Mr. Labouchere has addressed a long letter to the Times,
published on Friday, in which he explains his position in regard to the alleged alliance between Great Britain and Italy. He never, be says, asserted that a treaty had been made. His contention is, that in 1887 Lord Salisbury, in order to facilitate a renewal of the Triple Alliance, expressed to Italian statesmen "an opinion as to the probable action of Great Britain in the Mediterranean in the event of a war between France and the allies." The Italian Ministers were convinced by this opinion that "in the contingency of their coasts being attacked by France, they might count on our aid, and that in any case Italy would not suffer any territorial loss were a war with France to turn in favour of that country." That is very nearly what we said last week had in all proba- bility happened, with this essential difference. We believe that the Italian Ministry were afraid of being attacked separately and suddenly for joining the alliance, and not of anything which would happen in the general war. It was as to this contingency, as we conceive, that Lord Salisbury gave his reassuring opinion, and not as to the general danger. Of course even that helped to re-cement the alliance, and there- fore to preserve peace for five more years. Peace would not last a month after the alliance had been dissolved.
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