rest of
the world, even including that Of the
United States. But on the land they
would De far outclassed. Germany's
army is slightly bigger than that of
France. and she mas greater reserve
power, while the land force of Great
Britain is a negligible quantity, as
Lord Roberts so dramatically showed
a few weeks ago. Russia is crippled
on land. but she stiI has tremendous
resources in this direction, and the
Russians in Manchuria have shown
themselves to be brave and determined
! fighters.
An alliance between Great Britain
Nand France might insure the worlds
peace, and again it might not The
German emperor seems to be spoil
ing for fight" and in the recent
Moroccan affair he showed himself not
unwilling to risk complications with
both France and England. If he con
tinues his present aggressive course
the end of it Will probably be either a
Sedan or Jena, with the chances fav-
Oring the latter.