324 



The Review of Reviews. 



It is the surplus population which is always .to be 

 feared. Yet war is not altogether inevitable. Already 

 some nations are animated by a sincere spirit of peace. 

 The progress of aviation is another element of pe-nce. 

 A moment's consideration of the dangers which it may 

 offer to future belligerents will make people recoil 

 from their realisation^ Still, while proclaiming peace, 

 the writer warns us that war is standing at our doors, 

 and is, perhaps, only waiting for an opportune moment 

 to break out. Finally, we are asked to remember that 

 at the present time all that pacifism can ask for is a 

 simultaneous limitation of armaments — to which 

 the writer should surely have added a limitation of 

 population. 



THE CONCERT OF EUROPE : 



Is It Reactionary ? 



'Mn. H. J. Darnton-Fraser describes in the JVest- 

 minster Revieie the genesis of the Russo-Turkish War, 

 with the help of Turkish documents made accessible 

 since the deposition of the late Sultan. His narrative 

 tends to show that had the progressive Powers sup- 

 ported Midhat Pasha against the secret opposition of 

 the Sultan and the designs of Russia and Austria, war 

 might have been averted. He concludes by saying : — 



The genesis of the war of 1877-78 affords a conspicuous 

 example of tlie danijcrs of tl)e Concert policy and the advantages 

 — from the Liberal standpoint at least — of a policy of entente 

 between powers of liberal and pacific tendencies. Just as the 

 speed of a squadron is that of its slowest ship, so the beneficent 

 influence of the European Concert is that of its most reactionary 

 unit. 



As the Gladstonian policy was t(^ support the 

 Concert of Europe, the significance of Mr. Darnton- 

 Fraser's conclusion is obvious. 



UNIONIST PROSPECTS. 

 I.\ the Round Table for September the writer assumes 

 the rbk of impartial observer, and declares that the 

 countrv has come to the conclusion that disorder is 



Why not settle thus iiiteriiational conflicts i" 



the enemy. Ordinarily this would have furnishi 

 ground for a Conservative reaction. But the Part 

 that would ordinarily have profited by Conscrvatix^ 

 reaction appears to the country to have struck ordi i 

 out of its programme as it had struck out the Con- 

 stitution three years ago : — 



The discredit which at present seems to attach to the Unioni-i 

 policy is due to a suspicion of opportunism, of recklessness, ol 

 emotionalism, and of a number of other qualities which arc 

 usually regarded as the antithesis of Conservatism. Change, 

 loo, is no longer inscribed solely upon the banners of the 

 Liberals. If the Unionists return to power there are to be 

 changes as vast as any which have been proposed by their 

 adversaries. 



MALTA FOR ERYTHREA. 



The Rassegna Conteiiipuranea publishes a somewhat 'l 

 sensational article from the pen of a well-known 

 Maltese Nationalist, Enrico Mizzi, on the present 

 situation in the Mediterranean. For what he regards 

 as England's dilemma he brings forward a solution 

 that has at least the merit of novelty. Briefly, the 

 proposal is that we should cede Malta to Italy in 

 exchange for Erj-threa. The writer begins by empha- 

 sising the importance of the recent conference at 

 Malta between Mr. Asquith, Mr. Churchill and Lord 

 Kitchener, and the significance of the changes in our 

 Mediterranean fleet. He believes the days of our naval 

 supremacy all the world over to be past, and pictures 

 us as seeking support from Continental allies. He 

 does not belie\'e the time ripe for an effective alliance 

 between this country and France, mainly owing to our 

 lack of a Continental army. He notes the immensely 

 superior strategic position which Italy occupies in the 

 Mediterranean since her .invasion of Tripoli, so that 

 the balance of power as between her and France has 

 been considerably inodified. Moreover, Italy and 

 Austria are rapidly increasing their fleets, a fact which 

 must cause concern both to France and England. In 

 Signer Mizzi's opinion the present moment for England 

 is " terrible," and the one favourable solution lies in 

 " the inxaluable friendship of Italy, which 

 hitherto she has not sufficientlv appreciated." 

 ■['his friendship can be sealed liy the cession 

 of Malta. Once the ally of Italy, England 

 need have no fear of seeing the route to 

 India barred. Italy to-day sits astride the 

 Mediterranean, and in the words of a Signer 

 Colocci, quoted in the article, " between an 

 I^uropean Italy and an African Italy it is 

 inadmissible that Malta, the pylon^of the 

 bridge that unites the two shores, should 

 remain in foreign hands." W'ere Malta ceded 

 to Italy, it is argued, the island would become 

 a self-governing colon\-, and we might be 

 allowed to retain our right to use it both a.s 

 a coaling-station and as a base for our fleet. 

 It is suggested that if we held Erythrea v,e 

 should greatly strengthen our position on 

 the Red Sea and might some day conquer 

 Abxssinia. 



