NOTE ON EUROPEAN CONFLICTS 413 



Great interest must necessarily be taken in the position of France and 

 Italy. The ultimate question now dominating European politics is the 

 supremacy of Slav or Teuton, and this conflict must have a preponderating 

 influence on the future social and political formation of Europe. But the 

 so-called Latin countries will not by any means play the part of passive 

 onlookers. If the conflict be primarily between Slav and Teuton, this is 

 due in the main to two causes : the geographical situation of the Teutonic 

 peoples and their organisation. The Teutonic peoples, by reason of 

 their geographical situation, are the great barriers to Slav invasion ; and 

 by reason of their numerical importance, their discipline and their efficiency 

 generally, they are the most formidable antagonists of the Slav. But the 

 ultimate triumph of the Germanic race would not imply the eclipse of 

 the so-called Latin civilisation. The task of this civihsation would be, on 

 the contrary, to supply all that which is lacking in Germanic culture. 

 Numerical superiority, iron discipline, admirable efficiency, render the 

 German more apt for the great racial conflict than the Latin ; but when 

 the conffiot has been decided, in the great work of social formation and 

 re-formation necessitated by new conditions of life, the Latin genius, so 

 profoundly artistic and so nobly idealist, will play a great role,. 



Undoubtedly the interest of France, considered from the point of view 

 of ultimate consequences, must coincide rather with that of Germany 

 than with that of Russia. For France, as much as Germany and England, 

 is menaced by the Slav ; the culture and traditions of the latter are as 

 antagonistic to French culture and traditions as to German culture ; and, 

 indeed, the triumph of the Slav would be the triumph of the East over the 

 West, of the Asiatic over the European. France cannot desire such a 

 triumph ; and France must herself recognise that she is not in a position 

 to check the advance of the Slav. Her geographical situation, her 

 numerical inferiority, her want of efficiency, aU render vain the hope of 

 France championing the cause of Western civilisation against the Oriental. 

 Considered from this point of view, the continued estrangement between 

 France and Germany must be judged deplorable ; and the impartial his- 

 torian wUl comment with just severity on the policy of Prince Bismarck 

 which has increased tenfold the difficulty of effecting a rapprochement. 

 It can only be hoped that the seed of discord sown by the annexation of 

 Alsace-Lorraine wiU not be reaped by later generations in the form of 

 dissensions when menaced by the common foe — dissensions which might 

 prove fatal to Western civilisation. 



Viewed likewise from this point of view of ultimate consequences, an 

 aUiance between France and England can certainly be advocated. Un- 

 fortunately, the motives which have inspired the understanding with 

 France have been different ; it is not legitimate hostiUty to Russia — 

 hostility derived from the nature of things — which has driven England to 



