The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 1906. MOROCCO AND THE TRIPLE ALLIANCE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 91, 17 April 1906, Page 4

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 1906. MOROCCO AND THE TRIPLE ALLIANCE.

For the cause that lack* assistance. For the wrong that needs resistance. For the future in the distance, And the good that we can. do.

j Germany has already found several substantial reasons for regretting the Kaiser's illjudged interference in Moroccan affairs; but it would seem that the results of the Algeeiras Conference are even more comprehensive and far-reach-I ing than the best friends of France could have anticipated. The Conference ended, as we have already explained, in a humiliating defeat for Germany; for France sustained practically all her own claims in spite of the indignant remonstrances of the Kaiser's Ministers. But the most important feature of the Conference was not so much the public humiliation of Germany as the evidence it provided of the relations that now exist between the Great Powers. The meaning of the situation may be summed up briefly in two phrases—the isolation of Germany, and the confirmation of France's friendship for England and Russia. As to Russia, the Algeciras Conference gave the Tsar a most desirable opportunity for proving that in spite of all the shocks and disasters that his country has suffered she is by no means a " negligible quantity" in European politics, and that she is still France's firm friend and ally. As to England,, the Conference has produced indubitable evidence that France can depend absolutely upon the sympathy and help of her friends across the Channel. That there may be no doubt about the impression that the Conference has produced in this respect on France, M. Bourgeois, French Minister for Foreign Affairs, has just made a speech in the Chamber of Deputies iv which he places England on the same footing as Russia, as bound to France in a firm alliance by the ties of friendly sympathy. The significance of this conjunction of England with Russia and the use of the term " alliance" is too

obvious to be misunderstood; and we can well conceive the bitter resentment which this unexpected development has roused in Germany, and more especially in the heart of its haughty and ambitious sovereign.

It has been well said that the, Kaiser is Germany's worst danger; for able and versatile as William 11. undoubtedly is, be sometimes displays a recklessness and lack of fact that may at any moment to the most deplorable results. In this instance he has given the world another proof of the risk that Germany runs in trying to follow the traditions of Bismarekian diplomacy, without the great Chancellor's hand to guide it. As we have seen, at the Algeciras Conference Germany stood almost alone. England, Russia, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Holland all unreaervedly supported Franco. Belgium was prepared to abide by the decision of thet majority, while Sweden and the United States were on the whole neutral. Germany therefore had only Austria and Morocco to back her; and Austria's support was often ot a carefully qualified kind. It is natural enough that Aγmany should feel a certain amount of gratitude for Austria's aid; but the Kaiser has chosen a very indiscreet way of expressing that sentiment. He has telegraphed to the Austrian Foreign Minister thanking him for hie eupport at Algeciras; but he has employed terms that not only imply the inferiority of Austria's status as compared with Germany, but convey a covert reflection upon the conduct of Italy. Now, Austria has" never been reconciled to the dependence on Germany to which she was reduced forty years ago; and this is surely not the moment for the Kaiser to embitter the feelings of Germany's one faithful ally. As to Italy, her friendship for both France and England has been so clearly shown o! late yeaTa that she seems to need nothing but a Teasonabie excuse ior breaking off her connection with Germany; and this opportunity seems to be now afforded by the intolerant and offensive attitude adopted toward her by the Kaiser.

The net result of the Algerian Conference is tersely summarised by the Frankfurt "Zeitung" in the brief but emphatic statement that the Triple Alliance has gone to pieces. Now it must be remembered that the Triple Alliance was not only the greatest of all Bismarck's diplomatic achievements, but the only safeguard that Germany has been able to devise against the everpresent fear of Russian hostility. It must never be forgotten that Russia, helpless as she may have seemed a year ago, is still the one great continental enemy that Germany has to fear. Germany's fleet is useless against Russia, and her eastern frontier is at every point exposed to the Tsar's armies if ever the long-expected Continental war should begin. With France on one side and Russia on the other, Germany's position from the military standpoint must always be full of periL Hence the formation of fhe Triple Alliance—the league by which Germany, Austria and Italy agreed on conditions that have never yet been fully divulged, to defend each other against any combination of hostile- Powers. Austria came into the alliance in the first place because she shared Germany's fears about Russia, and because £he- desired to hare Geno»njf'**i4 wheay

ever the "ruaE for the spoils" in the Balkans should at last become possible. Italy" was persuaded tojdnV with GerV many - because *~of her jealousy of France's extensive colonising schemes in North Africa. But all this was more than "twenty years ago; and much has happened since then to" change* the position of international affaire. In 1896 Austria, to her amazement and wrath, discovered the existence of Bismarck's "reinsurance treaty" with Russia, by which. Germany with a cynical contempt for all her pledges to Austria, undertook to help Russia against Austria if the necessity should arise. Between 1901 and 1903 Italy for various reasons rentered into friendly- relations with: France; and the Kaiser knows well that I neither Italy nor Austria is disposed to be dragged into a great war at Germany's chariot-wheels. Austria has-the best of reasons for distrusting' Germany; Italy and Austria are Bojth on distinctly amicable terms with England; and Jtaly is now practically reconciled to France. The causes that once seemed to make the Triple Alliance necessary have therefore ceased to exist; and the next few months may" show that, the Algeciras Conference was the occasion i for which Italy and Austria have long been seeking, to renounce their humiliat- ; ing dependence upon the reckless and irresponsible Kaiser.