THE ALLIANCE AND THE ENTENTE

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2126, 18 April 1914, Page 4

THE ALLIANCE AND THE ENTENTE

NorWiMiSTAN'DiNG all that is being said on tho platform, iu the pulpit, and by the fress about peace, disarmament, and international (arbitration, tho cmUsi'd. world 13 faced with the unpkasafit fact that oji all sides eoatittiied and increasing preparations for war are being made. This was pointed oat by Loeb JBoßelits as a- member of a dewutatiott on t.)i.o National Service question which rccently waited on tie British Prime Minister-. Ho weai on to say tka.t "in Europe itself there has recently been a great war whicb nearly involved us, and the most powerful nations of the'C'ont-inenl, arc at the present fuoment largely Increasing their military and naval preparations." Tho possibility o£ war hangs over Europe lilco a dark cloud, and the recent antMussian agit&tien. in Germany and Austria, arising out of tti© military raoTOraents of the Russian, ttoops, is a striking indication of- the MfisefctW stabo or tiie international situation, Tboro seems to '. be somo uttceft-ainty as to how far Britain would be involved should war break out bet-wiren Franco or; Iltissia and one of the nations fOFminff the Triple Alliance, bat it is general-; ly considered that the conflict nuisf j eventually i-esolve it-self into a gigantic struggle between the Alliance i (Germany, Austi-itt, and Italy) and ' the Entente (Britain, France, and ! Russia). It is, therefor, nftt uaiiatiiral that French nntl Russian sUtosmcn should take a keen ijitercst :-in the 5-iaie of the British Army, and ilmy have ken closely watching the progress of (tie movement for the adoption of a system of compulsory jHilitary sorviea which toitn Bouehts has don'»! so much to proinoto. France and Russia have iwntly iiiado grtsat increases in then , inilitary strength, and it is stated in n cablegram which appears in another column that M. Eksest Lavisse, President of the French League, lias .suggested ill a letter to thfl London Times that it, is time that Bvitain mad-e a movement in tho Mime direction. As a maW-er of hcl, fclw British Army i B riwinclling instead of increasing. The

-last, year shows; a sc'rimis'sh'ijrtagei'of men. "T!\vs lU;i>u■ln'r'.'AVm.yj;(lefi«i«!nt',v was- 85-80 of all rnnks,-(jr'as niany ns were-accoHiitfld short, ■■ for t-ln> previous foiiv yoars. Isi the period beyond thai, covered 4).y the- ten yunvn' comparative- tables given in the return, the strength was 202,-UI. From tl'iiit number ifc lias gone steadily down to 247,250, in 1013. Since the return was made up other shortiigea have occurred (says the Morn in (/Post) which add to the hundred thousand shortage of the return, and probably make the decrease one of 108,000 of alt ranlta. The Regulars are $000 wader strcugt.il, the Specf-al He-serve 17,000. and the Territorial Force anything from 62,0(10 to 0.5.00(1, This ponditiea of things is causing a good deal of uneasiness in England,, and the. assertion of Lorn) Roberts that the country is "face to face with a st-.i-te of affaire which rcqnifes prompt attention and prompt action" is endorsed by Sir EvEr;VN Wood. The facts are of course well known on the Cgbtincftt of Europe, and in view of the feverish haste with which 6pm of the nations are adding to their fighting power there is a- feelifig in Franco, and Russia that Britain might do more than she is at present doing to strengthen the jjositioji of the Entente-. M, Lavisse in -of- opinion that the Triple Alliance has a more definite plan of action, in ca-so of a, conflict'than the. Sititnte, the .latter combination beitig united and less coherent. In this he is prctoa,ijly correct, and readings for any emergency is of siteh vital 1-mp-p.rtancc to France and Ilu«sia that fhay are naturally desirous "of placing, the tintenU oa % ttiovo certain and hloto effective looting, Britain , d<3es not. want to become embroiled ift a Eiiropefl.n. war ] but she lias been cam-poll-ed by force of eir'd:tns«tan.<?«s to a%n-; don the policy oif "splenflid isola- : tion, f ' aivd ■whether she Jik6S ifc'or not she would iftobahly be compelled i to intervene if a conflict should \ break oat affloft.g the gre.it Continental Powers. With Burop armed J to the teeth, it is folly to talk ftbout "naval , holidays" iin4 disarmamerit. To throw away our weapons would lwfc promote peace? on'the- contrary,, it might precipitate.'.way by itpsettiii? th* baianeo of power. N-avs.l and military expenditure is the price wp. have- to pay for po.aco and A (krmnJi newapaper signinran-tly i-einarks thai war -doet, not always? break'out when it is, esiTccted.i but centes lite a thief 'in the flight. Safety, tl-iorefore, depends on -feeing; always ready, .