New-York tribune., 1906-04-15
THE .FTERu4TH or ALGECIR4S.

What are colloquially called post mortemS
ara generally deprecated and avoided hy men
who plav q game in spirit Of true sportsman
ship 1t may he annoying 10 lose single point
not 10 mention the whole game But il does not
beIp matters to dwell upon what mlcht nave
been if only you had played this card instead ot
! that or tn rail M your partner for not respond
! ing to your signals The game of diplomacy IS
of course different from whist in more than
! one respect notably in heinG game which never
ends Perhaps il may be not only permissible,
hut also profitable. TO review some Of lis stages,
! and 10 portion out praise and blame 10 part
nerS There will. however h" some surprise
! and regret AT some Of the manifestations Of
chacrin and resentment that appear 10 be made
in Germany the result OF The Algeria:
conference. the more so as there has been ln
France ii scrUpulous abstinence from anything
like undue or ungcncrous eXultation. ana as
neutral nations have generally been inclined
10. dwell more upon the mutual benefits secured
nv the contestants than upon any real or sup
posed trumphs or humiliations.
Unfortunately. there are revelations In Ger
many of discomfort with the outcome Of the
conference, and of irritation toward certain
powers which supposed TO have deserted
or betrayed the German cause. Those are harsh
words which should not ourselves think
of applying TO the conduct Of any Of the powers
utterances. 1t is observed that the German
government conspicuOusly compliments and
thanks Austria Hungary for having proved Il
true hearted ally and promises a similar ser
vice in return, while AT the same time Germany
offers 10 take no share in the Russian loan and
utters no word of sympathy with Italy in her
woe at the foot of Nesuvius. Moreover serious
German papers openly express the feeling that
Germany was badly treated at Algeciras hy
hnf and ia ar,I l,ar
is charged against them. It is easy to under
stand why there should he some feeling Of sore
ness IN Germany, though such manifestations of
II are TO he regretted. but we cannot suppose
II VIII become so aggravated as TO cause any
breach of friendly relations
For German statesmen will not overlook the
fact that they themselves also have run with
the hare and hunted with the hounds There
has been in modern history no more noteworthy
example of that versatile performance than TINT
exhibited by Bismarck in making an alliance
with Austria Hungary and ItaIy for Joint Dro-
tecuon against Russia and France and at the
same time making secret treaty with Russia
III would seem scarcely just then, to condemn
other powers for exercising a degree Of the
same versatility. or, on the other hand for
standing faithfully by old obligations Years
ago Russia made an alliance with France which
is still in effect Why should she not have
cations Of her secret compact with Germany go
much stronger than those of her avowed ALL
ance with France? AS for Italy she entered
the Triple League to resist any possible mill
tary aggressions of Russia or France IN Eurone
and she would undoubtedly fulfil such duties
loyalty, but 1t does not seem that she placad
herself under any obligation to Join in other
controversies against her own interests
The fact is that Bismarck's famous ru,a
which he perhaps borrowed from Grotius. do
Ut des, fair and equitable as ii appears ia vet
in'rinsicaliy selfish a nation may be governed
by IL and yet be seeking solely its own adyan.
uage- strictly interpreted. It means that q na-
eioh makes some concession. not because II "a
tight Tor 1t to do So but because it expects 70
get something in return. Doth Job serve God
Ior haughtE' It is no reproach upon the Great
ohanceilor Or upon the Fatherland to sov th,s
because the same is generally true among ali
NATIONS. Diplomacy is not always selfish hu,
iie advantage OF self is, after all. the nara.
mount aim OF the statesmen of all countries Az
cepuhg Aitruria. If Russia or Italy at A,oo-
clfas pursued course unsatisfactory 70 o.
many, 1t was doubtless because such courso
was dictated by that powers own welfare or6
not by enmity toward Germany nor bv servIitv
toward France. We must believe that This on
probation OF the case will presently prevau-in