| Show EDITORIAL from S F chronicle the optimists who think that diplomacy lias parsed beyond the era of chicane when a diplomat was known man who goes abroad to lie for his country can hardly enjoy the of modern statecraft which the tale of the secret treaty that was signed by germany and russia during the early days of the dreiband Drei bund affords him we do not recall a diplomatic incident since the days of talleyrand which had in it of the coarser elements of duplicity here was austria appealing to germany to join in her desense in case that ehe should be attacked by russia germany acceded in for the pledge of assistance against france and evened a solid compact the first clause of which required her in the event of russian attack to hasten to the aid of austria with her full military power having pledged her honor that far germany turned about and concluded a secret treaty with russia by he terms of which if either were attacked both were to maintain a benevolent neutrality this left germany in a po to withhold aid from her former ally when an emergency came until she bad made up her mind which of the two powers had been the aggressor meanwhile austria might have gone down in the usual defeat but duplicity did not stop here ao cording to the german minister of foreign affairs the relations between france and russia began not in 1890 but in the these relations were sought by france to the end that she might haye help when the time for re vanche arrived of settling herald score with the victors 0 sedan ostensibly russia fell in with the idea in reality she became the party of the second part to a scheme of benevolent neutrality in case that france should march toward the rhine actions like thesa in private life are called base and if barm comes of them criminal they have the same genesis as confidence games and eold brick swindles yet in the domain of international politics they are supposed to the dignity of statesmanship and reap the rewards of patriotism it would bo interesting te to know liow many decorations were conferred in germany and russia as a reward for the skill with which austria and france were made the victims of a common cheat |
