Details of the Triple Alliance

Feilding Star, Volume IX, Issue 91, 19 January 1888, Page 3

Details of the Triple Alliance

In view of the present warlike aspect of affairs in Europe the following information as to the new Triple Alliance, which has been communicated .to the London Times from a trustworthy source, will be interesting: The Alliance was secretly concluded in the spring of last year, and the object of Signor Crispi's journey to Friedrichsruh was to arrange a final ; settlement as to details'. The Alliance is primarily defensive, and aims at maintaining the peace of Europe on the basis of existing treaties, but if the peace should, be broken by any aggressive act of one. Bower alone, or one with allies, on the European Continent or in the Mediterranean, the Alliance would become offensive. In thut case the three allied ■ Powers would take combined military and naval action. The term * 4 aggressive act* is defined as meaning any act whereby one Power, singly or with allies, should attempt a forcible disturbance of the, existing distribution of power in Europe or the Mediterranean. _ The points settled in detail at Friedrichsruh were :— „ . 1. The contingencies which would fora* a casus belli ; the method for proceeding to combined diplomatic action 1 in the. , first .instance,; . and the delay that should be .granted to the offending .Powers before war was declared. 2.. The general plan for combined military and naval action in- the various circumstances that might arise. 3. The ' exact military and naval forces which each of the three allied Powers should bring into the field and on the seas. 4. The_ results to be achieved by combined action with a view to securing a durable peace after a victorious war. \ ' - ' : ■' '•'• : : "' : '-'- ' ' ,'.' " This last clause stipulates the territoriarmodificatioM"that would have to be made in Europe before the three allied Powers consented to sign peace. It further provides that combined action shall be: taken for the conclusion of Peace, and that no one of the three Powers shall .treat separately or desist from war without the consent of the other two. It must be pointed out as especially significant that the Mediterranean should be included in the area which the new Triple Alliance intends to defend with its combined might.