On Wednesday in the House of Lords, Lord Cushendun reviewed
at length the history of the Anglo-French compromise. He disposed of all the absurd stories that there was a pooling of the British and French Navies and an attempt to form a new concentration against other Powers. The compromise had failed, though its intentions had been good, and it left behind it no commitments whatever. Lord Cushendun plainly gave the House to understand that the concession about the French reserves does not survive the death of the compromise. His own opinion is that the conscript nations will not give up conscription, but that is only an opinion. Lord Grey of Fallodon accepted Lord Cushendun's explanation, but added the useful suggestion that a special statement, embodying the facts as given by Lord Cushendun, should be communicated to the American and Italian Governments.
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