The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1914-08-19

| The bombardment soon made the fall
of Paris certain and on the 2Sth OF
January the city capitulated. Now
the French had to grant the German
demands for Alsace and Lorraine and
in addition for huge indemnity in
money.
Quite naturally, those defeats and
the heavy forfeits expected by the
victors filled all France with deep
hatred for Germany. AS soon as they
had recovered from the war, the
French began to look around for allies
that would strengthen them against
Germany in the future.
1t took them many years to accom-
plish this object. And their first prog
ress came in most unexpected direc-
tion-Russia. 1t did not seem proba-
BILE that the leaders of the Russian
monarchy would look in favor upon
the French republican form of govern
ment. But history makes strange
bed-fellows, and it so happened that
after the Germans and Austrians had
humbled the Russians by taking away
the spoils of their war with Turkey
the French and Russians found they
had a mutual animosity toward the
Teutons.
Viewed With Favor.
So gradually the Russian monarch
and the French republic drew together.
By 1886 it was known that they were
definitely allied. Then history took
another remarkable twist-the Eng
fish, who had formerly made bug.
bear of possible Russian encroachment
of their possessions in India and else.
where, and who had been either suspi
cious Of the French, began to look
with favor upon the French and Rus.
sian alliance.
This came about through gradual
indefinite series of political changes
First of all the English gradually de
cided that there was more to be gained
than feared from Russia This feel
ing was enhanced by the progress Ger
many was making.
The Germans went into the colonial
field late and did not find much to pick
up, but their efforts at expansion wor
ried the English. Furthermore, Ger
man commercial progress went far
Their and farther abroad, establishing
a rivalry in markets where the English
had considered themselves practically
without competition.
Gradually, therefore, the bugbear OF
the English came to be the Germans
instead of the Russians. At the same
time the French jealousies of England
dwindled in Importance as the years
went by. King Edward VII, a master
diplomat, made every effort to dispel
these misgivings on the part of the
French and earnestly strove to en-
hance the English opinion of France
He succeeded remarkably well and
became personally highly popular in
France. AS consequence of these de
velopments, France and England drew
together rapidly after 1904.
Triple Entente.
AS soon as they became assured that
in German progress rested the great
est danger to their own success, the
English put these good relations with
Russia and France to a practical pur
pose. First, so as to be able to keer
more of their battleships near German
waters, they made arrangements fol
the defense of their more distant col
onies in case of war by the fleets OF
another nation-Japan, with whom
they allied. Then they openly Joined
France and Russia.
This formed the Triple Entente, now
at war with the Triple Alliance minus
the Italians, who are apparently hold
ing out for peace because they feel
their best interests do not correspond
with those of their allies. Although
lately at war with them, the Russians
have OF late years attempted to
strengthen the position of the triple
entente by working for better rela
lions with England's allies, the Jap
anese. The Japanese have met them
half way and their leading statesman
Prime Ito, was assassinated while ex
posing himself to attack during q
friendly conference with Russians In
Russian Manchuria.
1t is true that English statesmen
may have entered into the triple en-
tente in an endeavor to preserve worlt
peace but it is lesson of history thai
ALLIANCES made for this purpose otter
work the other way about 1t is also
true that the triple entente does no
oblige each of it's members to rush Il
he defense of the other members, bu
it is another lesson taught by histor,