DIPLOMACY

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 59, Issue 4219, 4 December 1939, Page 7

DIPLOMACY

IMPLICATION OF DOUBLEDEALING. “The history of diplomacy,” writes Mr J. A. Spender, in the Sunday Times, “as written and read a generation after the event, is in large part a record of double-dealing, as indeed the word ‘diplomacy’ implies, but we should ransack modern history in - vain to find a public instance of this quality at all parallel to the sudden defection of Russia. Bismarck, while bound to Russia by the Three Emperors’ League, went behind her back and concluded a secret treaty with ; Austria at her expense in 15179, and eight years later repeated the operation by making a secret treaty with Russia at Austria’s expense. But these transactions were wrapped in profound secrecy, and Bismarck, when brought to book, gave them the polite name of ‘reinsurance.* It never occurred to him in his most daring moments to invite the emissaries of one Power to negotiate with him in Berlin,' and while they were still his guests and negotiations - seemed to be nearing completion, to invite their opponents to come to the same place at the same time, and arrange with them to administer a public rebuff to those who came before.”