ANGLO-FRENCH RELATIONS.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9641, 13 January 1899, Page 3

ANGLO-FRENCH RELATIONS.

The International Unrest.

Mr Balfour, spoaking recently on the international unrest, said : — For wo have to admit that the times in which we live are times of international unrest. (Hear, hear.) It is hard, perhaps, fully to explain the causes of that unrest, for I take it there nevor was a period when, owing to the fact of univeis>al consoription, war was moro repulsive to tho feelings of the great masses of populations of the Continent of Europe than it is at this moment ; but if we examine what the causes of this unrest are we shall find that in the main they arise from the colonial appotite of many nations dealing with great undivided and unsettled portions of Africa, or else they arise from the decay and rolativo impotence of great States, great nations, whose affairs cannot but be regarded with interest, and are, in fact, of the deepest importance to the European nations. It is not to the desire, the corrupt ambition, of great States to swallow up smaller and weaker interests that we owe this present state of unrest. On the contrary, I think, if you will oxamine the hfstory of Europe, you will see that small and well-governed States are some of the most stablo and permanent elements in the family of European civilisation. It is when you come to States that are not well governed — to some, for instance, of the great Eastern communities— lhat you will find European nations in rivalry as to who is to have the succession, who is to obtain advantage from the weakness and tho corruption which are equally injurious to all of us. And I do not know that any remedy is to be found for this state of things except the commonsQnse and coolheadednoss of tho statesmen who are at the head of the various Chancelleries in Europe.