The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-11-14

scurolly Oy WILLIAM PITT N MS TS~
mendous struggle against France. Aus
tri& and Russia combined. Subsequently
Britain and Prussia presented a united
front against the French Republic and
Empire and nowhere more sincerely
than in London was Pruseia's temporary
ACKNOWLEDGMENT deplored. Stil rsmem
bered in the middle Of the last century
vas the enthusiast m aroused by the Prus-
sian rulers visit TO England after Water
loo, where il was recognized that per-
haps WELLINGTON would have been
beaten n BLccHER had not come up.
At a later day the union Of Queen VIC
ToRIA s eldest child, the Princess Royal,
TO the Crown Prince Of Prussia wss one
Of the most popular marriages ever cele-
brated in England and was scarcely less
acclaimed in Prussia till the hour arrived
when BISMARCK complained Of the as
tendency possessed by the Crown Prin-
cess over her husband.
IL cannot be said that the absorption
Of the Kingdom of Hanover by Prussia,
which was one OF the results Of her
victory at Sadowa, gave offence TO the
British people, though their sovereign
could hardly view with indifference the
extinction Of a monarchy which for up
ward OF a century had been linked by
a dynastic tie to the British Crown.
Owing, however. TO the Queens affection
for her eldest daughter, there IA no
breach in her friendly intercourse with
the court of Berlin during the reigns
Of Emperor WILLIAM I. and Emperor
FREDERICK; nor, for that matter, during
the reign Of her grandson up TO the out
break of the last war in South Africa.
Then the sympathy for the Roers exhib-
tied by WILLIAM ii. provoked in Eng
land a storm of indignation which tho
royal family could not ignore or refuse
20 share. From that day 70 this the
relations Of the British and German
courts have been conventional and frigid,
while the British Foreign ONCE has pur-
sued a policy by no means calculated
to promote the execution OF German
plans. But for England's former agree
ment to aid Japan in the event Of that
country being attacked by two or more
Powers it is certain that Germany and
France would have cooperated with Rus
STA after the late Far Eastern war, as they
did in 1895. A for the new agreement
signed in August, 1905, whereby England
binds herself to hep Japan should that
country be attacked even by a single
Power, and whereby both signatOries
covenant to uphold tie territorial in
tegrity Of China. il puts an end to Ger
many's dream Of acquiring the province
of Shantung and confines her to the little
settlement at Kiaochou. That was a
death blow to the programme of expan-
sion in the Far East whereof the pur-
chase Of the CarOlinas and the procure
ment Of a part Of New Guinea only
preliminary moves.
Even more serious was the damage
done to Germany's prestige by the series
of international compacts which King
EDWARD VII. has the credit for arrang-
ing and which seems to threaten 10
compass the German Empire with iron
bands. With the Anglo-French entente
and the AnglO-Russian treaty may be
coupled the present extremely cordial
relations of Italy with both England and
France. relations scarcely reconcilable
with Italy's fidelity to the Triple Alliance.
Under the circumstances it was natural
that Emperor WILLIAM should deem it
of exceeding Importance TO renew the
old time alfectionate relations between
the British and Prussian courts before
another link in the constructive chain OF
treaties should have been forged. II is
true that Herr Won Scion, Secretary Of
the German Foreign Ofice, who is ac-
companying Emperor WILLIAM, denies
that there is any intention of discussing
ut Windsor any concrete political ques-
ton or that Germany looks for any
specially defined political agreement or
understanding that might give rise to
a~pprehensions on the part OF any other
Power. When. however. his master and
he talk about reviving the former init
mate relations Of the two countries they
can mean nothing else than that they
wish England to substitute a close UNDER
standing with Germany for that which
she now has with France.
There is not the slightest chance OF
such a substitution. 1t is probable that
assurances on that point
been or will be given by King
Government to the French
Foreign Office.