The Dominion. TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 1912. THE FOREIGN SECRETARY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1338, 16 January 1912, Page 4

The Dominion. TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 1912. THE FOREIGN SECRETARY.

The declaration of the London Daily .Yews, as cabled, that "the nation demands a new Foreign Secretary," should be regarded not as a statement of fact 3 "but as'a, rhetorical outbreak of the dissatisfaction with which a section of the Liberal party and the general body of the Labour party have for some time regarded the diplomacy of Sir Edward Grey. The criticisms that have been directed against him relate chiefly to England's relations with Germany. The latest complaint of the Daily News, that "Sir Edward Grey's policy is one of preoccupied animus against Germany," is matched by the Chronicle's recent assertion that'"if British foreign policy, at the present time were ( guided by British public opinion, an Ariglo-Gcrman understanding would' be a possibility of the early future." The Xation, another of the discontented . Liberal organs, remarks that "Germany is prepared to deal with us," and goes on to ask: "Which is, in the end, better for us—to present an adamantine barrier against which Germany will constantly chafe, until some day she seizes a favourable opportunity and breaks through, or to give her of our free will the outlet that she desires, securing on our side the arrest of armaments V' r J[o these and similar criticisms the right answer, as it seems to us, was given by the Spectator, which, with its usual'common sense, advised its readers to ask themselves tile cause of the present unsatisfactory relations between Britain and Germany. To be as concrete as possible, they sliould ask themselves how it is that German opinion is so deeply disappointed, as it clearly is, by; Sir Edward Grey's speech. Our Tolations with Germany arc unsatisfactory because we will not do what Germany -wants. • What is it that Germany wants? She wants us to abandon our entente with France, to discontinue standing by France and supporting her, and instead to allow Germany to deal with France as she (Germany) thinks fit. What docs this mean translated into action? It means nothing more nor less than that Germany considers friendliness to France to lie un act of hostility towards her, and that those who stubbornlv refuse to admit this are "hemming her ia."

Sir Edward Grey is, of course, one of those'who will not admit that friendship with France is enmity against Germany. He is prepared for the mosp cordial relations with Germany—but not at the price of the Anglo-Frcncli Entente. It is on this ground that he is accused of endangering the peace of Europe, and his accusers point to the critical situation in July last, following upon the dispatch of the German gunboat Panther to Agadir. But is it so certain that Britain's decisive action at that stage was unfavourable to peace? Had Britain not stood by France, the Anglo-French Entente, « hich has generally been regarded as making for peace, would have comn tj an end. Germany, once she had forced France to acquiesce in her designs, would have been emboldened to make further demands, and again there would have been clanger of war, and'the loss of French support would have made Britain so much t,bc _ weaker. Sin, Edward Grey's policy lias preserved peace up to the present lime and lias retained the Triple Entente as a valuable safeguard for future peace. The demand that he shall be set aside because of his alleged bias against Germany is altogether too much like a suggestion that Germany should have ;i voici; in l.lif selection of British Ministers. Germany is supposed not to like Sift Kdwwko Ghev. "Very well," say the English .Radicals, "we niusl- have a Foreign Secretary who will be more pleasing to our German brothers." It is to be hoped that Kngland will never have to submit to such a humiliation as that. It would probably be not less fiitilu than shameful. France, in 1005, sacrificed 31. Dklcasse to Germany, She lost one of the greatest of her Foreien Ministers,, and

she did not, after all, gain the goodwill of Germany. It hiirdlv seems likely I hut Britain will foltrnv such an I'X'inmk', for although Sik KnWAUD (iiiEV is attacked liy a section of thy Lilieral following, the division within the Cabinet appears to have been healed, so far as foreign policy is concerned. Such, at sinyrate, is the inference to ba drawn from the fact that Mi:. Lloyd-George's famous speech of warning to Germany Mas delivered after consultation with Mr. Asquitii and Sir Edward Grew Moreover, the Opposition, tine to the tradition that party strife should nod lie allowed to weaken the hands of England in foreign affairs, continues to give a general support to the foreign "policy of the Government. This was cratefully acknowledged by Sir Edward Grey in a recent speech. "If foreign policy is to he of weight," he said, "and to be effective with other nations, it must have fair play at home." It is unfortunate that Sir Edward Grey now has cause to complain of a want of fair play among members of his own party, in relation to the great responsibilities which he has so ably discharged.