The Washington herald., 1922-07-09
Britain May Quit Continent
After Hague, Says Simonds
Failure to Impress Lloyd George Policies on
Allies May Bring Isolation as in
Victorian Era, He Declares.
By FRANK H. sIMoNDS.

BY FRANK H. SIMONDS.
Is Great Britain about to follow
the example of the United States
and retire from Continental poll
tics? To be sure. British isolation
is itself traditional and we have
rather initiated the iongstanding
British habit. Yet for nearly two
decades and with a persistence
which finds parallel only in the Ma
poleonic era. Britain has concerned
herself with the situation on the
mainland
From the fall of Napoleon until
the opening years of the present
century British isolation was con-
slant. save with respect of a single
circumstance, namely the Eastern
question. In alliance with Napoleon
III. Britain fought the Crimean war
to restrain Russian aspirations TO
obtain Constantinople. A quarter
of a century later, at the Congress
of Berlin, following the spectacular
naval demonstration in the Sea OF
Marmora. Britain Joined Austria in
yetoing the Treaty OF San Stefano,
which again threatened Turkish
hold upon the Golden Horn.
Boer War Brings Change.
But the Eastern question inter-
ested the British in no degree as a
Continental question: they were
looking out for their sea road to
India. Russian expansion at the ex-
pense of Germany or of Austria
1iGfrrrhad them
have provoked their interest in Eu-
ropean affairs Thus, in reality.
throughout the long reign of Vic
toria. Britain maintained a splendid
isolation and in much of this time
inclined to favor Germany rather
than France.
In the opening years of the twen-
tieth century Britain came back to
the Continent for precisely the same
reasons which had led her to oppose
Louis XIV and Napoleon. She felt
herself threatened by a new antago-
mist. The Kaiser had announced
boldly that German future lay upon
the blue water and the moment
when Britain was paralyzed by the
Boer War was seized upon by GER
many to begin the construction Of
a rival navy.
Britain seeks Alliances.
The British answer was a long
series of agreements with those
nations which opposed Germany. The
first agreement. that with France in
1904. liquidated all the outstanding
colonial disputes and gave France
a free hand in Morocco. This agree
ment put an end to many years OF
pin n-priCking" on the Niger. the
Nile and the NekonC and laid the
foundation for the Entente Cordiale.
which a decade later was to trans
form itself. under the stress of war,
into military alliance.
The second step was an arrangement
with Russia. eliminating the Persian
rivalry and for the moment abolishing
all British apprehension in the matter
Of the northern frontiers of India.
This Russian settlement. much like
the French. took place in 1907. Be
tween the two had intervened the
German challenge over Morocco. which
demonstrated Anglo-French solidar-
ity and almost led to war.
Germany Accepts Compromise.
The Russian agreement was fol-
lowed a year later by the Bosnian
episode. which again threatened the
peace of Europe. Three years later
came Agadir and this time German
defeat was complete. for the soli-
darity not merely of France and Bri-
tain but of Russia with these two was
revealed. and the Germans, still un-
prepared for war. postponed their ac-
ton and accepted compromise which
could not conceal their diplomatic de-
feat.
In the meantime the British had
made an alliance with Japan and that
alliance enabled them to recall from
The Far East the fighting units of
/ their fleet.
The agreement with France. as was
20 be disclosed by Sir Edward Grey
At a fateful moment in August, 1904,
ena bled further concentration in home
water by devolving upon France the
mission of dominating the Mediter-
ranean. At the same time, as the
German menace grew more threaten
ing. French and British staff officers
began 10 cOliaborate in preparing plans
for the use OF British Expeditionary
Army on the Continent in case OF
war. and these labors bore fruit
when Field Marshal Frencn force
landed in France in 1914.
German Menace Real.
At the moment when the world war
actually broke, Britain was com
mitted to European intermixture in
many ways. OF course the reason for
this was the undisgu!sed purpose of
Germany to destroy the British EN-
pire, purpose revealed in vast
amount of German writing in the
years just before the conflict. Feeling
herself the ultimate target of Ger
man attack. Britain fell back upon
her old policy and proceeded to ally
herself in fact. although never in
precise contract. with Germany's other
opponents.
Once the war came. Britain was en-
gagged on the Continent to an extent
unequalled in her history. When the
war was over. therefore, il was inevi-
table that she should still take a
prominent part in the affairs of the
mainland. precisely as she did at Paris
and Vienna after the fall of Napoleon.
Up to the present hour this interest
has continued. With the withdrawal
of the United States. Britain and
France have been left the dominant
powers in Europe and they have
been the great forces in the innumer-
able conferences and international
gatherings which from the Para
Conference onwa ri have directed tb,.