New-York tribune., 1912-01-22
ENTENTE DIPLOMACY
Reaction Against 1.-THE Cam.
paign Against Persia.
London, Januarv

troduced it, because he considered !,
counterpoise to the Triple Alliance essen.
tial TO the peace Of Europe and to IN.
security of the empire. So long as ,ha
German Emperor was allowed to des,
with rival powers individually, his su.
premacy on the Continent could not ha
challenged. AS soon as friendly relations
were established between England ana
France the diplomacy Of Berlin wa.
brought under restraint, and,when Rus.
sia was carried into the circle OF sym.
pathetic alliances the German Empero,
was forced to treat collectively with
the Entente powers. Obsessed as Eng.
lishmen have been with the idea thai
Germany Is the irreconcilable enemy
and that a terrible duel for maritime su.
| premacy is inevitable, they have wei.
coined a foreign policy which has di.
vided Europe into two diplomatic groups
as in Napoleonic times and tended 10
minimize the military supremacy Of
dreaded rival. Once during King Ed.
wards reign and again during the last
year German intrlgues in Morocco and
menaces against France have been
bafied. British diplomacy has held up
Germany, protected France and estab-
lished balance of power in Europe. +
A reaction has set in against this sue.
cessful diplomacy, because II Is sus-
pected that the risks are taken largely
by England and that the benefits are en-
! joyed exclusively by the Entente allies.
Naval ornaments are maintained at a
| high cost in order that a superior feet
may be in readiness to swoop down upon
Hamburg and Bremen and 10 destroy
! German commerce. When the diplo-
matte negotiations over Morocco are car.
ried to a settlement France Is found to
have profited heavily by the moral sup
port of her naval ally. Englands risks
have been tremendous, while her ma
terial advantages are not apparent.
John Bull, being a man Of business
| rather than a professional philanthro.
pist, does not derive consolation from
the reflection that he has acted like ona
Of Talleyrand's good Europeans. He Is
not meek enough to accept virtue as Its
own reward. He is harassed with the
shrewd calculation that his ally is max
ing use Of him and that nothing is COM
ing to him but the enormous cost Of
naval armaments. When the pro-Ger-
man Radical suggests that 1t would bs
more profitable to cultivate good rela-
tions with the chief commercial rival
and to reduce the burdens Of sea power
there is no convincing reply.
Entente diplomacy becomes even more
inscrutable when Russias relations with
Persia are reviewed. Good feeling tow
ard Russia was the sequel 10 the Anglo.
French concordat, and II involved an
agreement concluded in 1907 respecting
Persia. Apparently It was a safe com.
pact, since the preamble contained an
explicit declaration that the indepen-
dence and integrity OF Persia would be
recognized and respected by both Eng
land and Russia. This had been done in
three previous agreements dating from
1884 TO 1880, and the obligation was re-
rewed In an emphatic disclaimer that
either power had any selfish motives
and in joint pledge that Persia should
be at liberty to concentrate her energies
on the settlement Of her finances aud
internal affairs. The agreement. after
starting of in a noble spirit OF altruism.
divided Persia Professionally into three
zones or spheres of interest Russia's
circuit contained the capital, the best
markets and the bulk OF the population;
the neutral zone had considerable trade
without any defensible stronghold, and
the British sphere was made up OF coast
deserts and barren hinterland. What
is now apparent, not only TO censorious
Radicals but also 10 broad minded I'm
perialsts, is that England depended
credulously upon the good faith OF her
ally and made an extremely bad bargain
both for her own traders and for india
When the agreement was made Brit
ish veterans complained that the scien-
tihc frontier OF India had been recklessy
abandoned and new and indefenslole
The warnings were unheeded by officials
ih Downing Street, and 1t was not lons
before the Southern trade routes were
declared 70 be insecure. Indian cavalry
was sent in TO protect British consul-
ates and the acting vice-consul and his
convoy were attacked on the way from
Bushire TO Shiraz With these prece-
dents for foreign intervention Northern
Persia was invaded by Russian troops,
two utimatums were directed against
the reformed government at Teheran
and the preamble CT the Anglo Russian
agreement was openly violated. Sir Ed
ward Grey, ii is true, has disclaimed CO.
operation in an aggressive policy aimed
at destroying Persian independence. and
has declared that the agreement offers
the only safeguard for the protection OF
the country, which is struggling from
the darkness OF Oriental despotism TO
the light of civilized government ana
representative institutions Yet when
every apology has been heard for am
biguous diplomacy the truth remains
that Russia has been making use OF the
agreement and of Entente diplomacy as
we'll to prevent the revival OF Persia as
a constitutional state with we'll ordered
finances and to reduce II TO a condition
of dependence and disorder, in which II
can be easily bullied and eventually an
nexed.
The virtue OF Entente diplomacy de-
pends upon the good faith OF allies
France has stood by England with con-
sistent purpose, and the two powers
have pronted by the disappearance OF
oldtme jealousy and hostility. AS mucn