After M. Gambetta's speech, M. de Freyeinet intimated that a
new credit would be asked for, for the protection of the Suez Canal. And on Wednesday, M. Cldmenceo.0 having spoken in favour of the European concert, as distinguished from the English alliance so dear to M. Gambetta, the credit was voted by 340 votes to 66. It is clear, on the whole, that M. de Freyeinet repents of his inaction, and intends to show more energy in future,—and, as we conjecture, that he has been con- verted to the doctrine of the "European concert" urged by Lord Granville because he sees in it more security against a general war, and more of a preventive against the spread of an Arab fanaticism, such as might be fatal to France in Tunis, than he sees in the Gambettist formula of a purely Anglo-French alliance. M. Gambetta explained that he means by the Anglo- French alliance a friendly but assiduous rivalry between France and England in Egypt ; M. de Freyeinet probably sees in that programme great danger that the friendly rivalry might soon become jealous and unfriendly, if there are no international buffers between the English and the French designs.
Previous page
