BRITAIN'S ALLIANCES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1707, 26 March 1913, Page 7

BRITAIN'S ALLIANCES.

NO OBLIGATIONS TO SEND TROOPS ABROAD. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright •••/ - 1 London, March 2-1. The Prime Minister, Mr. Asquitli, replying to/ questions in tho House of Com'uaons, reiterated that Great Britain tasundor no secret obligations to send troops to the Continent.; 110. explained that.Hi - . flaWonr .was not ! a member of the Imperial Defence Committee,, but had joined a Special Inquiry Committee. BRITAIN'S DUTY TO FRANCE. 'SCOPE OF. ALLIANCE AND ENTENTE. . The German Chancellor, has told us frankly the terms of tho Triple Alliance. But tho question whicli 'interests us.iar more in England (writes Mr. Harold Speii(!er in the* London "Daily News" in February last) is—What aro the terms of the 'I'riplo friendship ? ■ In the midst of an arming Europe, the German Chancellor assures us thar, apart from' self-defence, Germany would only draw the sword to help rati ally that was attacked. Tho inference is that. Germany would help Austria if i she were attacked :by Russia, but would not help Aiis'to-ia if Austria attacked Servia.'- 'I'liat is a vital announcement, which is a warning at once to ;Russi<i and Austria. .. (

o But. suppose i that • this counter-attack came off, what then? '.What if Germany foiind itself at war with Russia in order to protect Austria? What would, in that case, be the duty; of Great Britain—to what action .would she be. bound by her obligations and'promises? That question affects us all so vitally in this country 'that it. is impossible to ignore it. It is lione the less important because tho British Parliament is itself in the dark as to the. ansu'er.. \ .

Tho Triple -Friendship is a bond.'of n weaker kind than tlie Triple Alliance. Between France and Russia, indeed,'the friendship amounts to an alliance. Both these great countries would be compelled by their, mutual -pledges to defend , the other if. either were aggressively attacked-. )Fon that/reason all tho military arrangements of Germ-any are made 'with a view to war on both frontiers, and part of the warps.tual anxiety , in'.which the Germans liye arises from tho fear of a double at- ' tack'-from 'East and West.-. But even in, that case the alliance' is not' aggressive, and if—to take ;a remote, - and,'l believe, quite improb'ablo ' exaniplcH-France ~ at--tacked Germany;' Russia would bo left entirely free to net as she liked. -

A Military .Understanding, . ;-V But. if-that is the/arrangement between Franco and Russia, what are the arrangements (1) between (England, ond' Prance and (2) between England and Russia? In both cases tho understandings are nominally confined to limited action within. the confines'of 'certain' fixed - Conventions—the Anglo-Russian Convention of ICOG and the Anglo-French Convention' of -1801.. The first-of these Conventions, refers.to Persia and the Central East; the second to Morocco, Egypt, and Newfoundland. I

Nominally and technically, no fixed arrangement exists outside: itheso Conventions, and it'is the custom of the Foreign Office to assure us.that there are no secret treaties. Wo'need not deny .that statement.. But, nevertheless (asserts • Mr, Spender), there is no doubt that a mili-i tary: understanding exists between England and Francer-an understanding of a weaker and more indefinite kind than that which exists between Franco and . Russia, and yet on, the same .lines. In both cases the arrangement is defensive,, and not aggressivojbut while, in the case of Franco and Russia, the defensive obligation, is absolute; in ours it is conditional. ' '' If France, for instance, ; wore to provoke Germany by sonic outrageous; act, and Germany were' tlien. : compelled to attack France, we. should not be' compelled to help Franco. Even if Germany attacked France. on grounds that appeared to 'us just, wo could hold aloof. But if Germany invaded France without any excuse or reason that appeared to us adequate, we should bo compelled to defend, lYance. It is an arrangement morely verbal,' of course, and. indefinite—so vague, indeed, that it can. always,bo.denied to bo au arrangement, but still an honourable, obligation which might lead t6 tremendous results. '