dangerous power in Europe, with a military equipment perfected in the war of 1866. Louis Napoleon dragged unprepared France into fighting this wellarmed antagonist-and the victorious war of 1870 created a united Germany.

The impetus of the united strength of Germany evolved from the war of 1870 has never been understood by outside nations. For Germans the war of 1870 has been their text and their inspiration. The next generation of Germans modeled the life of Germany, military, civic, commercial, scientific, and social, on the efficiency of the war of 1870. This is the key to united Germany, and the fact that its States are united should not be any longer doubted.

Nor is it reasonable to think of Germany as merely ruled by a military caste. On the contrary, Germany has made itself a remorseless machine with a full belief in the efficiency of such a system. But the whole mechanism is interlocked with militarism, and if her armies fail to win victory, faith in the structure will disappear. Then there will be a new order in Germany.

With all this great potential national life, Germany emerged from the war of 1870 poor in financial resources. Germany had practically spent in advance the indemnity exacted from France. The French Nation made a wonderful revival from this tax and became prosperous at once, but Germany was hard pressed for funds for her development.

In the meantime Russia had recovered her strength, and the new revolt of the Balkan Slavs (1875-76) had again aroused her to action. The fearful toll of massacre taken by Turkey from Bulgaria caused a great sensation in England, but the Disraeli Government, in power at the time, set against this the "ambitions" of Russia, and England resumed her task as watchdog of the Turkish Empire in Constantinople.

Britain's Greatest Mistake

It is comment enough on the intelligence of British politics at the time to note that the overturn in Parliament, resulting in placing the Disraeli Ministry in power, came from "the question of university education in Ireland." From

this petty issue Disraeli and Salisbury were evolved as England's representatives in the Congress of Berlin, (1878,) the greatest of all England's mistakes in her history.

In the Russo-Turkish war, Russia had broken down the obstinate resistance of the Turks. Her victorious army was advancing on Constantinople, and it was evident at the end of 1877 that the Turks would not be able to save the city. With this victorious advance of the Russians came great alarm in misguided England, and there was a cry to save Constantinople. This was the outbreak of the "jingo" policy. The atrocities in Bulgaria were forgotten, and all who said that Turkey was not England's ward were ignored.

Disraeli fanned these fires to the utmost. Early in 1878 the neutral British Ambassador was recalled from Constantinople and a strong pro-Turk was substituted. The British fleet was ordered to the Dardanelles and a war credit of £6,000,000 was asked of Parliament.

In the meantime Turkey had sued for peace, (Agreement of Adrianople, Jan. 31, 1878,) but England maintained her hostile attitude, and in the Peace of San Stefano (March 3, 1878) Russia did not make the occupation of Constantinople a condition. Serbia, Montenegro, and Rumania were freed from Turkey. Bulgaria remained tributary to the Porte, but received a Christian Prince.

These terms were unsatisfactory to England, and she still threatened war, having made a secret treaty (June 4) to protect Turkey against Russian conquest. For this England was to receive Cyprus, (occupied July 11, 1878.) Germany was secured as a mediator, and the representatives of the powers met at the Congress of Berlin, (June 13-July 13,) under the Presidency of Prince Bismarck-an ominous choice to preside over the settlement of Great Britain's destinies!

Errors of Berlin Congress

By the terms of the treaties drawn up at the Congress of Berlin the Balkan States received less territory than in the Peace of San Stefano. Russia was left still cut off from the Dardanelles. Ger

many, under the leadership of the great Bismarck, had become a dominant power. England had assumed guardianship of Turkey, and received Cyprus-a mess of pottage for the fairest inheritance in the world!

Yet all this was proclaimed as a British triumph.* Disraeli and Salisbury were pictured as conquerors. The fact that Germany and Austria made their alliance the next year (1879) was not noticed.

From this time on England and Germany drew closer together. English money was loaned to Germany for her pressing financial needs, and while England imagined she was building up a barrier against Russia, Bismarck was using these resources to build up an organized foreign trade. Before England realized her error much of her trade, even in her own colonies, had been taken away by Germany. Even in the late eighties British "statesmen" had not waked to the true situation-and at this time Salisbury ceded Heligoland to Germany!

This last disastrous gift to Germany was a fitting culmination of Salisbury's career. The fortified island and the Bight of Heligoland have given Germany a naval base that has done incalculable harm to England.

Beginning of Antagonism

In the nineties the commercial expansion of Germany, at the expense of England's foreign trade, began to alienate the English from Germany. The British merchants began to realize that English trade was the greatest sufferer from German competition, but this feeling was slow to spread through the nation. The Kaiser's indescreet letter to Kruger at the time of the Jameson raid in South Africa was the thing that aroused British hostility to Germany. Great Britain at last awoke to the fact that Germany was not a "friendly nation."+

There was an immediate change in feeling toward the United States. The

*A volcanic triumph such as has rarely, if ever, been equaled in diplomacy.-Lord Redesdale.

So called by Salisbury at the time of the cession of Heligoland.

bitterness over the Venezuela matter disappeared, and Great Britain chose the United States for a friend-a choice she should have made long before.

This change of heart on the part of Britain was strikingly shown in the Spanish-American war at Manila Bay, where the German fleet was threatening our fleet under Admiral Dewey, (1898.) The British Admiral intimated to the German Admiral that, in case of hostilities, the British would take the part of the Americans. From that time Great Britain and Germany drew further apart and open enmity replaced friendship.

Yet even then England did not see the light in regard to Russia. The next phase was the Russian "threat" in the Far East. This was the period that followed "Russia at the Gates of Herat." Again Russia was painted as an avalanche ready to overwhelm the British possessions. Tibet, Afghanistan, and Persia were made so important that all other interests were forgotten, and England was ready to make use of any possible means to do harm to Russia.

The occasion for another British mistake grew out of the Russian lease in Manchuria. Port Arthur was thought a great military base, with a huge Russian army collecting for sinister designs. Consequently England largely financed. the Japanese in their war against Russia -with the same obsession of trying to gain another buffer against Russia's imaginary military plans.

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Then the curtain was drawn aside and revealed actual conditions-instead of the imaginary ones-and the war showed that Russia's "military preparations had consisted in having no great army " in the East, but in building the great open warm-water port of Dalny to let out her trade. This port was destroyed by Japan's victory-to England's immediate loss of trade. England has now realized that, in again cramping Russia, she has created another rival in the East, which has already hurt her trade and influence.

Created the War Situation

So it has continued to the present war. England is now confronted with a situation of her own making. She is clean of

blame in bringing on the war by any / wrong acts or by any breach of faith. The events have shown plainly enough that the war is the act of Germany, and that her brutal invasion of France through Belgium had been planned for years in advance. Nothing can remove this stain from Germany, but the unnatural conditions that inexorably brought on the war were made by England.

England has shut in Russia-to England's own great loss. Her policies have made Germany a dominating power, and she has maintained the Turkish Empire. Both Germany and the Turkish Empire are now her deadly foes. She has built up Japan into a military power, and Japan is, at the best for England, only a half-hearted ally and a disturbing influence in Britain's Eastern colonies.

These disastrous results of British policies in the Victorian days of power and opportunity must be faced and no longer ignored. Great Britain is paying a fearful price for the mistakes of the era that should have sealed her dominion, and the nation is now fighting desperately to correct those mistakes.

Our sympathies and our friendship should be with Great Britain in this struggle. There are ties of kinship, and England has lately shown a most friendly feeling toward the United States. We should also remember that England stands for democracy against the autocracy of Germany. On the other hand, the unthinking comment that "England is fighting our war" only blurs the issue and arouses prejudice against Great Britain in many parts of our country. The truth is that England is fighting her own war-not ours. American friendship should be given to England, not demanded as a payment.

There is another very grave aspect of the question. Russia is now one of the Entente Allies, but it is evident that Great Britain, from her conduct toward Russia, has no hold on Russia from any point of view. How can there be any real feeling of friendliness for England in Russia?

France, with the exception of the misguided episode of Louis Napoleon, has

and

her.

held a different course. France has shown a friendly feeling for Russia, formed an early alliance with Consequently the feeling of Russia for France is a very different thing. France has played a chivalrous part in the great drama, and the strange religious spirit of Russia recognizes this. The only safety for the structure of the Entente Allies is through France. England must do the best she can to remedy her past mistakes, but France is the keystone of the allied arch.

The writer was brought up in a belief in France as the most serious nation on earth, and taught that in any crisis the spirit of France would rise to the occasion. This has proved more than true in the present war. The whole nation gave itself to the task of repelling the invader with a devotion so intense that it was silent. And it is only by degrees that this silent, unselfish strength has been appreciated in America. The wrongs of Belgium won a ready response from our country, but it has taken a longer time to realize the magnificent response of France in her ordeal. There was no propaganda or group of writers to urge the cause of France. Her glory has been told by her deeds, not by her words-and there is no measure to the admiration that Americans should give to France.

America in the War

Since writing the above the United States has been forced into this war by the hostility of Germany. Our position is very different from that of any other nation involved. The conditions that have brought on the war were not in any way made by us. We have not committed any hostile act. We have preserved a strict neutrality-and we have attempted to bring about peace between the warring groups. Our President has stated our aims and objects so plainly that there is no trace of selfishness in our entering the war.

After long patience we have been driven into a declaration of war by repeated hostile acts of Germany. These acts have been not only Germany's brutal defiance of humanity on the seas, but Ger