264 



The Review of Reviews. 



PROBLEMS OF FOREIGN POLICY. 



Suggestions for Soli;tions, Practical and 



Impractical. 

 The foreign questions chiefly dealt with in the 

 reviews are the Anglo-German ri\'ahy and the Anglo- 

 Russian entente. 



THE TEST OF GERMAN FRIENDLINESS. 



Mr. ]. Ellis Barker, writing in the Fortnightly after 

 spending six weeks in Germany, reports that the 

 Government apparently does nut wish for an improve- 

 ment in Anglo German relations. He says : — 



111 a few Hetks' lime we shall Vnow tlie mind of the (Scinian 

 (Jovcinment. If it should not dem.ind adililional credit for ihe 

 conslructicn of six additional .Siipcr-Dreadnouylits, an atnio- 

 spliere conducive to an Anglo-Girman lapprcchcnicnt will le 

 created ; but until llie German Government has shown that it is 

 in earnest with its intention to arrive :it an understanding with 

 Great Britain, it is quite useless for Germans and Englishmen 

 to t.ilk of Anglo-German friendship and co-operation and of the 

 natural union of the countries of Goethe and Shakespeare. 



TWO VIEWS OF THE ANGLO-RUSSIAN ENTENTE. 



Mr. .Sidney Low, writing on " The Most Christian 

 Powers," takes the worst possible view of the policy 

 of England and Russia in Persia. He says : — 



Is the existing Persian nation, which through all the vicissi- 

 tudes of twenty-five centuries of history, and under all its 

 conquests, has contrived to maintain ils unity and its identity, 

 to be finally sacrificed to the indolence of Britain and the 

 acquisitiveness of Russia ? Is another crime as bad as the 

 partition of I'oland to be consummated in this year of arbitra- 

 tion, treaties, and pacificist speeches? One hopes not, but it 

 seems very likely to occur. 



The other side of the shield is presented by Captain 

 Battine, who lays stress upon the recuperation of 

 Russia and the impossibility ol <arr\ing on a policy 

 of antagonism to both Germany ;ind Russia at the 

 same time : — 



Great, therefore, as the temptation may le in England to 

 regard Russian ambitions with jealousy and distrust, the fact 

 remains that we must come to a decision as to what Powers W'c 

 can regard as friendly, and so shape our p.^Iicy towards them as 

 to eliniinalc friction and suspicion. If Russia is to be an ally 

 in Europe, she may reasonably insist that British policy shall 

 not injure Russian interests in Asia unless undoubted British 

 rights are involved. It is not for us to play the part of knighl- 

 01 rant, nor are our resources equal to the rile. 



Result of German Elections. 



Dr. Dillon, writing on " Eorcign Affairs" in the 

 Contemporary Kevieiv. .says that from a militarv point 

 (il view Germany has not been in the least weakened 

 by the last general elections. The immediate danger 

 to the present regime from the Socialists" triumph is 

 l.irgely imaginary. There are lew republicans in 

 (Icrmany, and even of the Socialist working-men the 

 bulk are quiescent monarchists. 



Dr. Dillon speaks enthu.siasticalls concerning the 

 effects o( the British visit to Russia. He says that the 

 .\nglo-Kussian yearning for mutual friendship, which 

 was a (ew years ago peculiar to certain men of mark, 

 has since become part of the general consciousness. 



THE PERSIAN PRdlilEM. 



Writing upon I'ersia, Dr. Dillon maintains that if 

 there be one people more unfitted for constitutional 

 government than the others, it is probably the Persians. 



'I'he Shah was overthrown by a motley band of fili- 

 busters in the Caucasus. The Persians themselves were 

 mostly passive. Under the constitution the whole 

 country is in a state of disorder and chaos that almost 

 bafifles belief. There is no administjation of justice, no 

 maintenance of order, no security for property, and 

 little for life. If the independence of Persia is to be 

 preserved we must recognise that the constitutional 

 regime has failed. Dr. Dillon thinks that England and 

 Ru.ssia will grant a loan of five or six millions sterling 

 if the Fidais of filibusters are disbanded, if a tvvo- 

 Chamber Government is established, and if the Persian 

 Cabinet is allowed a reasonable innings before sharing 

 its power with the Chamber. He thinks the ex-Shah is 

 not supported by Russia or F^ngland, but if he were to 

 succeed in regaining power he might be recognised by 

 Germany and Austria, and if England and Russia 

 refused to recognise him they would be held to be 

 interfering with the independence of Persia. 



Writing about Turkey, Dr. Dillon says that the 

 King of Montenegro, who is now in St. Petersburg, 

 reports that the condition of the Balkans is truly dis- 

 quieting, and his Minister of Foreign Affairs reports 

 that he is pessimistic in his forecast, being convinced 

 that in the very near future a storm will burst over 

 the Balkan Peninsula. 



TWO ATTEMPTS TO STOP THE ITALIAN WAR. 



Dr. Dillon says that Russia has made two attempts 

 to stop the war. In the first place, M.Saxonoff addressed 

 himself to the great military Powers of Europe — 

 Germany and Austria-Hungary — suggesting that the 

 Powers should equip themselves as soon as possible 

 with everything requisite to make mediation successful 

 when the acceptable hour should strike. The German 

 and Austrian Ambassadors at Constantinople opposed 

 the scheme, and it was allowed to fizzle out. But on 

 February ist the Russian Foreign Office issued a 

 Circular to all the Governments, urging them to 

 acquaint themselves with the main features of the 

 problem, and to concert together in advance upon the 

 lines of mediation in which they are prepared to move. 

 The Russian idea appears to be that there should be 

 no peace treaty, but only an armistice followed by the 

 withdrawal of all Ottoman troops from the African 

 provinces, and the recall of the Italian squadron. 'I'he 

 Italian Go\crnment would pay a sum of three or four 

 millions sterling, and will be left to go on fighting the 

 .^rabs without interference Irom the Sultan. Turkey, 

 howe\er, refused this, but Dr. Dillon thinks that she 

 ought to be compelled to give in. 



In China he thinks the Republic will inevitably lead 

 to the ultimate loss of Manchuria and the North- 

 western I'ro\inces of .Mongolia. 



A Picture Gallery for Pence. — In the Country 

 Home for February Mr. Haldane Macfall describes 

 " the fascinating hobliy of the Pas.?e-partout," under 

 the title, " A Picture Gallery for Pence." It should 

 be read by all who desire to make their houses beautiful 

 at a minimum of cost and with a maximum of artistic 

 effect. 



