The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-10
Germany and Britain.

The information at first obtainable
concerning the outcome OF the recent
interview between King EDWARD VII.
and the Emperor WILLIAM II. was linn
tied to the intimation that a method had
been found Of adjusting the divergent
interests Of Great Britain and Germany
In the Near East, and that the former
Power would no longer oppose the &C
QUESTION by tho latter Of an island in the
Persian Gulf, provided the island should
be used for commercial purposes alone
and not converted into a naval station.
1t was hard TO see how so small a con-
cession could relieve materially the
serious strain 70 which the relations be-
tween the British and German Foreign
Offices have been subjected during the
last twelve months, or how the inter-
view, IL It had no other result than Ger
many's acquisition OF an unimpor.=nt
island, should be described as a mo
mentous' event by the Dsrasche Revue in
an article said to have been inspired in
the highest quarters.
More light Is thrown on the si1niH-
canoe with which the German Govern
ment desires to invest the meeting Of the
sovereigns In the extracts from the
Revue article, which we printed SUM-
day. The Revue expresses the belief
that the conference may have paved the
way for a closer and better understand
ing between Germany and Great Britain.
Why was a better understanding neededp
The Revue explains that tho entente cor
dale established between Britain and
France, supplementing as 1t did the alli-
ance previously concluded by the latter
country with Russia, had encouraged
French diplomacy to efforts at Rome.
Madrid, Co~nstantinople and sven Vienna,
the aim Of which was to isolate Germany
so completely that any attempt on her
part to break through the net would end
in disastrous failure. The Revue went
on to say that a year ago the relations
between Germany and Britain were
analogous to those which had existed
between Prussia and Austria before the
War Of 1885, and that It looked rs il the
British, like the Austrians, would have
to be whipped into amity. Now, on the
other hand, according TO the Revue, tho
arrangement which looked 90 ominous
Is past, and there Is at last ground for
hope that the old friendship between
two great offshoots Of the Teutonic
stock a be renewed without an ante
cedent trial Of strength. What other
concessions on Britain's part besides
the withdrawal Of opposition to Ger
many's occupation Of a Persian island
will be. accepted at Berlin as adequate?
They are distinctly indicated in the
Revue article.
England must abate the fervor OF her
newborn friendship for France, and she
must enter into no pact with Russia con-
corning the accommodation Of their re-
spective interests in Asia unless the
terms thereof shall previously have been
made known to the Berlin Foreign once
and stamped with It's approval. We
have put crudely the gist OF the warning
conveyed in the smooth phrases OF the
Revue, because We want to bring out
the intolerable arrogance OF the attitude
assumed.
The arrogance may seem in some sort
justified by the outcome Of the Algeci-
ras conference, which practically made
waste paper Of the arrangement con-
cluded by Britain, France and Spain
with regard to Morocco. There must
be a limit, however, beyond which even
the most peace loving nation Of shop
keepers will not consent to be bullied.
II England, after counting a cordial I'M
~derstanding with France, should now,
at Germany's behest, allow a frost 20
fall on it she would provoke and deserve
at French hands the traditional epitaet
!