New-York tribune., 1921-11-11
tCentlnusd from pase ohsl

----.-s-.--------.---
tcentnusd from pass ehsl
->sr><ss- -<.~~>
conditions have changed" apparently
s.ot considering that It ia prccisely
upon tho certainty that conditions will
continue to change that the caution
against permanent alliances Is based.
Alliance Would Mean
Estrangcment Of United States
At tho present time it would not be
difficult for the United States, II 1t
desired an alliance, to find an ally in
whatever power it might consider its
most eligible partner. The strongest
appeal probably would come from those
who favor an Anglo-American alliance,
supported by the argument that an al
lance of the English-spcaking peoples
could practically rule the world, and
thus impose universal peace. This
proposal overlooks (1) the evident divi-
sion of opinion in the United States,
which Is not an Anglo-Saxon but 3
composite nation; (2) the impossibility
of accepting the obligation to defend
oil the British imperial interests, and
| (S) tho unwillingncss Of either con-
tractant to recognize any degree Of
subordination to the other. A few
months experience Of such an alliance
would render It's incompatibilities 30
clear to both countries that its exist
ence would prove cause Of serious
! estrangement.
This does not in the least imply that
the British Empire and the United
States Of America may not live to-
gether on the most friendly terms and
cooperate in thousand ways to main
tain peace and justice in the world. It
simply means that they could never do
this under bonds, and that the essen
tial condition Of their doing it at all
is the frank recognition of their equal
sovereign rights, their equal freedom
and the essential differences in their
politics. The United States is not an
imperial power, and the British Empire
is not a commonwealth Of co-equ !
democracies.
There are those who would prefer,
if there is to be an American alliance,
that 1t should be with France. In this
case some Of the objections to an
Anglo-American alliance would disap-
pear. 1t could not be said that it was
a race alliance, which would be chal-
lenge to other races. Nor could it be
held that it was intended to dominate
the world. 1t would pass for a purely
defensive union.
How, welcome an alliance would be
to France is evident from the general
tenor Of the French prcse, a part Of
which has generously suggested that in
the Washington conference France
should come strongly to, the aid Of the
United States, with an understan. !. ng
that America will protect France in
the future as in the past.
A Statement OF the.
Alliances Advantages
In an extraordinary article in "Le
Figaro" Of October s the advantages
of a Franco-Anerican alliance are
minutely specified, especially those that
would be afforded Ia The United States
by utilizing the splendid naval bases
of France, rich in such valuable sta
tions, while the United States pos
sesses very few. ITO be master Of the
sea-" says this writer, "is to be the
master Of peace" and he proceeds to
show how, since the United States
could furnish the ships and France the
coaling stations, the two nations to-
gether could be dominant on the great
waters of the earth.
The control Of the sea, it is pointed
out, consists Of two essentials--the
feet and the naval bases. "Now, the
United States has the feet, but its
system Of naval bases is incomplete.
In a word, it has not had up to the
present policy regarding naval bases
necessary for a control Of the sea.
Without doubt its position is strong
in the Pacific, where it has marked
out between Puget Sound, San Diego,
Cavite, Honolulu ana the capital point
of Dutch Harbor, with Unalaska, in the
Aleutian Islands, field of battle ad-
mirably intrenched and prepared. But
that is only a champ clos" as our
fathers said in the time Of 'la cape et
de l'epee'; and naval war is not con-
fined, as in duel of an earlier time
to fixed hour in determined place
1t embraces the immensity of the seas
and of their coasts, and there is neces.
sary to sustain it game Of points
d'appui' on all the oceans and along
all the maritime routes. In this re.
spect France is admirably provided
If she has not, like England. Gibraltar
Malta, the effective possession of Suez
the Cape, Ceylon and Singapore, she
has, without speaking OF her positions
in Indo-China, an incompatible neck,
lace of naval bases around the whole
.. of Africa, admirably chosen, like Casa
blanca in Morocco, Dakar in Senegal
Libreville, Duala, Madagascar, Diego
Suarez, Reunion, finally Djibouti, op
posite Alden, at the entrance Of tn.
Red Sea; and that group commands o.
, one side the Atlantic route and OF
the other that Of the Indian Ocean
Moreover, France controls a naya