What is the exact effect of all these professions of
Royal and Imperial friendship it would be difficult to say, but on the whole we think that the trend is peaceful. It is true that the Triple Alliance has greatly weakened of late, and that its members are not only willing but eager to swear themselves allies of the Powers that it is supposed to be established to withstand. Membership of the Triple Alliance, indeed, now merely involves a strong asseveration of the intention to keep the peace, and to induce other people to keep it, with a possible proviso that if any Power is wilfully and wantonly attacked by more than one other Power, it will be the duty of the other parties to the Triple Alliance to come to his assistance if they can. This does not prevent but rather stimulates the habit of cross swearing in the matter of eternal friendship, and of pledging your faith that you will never wantonly or wilfully attack anybody else. Really any Power but France could now belong to both the Alliances with a clear con- science. France only could not do so, because she cannot, while the provinces are still in the hands of Germany, profess to support the status quo, and that you must do if you join the Triple Alliance.' Other obstacles to taking out an insurance policy in both Alliances there are really none.
