PROGRESS OF THE WORLD. 447 



President Poincare visits England. been at peace. Save for a small desul- 



The visit of France's new and ener- tory fight with the Hereros in their 



getic President to London has been West African colonies, and assisting in 



made the occasion of a great demon- police work in China, the Germans 



stration in favour of the "entente cor- have been absolutely at peace with the 



diale." He has had a great reception, whole world. During thai time Eng- 



has been lunched by the Lord Mayor, land has waged wars in North and 



has given a great banquet to King South Africa and India, France ha 



George, using with hue irony for the battled in Algiers, and is now engaged 



feast no less than two tons of the gold i n fighting the Moors in Morocco; 



plate Napoleon filched from the mon- Spain and the I'nited States have 



archs of Europe a hundred years ago. been at war; Russia and Japan have 



Such visits are excellent ; the more the battled furiously ; Italy has fought 



nations fraternise the less possibility Menelik and Turkey; Greece attacked 



there is of misunderstanding. On the Turkev, and was crushingly defeated; 



occasion of President Fallieres' visit in and, finally, the whole of the Balkan- 



iqoS, an effort was made to substitute have burst forth in lurid war. Not only 



alliance for entente, and it is to be has the Kaiser kept Germany at peace, 



hoped that over-zealous persons will but he has used his power to for< : 



i; »t make the attempt again. M. Poin- others to keep the truce of Europe, 



rare is astute enough to see the danger Perhaps his most notable achievement 



to France of such a substitution. It f or peace was the absolute veto he put 



is .-.till one of the most extraordinary , „, anv combined action against En 



paradoxes of the situation that Ger- \ am \ during the Boer war, when every 



many, in case of a breach with Eng- Furopean nation was itching to take 



land, would welcome such an alliance, advantage of our entanglement 



in order to afford herself a chance of South Africa. It is well to rei all that in 

 getting at someone whom she could those days France menaced us most, 

 hit, and whom she could compel to pay s] K . xvas irritable with England over 

 the lull of England's war. the Fashoda affair, and took up the 



su ]e of the Boer« whole-heartedly. 

 The Kaisers Quarter Century. There was no mention of the "entente 



On June 15th, Wilhelm II., Emperor cordiale " then; the only question d 

 of Germany and' King of Prussia, cele- cussed was whether France would go 

 brated the twentv-fifth anniversary of to war with us or not. I te K 

 his accession to the throne. When in was largely responsible for keeping the 

 1888 he succeeded Ins father, Frede- peace. I remember a leading diplo- 

 rick Wilhelm all Europe talked of the matisl speculating as to what < 

 inevitable war this firebrand would many was to ge d tor keep- 



kindle It was only a question of a ing the war dog I m ' : from our 



,r two said wise diplomatists, throat.. Samoa, he said, of com 



before Germany and France would be and concessions m East Africa, but 



at one another's throats. Instead of thai innotsureh be all ! Whet 



bringing a sword, however, Wilhelm the Kaiser acted from interested 



n brought an olive branch as a motives or not does not really matter. 



sceptre During the whole of the Hie fact rem I saved us from 



twenty-five years he has ruled oxer the - European ultimatum, and iible 



destinies of his peopl \ Germany has war. 



