The Washington herald., 1912-01-15
ENGLAND FORTUNATE
IN WARS WITH FRANCE

ropean concert shifted from the Medi-
terraneAn 70 the North Sea, Engiand's
friendship with France was the natural
result. But amity between the two ma
tions. even under the stress OF common
danger. was not arranged easily, and TO
the tact OF the late King Edward and
the sagacity Of his advisers is due the
clearing away o. the clouds OF suspicion
that arose from the memories Of 800
years OF warfare between England and
France.
History records that twenty-three times
In these 800 years England and France
struggled for the mastery. but fortune
always favored Albion in her wars with
her neighbor across the Canal In
Manche." One leading claim which
France has upon England is that. al
though the latter holds India. IT was a
Frenchman who planned the system by
which India is held. To Duplex. not to
Give. is due the credit of the conception
Of the administrative method through
which the vast Asiatic empire is governed
by British viceroys.
The humlliations OF 1870 burnt into the
very soul Of the restless but brave ma
tion whose friendship with England be-
the balance Of power in Europe. The
sense Of soreness that pervadAs the log
ical French mind Is due to the feeling
that English success I'm the world Is due
70 French failure. England repeatedly
has borrowed French ideas and-wOrse
still-has put them into practice against
France herself But within the last two
DECADES the French have recovered their
self-esteem. This was due in tlfe main
n fuvn Tbn fFnn N he
French army as compared with that Of
Germany. and the success OF the French
policy in Morocco, that resourceful, fer
tile Alsatla at the parkgates Of Europe.
To secure Morocco II became evident
that II was necessary 10 isolate Ger
many and to Join forces with England.
France has done her part In this direc-
ton. Her army Is now a different
fighting machine from what It was in
the days of the Second Empire.
French artillery is said TO be superior
to that Of Germany. In air craft the
French excel ev,ry nation in the world.
giving ideas TO all mankind, which are
accepted eagerly.
Does the acquisition by France OF a
protectorate yer Morocco I'm exchange
for a slice OF the Congo end the quarrel
between the Western nations and Ger
many? Expansion is essential to the
existence OF Germany, but settlement in
the Ceded portion of the Congo Is not
practicable TO white colonists from q
norther~ race The new German terri
tory in Africa very naturally will in
crease the appetite for more. for the
French and Belgian Congo are desirable
acquisitions for any commercial country.
Besides, Germany may raise 10000 troops
from her now black subjects with which
to attack the French possessions from
the south. Tho British government not
withstandlng denials. is pledged TO dis
patch an expeditionRry force TO France
II that country is attacked by n Euro
pean power. Such an expedItiouAry
force is ready. but the officers are in
sufficient. even IL every officer I'm the
country fit 10 serve were ordered TO en-
bark.
After the Boer war the ofice Of in
spector general OF the forces was Gre
ated by Lord Salisbury. for the purpose
OF telling the truth about their army TO
the English people. When the Duke Of
Connaught was inspector general. he
prepared report which told the truth.
This report was never allowed 10 see the
light. The Duke OF Connaught resigned
success
sors, not being royal dukes, must either
acquiesce in the suppression of their re-
ports or cover the deficiencies Of the
eNpeditionary force. To insist on the
truth being told means professional and
financial ruin to any general officer en-
ployed by the army council. which con-
trols promotion and dispenses patronage.
Now. the truth about the British army,
though concealed carefully from the Eng
lish public. is known TO the German and
French governments VlsCount HaIdrane
Is very popular in Berlin. Why? Because
1t is only too we'll known In the Wilhelm
strasse that as secretary OF war he is
failure.
England is pledged to France by every
consideration that can appeal TO her ma
tional honor, and her national interests
because under German Supremacy.
against which France acts continually as
stay, all OF Europe-Russia included
would united against Great Britain.
Germany. Of course. is ever prepared.
Is ever ready. Her army can be mobi-
lized and put in marching trim almost
at moments notice. and II is doubtful
whether France, though her general stan
and commissariat are ever so much su-
perior TO those Of the days OF the last
Franco-Prussian war, could equal Ger
many IN the dispatch OF and care for
her troops. II never has been a question
OF war funds with France, a nation so
wealthy and 50 thrifty that It Is a marvel
OF states economists to this day in how
short a space of time the defeated French
not only paid the indemnity. amounting to
5000 100000 francs. but how quickly and
completely the country recuperated from
that blow to her vitality
The war chest for the Germans, on the
other hand, Is an extremely. difficult
problem, as the first William and Bis
marck found out 10 their cost. But they
yprofited by their distressing experience
with the Diet, which refused TO vote the
money for the war OF 1865, compelling
the Prussian government TO issue those
famous blue "Kassenscheine." a paper
money which the banks and the popu-
lace were obliged 10 take as legal-ten-
der currency. In other words, 'ReIchs-
kriegs-schatz'' Imperial war chesO was
created as one Of the results OF the sue
cessful war with France-a treasure con-
sisting of bullion and hard cash-and
the Julius Thurm." at Spandau. a fort
near Berlin. on the Havel River, was
designated as the place 10 keep It. A
law was passed IN 1871 that ~. .o0o 900
Prussian thalers (or 120,0o0O00 reichs-
marks) should be taken from the French
milliards and forever locked away as a
perpetual war treasure" II is the only
hoard Of its Kind in the modern world.
That treasure can be used only FOR pur-
poses of mobilization OF the army, and
then only under imperial decree. The law
does not declare that the money must
necessarily be used for mobilization for
every war; and for small war.or a