The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1915-12-29
Gladstone's Peace
Policy Was Responsible
For the World War

British Liberals will today pay tri-
butte to the memory of their greatest
chief, William Ewart Gladstone, this
being the 106th anniversary of his
birth Supreme as he was among
the statesmen of the nineteenth CEN
fury, Gladstone was but human, and
his weaknesses were in part respon-
sib1e for the terrible war which is
now CONFUSING Europe and threaten
ing the integrity of the British en-
pire. The man who brought about
the gradual enfranchisement of the
masses, popular education, equal tax
alton, financial reforms and other
great advances in democracy was not
ably weak and lacking in foresight in
his foreign policy. The maintenance
of peace was dearer to him than ma
tiona1 prestige, and his vaci1Iation was
the cause later of the wars in South
Africa and Sudan, and a contributing
cause of the tremendous struggle
now raging.
At the close of the F'ranco-Prus-
sian war Gladstone had it within his
power to curb Prussia in it's demands
upon France. His sympathies were
with that country, and, when the Ger
mans demanded the cession of A1sace
and Lorraine, Gladstone asserted that
England would not agree to it. 1.-THE
English people, he said, ''have a hor-
ror of wars of conquest and will never
give their agreement to the dismem-
berment of France" In this stand
he was supported by Austria, which
feared the aggran dizement Of Prussia,
but when it seemed that war might be
the result of continued opposition to
the Prussian project Gladstone weak
ened. A1sace-Lorraine passed to the
Germans, and SO became 8 source of
contention in Europe.
The efforts of the French leaders
to induce Great Britain and Austria
to intervene and prevent the annex
alton by Prussia of A1sace and Lor-
raine are described in detail in ga
Diplomats Memoirs written by
Frederic Reitlinger, secretary to Jules
Favre, the vice-president of the
French provisional government of
1870 Reitlinger was dispatched first
to Vienna, where he obtained assur-
ances that the Austrian government
would join with England in preserv-
ing the territorial integrity of France.
In London the French diplomatic
agent received a cordial welcome, but
he found Gladstone unwilling to as
sumo the risk of war.
ITO throw a nation into war" said
the British statesman, is respon-
sibi1ity that makes one shudder. The
English people have suffered cruel
ly from the wars of past centuries.
They need peace and they want peace.
We have not the right to throw them
into all the miseries Of such a war.
TOT 1T WOu1Q De q European y
ST then. told him. says ReitHnger,
that the flIture-perhaps the very
near future-wouId give cause for re-
greet at not having seized the oppor-
tunity of putting us under an obiiga-
ton by going to war for a. moral
causeA' and with the approval of the
English people,
Reitlinger admits that at that time
Great Britain, in common with all the
countries of Europe save Prussia, was
totally unprepared for war. .Only
one power was prepared at the mo-
ment of shock, and that power was
exactly the one which France. herself
unready, had chosen for an enemy.
Outside Prussia no one in Europe had
foreseen war. and no one was armed
or in condition for a campaign" 4
Under such circumstances Glad
stone had reason to hesitate about
opposing the will of the victory flush
ed Prussia; yet the struggle he.
avoided was only postponed, and
when it came Britain was still un-a
ready. and Germany more powerful
than ever.