The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-03

international alliances make queer
partners. There is the notorious case OF
Great Britain and Russia. now one OF the
puzzles OF an overwhelming situation.
What has England in common with Rus
sidH Nothing except certain frontiers
. and this coincidence OF frontiers Is a
circumstance of the utmost significance.
In every other respect except the acci-
dental community OF boundaries England
and Russia stand as far apart as the
poles. England represents the height OF
Aryan civilization. the highest develop
ment Of the basic doctrines Of the In
volatility of the individual, freedom OF
thought and speech. the sanctlty of pri-
vate rights. parliamentary government.
the equal and Just operations OF LAWN
short. everything toward which tho world
has been struggling with slow and pain
ful Efforts since the dark ages
Russia, half Tatar and wholly re-
dictionary, stands for the very arti,h"ses
Of all thos" splendid things II stands for
dItocracy. r"iit we'd by a sop to explosive
discomfort in tho form OF an indefinite
and indchnablc dcliborativc assembly
which lacks even the essential safeguard
OF personal inviolability II stands for a
systematic repro sslon OF free thought: for
government by force. for an Asatic des-
potism planted upon the soil of Europe
by the Mongol domination and grated
upon the tree OF Aryau progress by
Peter Tn" Great and his successors
Englands natural ally Is not Russia
II is not even France in spite OF all
fI.t 4 No 1T th. ka -
have said about Il since their great
patron, King Edward VII, first gave AN
International significance to tho word.
1t IL Germany, with whose people the
people of England are kindred in thought,
ia blood and even in language as well
as religion and most Of the other essen
tial traits of character and tradition
that Is Britain's true ally.
When The late Marquis OF Salisbury
and his eminent sovereign, the late King
Edward VII. came to the conclusion that
Engand's splendid isolation" was not as
splendid as II sounded they looked around
them for an alliance. Salisbury, who had
the characteristics English love OF roast
beef and common sense. was at one on
the issue with his master. who was the
greatest diplomat Of Europe In his day,
with the possible exception Of his young
nephew. William H., the Kaiser.
W men SALISBURY Ndulrutu lIblu Ai'
horizon of public affairs King Edward
continued his activities In behalf OF
foreign alliance. Now King Edward. like
the late Haroun-al- Raschid in Bagdad.
was well known figure In Paris. all
the way from the Quai dOrsay to those
intimate resorts often told of by returning
Americans where one used to dine well
and be entertained no less well by the
vagaries Of the much abused bohemia.
III NJ rh.fh A~
In the gu!se OF Haroun- al Raschid
seeking To know how the Faithful felt
about things, or as man OF the world
who sought distraction from the cares OF
grea; business and knew just where
to get II. Edward was the good fellow
of all Paris. When a Partisan OF those
DAYS spoke OF "lc Rot" he meant King Ed
ward Of England. Paris knew only one
king in those salad days OF the Belle AIN
lncc.
So, WHEN the Foreign Office AT London
said something to the Quai d'Orsay about
an understanding between the two coun-
tries all Paris rOared its approval or the
proposal, which suddenly leaped into first
place as the overshadowing issue OF
French politics. The thing was put through
without delay. and England, for the first
time since the alliances Of tho Crimean
struggle, stood before the world as n
country that had friend.
That was a natural alliance. in a way.
II contained no element essentially re-
pugnant 70 British principles or British
preJudces. 1t even accomplished the
astounding result OF making Britons APP
pear as II they were capable Of taking a
Johnny Crapaud seriously.
The Anglo French understanding, OF
course. was aimed at Germany. France
was the natural foe OF the glorihed Prus-
sla and OF the Kaiserbund Of which il
stood at the head. with the French army
to help them in any alteration with Ger
many. British statesmen felt they could
reasonably hope for n successful issue of
events.
But Edward VII was Emperor OF In
da as well as King ~ England. AZ En-
peror Of India he came into frequent in
harmonious relations with the Great
White Czar-"whitc" chiefly on the d!staff
side OF his ancestry, Ever since the days
when the Indian Empire was a private
enterprise carried on Dy a chartered com
pany Russia had been pushing its way
slowly but surely upon the British pre-.
serves
This gradual and lncessant impnge-
ment, distant at first, became much closer
as the Indian Empire pushed its frontiers
further north and Russa advanced fur
Their south and east Toward the end
OF the nineteenth century the current his.
tory OF the empire was reduced 10 chron-