THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTH CROSS. TUESDAY APRIL 12, 1904. THE ANGLO-FRENCH AGREEMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12545, 12 April 1904, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTH CROSS. TUESDAY APRIL 12, 1904. THE ANGLO-FRENCH AGREEMENT.

Tire news that an Anglo-French agreement has been come to and signed comes as a pleasant set-off to the uneasiness caused by the existence of a great war which, for aught we can tell, may involve other nations besides the original combatants. Our own experience of the horrors of war is recent enough to make us look with favour on everything which makes for peace; and the knowledge that even victory does not, as a rule, bring an end of the troubles of the situation makes us turn gladly to any other solution of international differences. On this account we hailed the agreement come to lately for international arbitration between Great Britain and France as a great step towards better things. No two nations could more appropriately take the lead in the inauguration of such, a practical policy ; for no two have so often experienced the evils and the futility of the older and more usual mode of settling national disputes. It may be said with truth that for centuries past England and France have either been at war, or have been more or less prepared to quarrel at short notice. It may bo said perhaps that ou the whole England has usually gained the advantage; but if wo could but gauge the true proportion of things we could not fail to see that the price we have paid has usually largely exceeded the substantial benefits. That there must be a better way of settling disputes than that of war has for some time been the growing feeling of civilised nations ; and it; will go far to justify the claims of England and France to be looked upon ass tin; leaders of civilisation that they have been the first to come to a reasonable and frier lly settlement of long-standing differences.

International arbitration, there can be little doubt, will prove an excellent thing; but international friendly agreement on disputed points is even better. This is what has now been achieved by ordinary diplomatic methods, between lingland and France, on a variety of questions, almost any one of which might in past times have led to war. The trouble of longest standing was that which related to the Newfoundland fisheries, though other questions in dispute seem nowadays of more practical importance. Tito fisheries question, which may be looked upon as equitably settled by the terms of the agreement, was the last relic of French rule in North America, and while of much local importance to Newfoundland was of little more than sentimental interest to the rest of the Empire. By the new agreement, most of the special rights conferred by tho treaty of Amiens on French fishermen are abandoned by France, and on the other hand tho right to fish for lobsters, strenuously opposed by the colony as not being within the precise terms of the treaty, in conceded by England. The compromise seems to be a good one, as it will fairly satisfy both parties, and may be expected to put an end to tho periodical bickerings which have demanded the presence of one or two men-of-war on the coast throughout the fishing season. African questions, while not directly affecting any part of Britain's colonial Empire, have long been those most likely to cause serious ill-ieeling between the nations; and these also would seem to have been settled. Tho southern shore of the Mediterranean is that in which France is most nearly interested, and therefore that in which trouble with rival Powers was most likely to become acute. The concession of special rights in Morocco by England was probably tho largest concession made, and was no doubt looked upon as tho equivalent of France's surrender of special claims in Egypt. If so there can be little doubt that the bargain was a fair one. Eng-

land's interest in Egypt is really a colonial one, and while her practical rule in the land of the Pharaohs is likely to prove the salvation of its people, it is absolutely necessary that she should retain an undisputed control ot the country through a corner of which lies her highway to the East. The integrity of Siam as a buttress of Farther India was certainly a desirable condition., and is fairly set off against England's withdrawal of objections to a French tariff in Madagascar. To Australians, and in a less degree to ourselves, the reference under the agreement of disputed questions as to land in the New Hebrides has something of a special interest, though it does not. deal with the larger question, which will ore long demand a settlement, of the permanent political position of the islands. It is well, at any rate, that all minor matters should be dealt with first, even if in the end it should become necessary to fall back upon arbitration for the settlement of questions of sovereignty.

Thus it may be said all outstanding differences have been settled between the Empire and the French Republic. Others will no doubt arise as time goes on, but the friendly settlement of these forms a precedent of enormous value for use in such cases. As matters stand there should be little danger of any quarrel between the two nations, which should, for many reasons, be the best of friends, though they have so often been lie bitterest of enemies. Every agreement made voluntarily must form the basis of an arbitration award, should it como to that, in the future; and every one makes the submission to such an arbitration more easy. When King Edward succeeded- to the Throne of the Empire it ivas understood that his supreme wish was that he might inaugurate a period of peace with honour for his own people, and as far as possible for others ; it would seem that his wish is in a fair way to be gratified. Peace between France and England, founded on a basis that promises permanency, is, it may be said, only a beginning ; but it is at least a fair and promising one. From this station of vantage it is at least possible he may be able to intervene, when the moment arrives, to bring about peace between his ally of Japan and France's ally of Russia.