Lord Salisbury's purpose was the excellent one of keeping' Europe
stable by helping Bismarck to renew the Triple Alliance of Germany, Austria, and Italy. ' Without the Anglo-Italian Treaty Italy would probably not have continued in the Triple Alliance. Her hesitation ended when Great Britain promised to lend her support. 1-tov.:,.loose a member of the. Triple Alliance Italy always was, however, was proved in 1914 when she refused to take up arms on the German side. The subjects with which those secret Treaties dealt were at the very roots of European life and safety and yet Lord Salisbury and QUeen Victoria were probably the only people in Great aritain Who, -.anything about .. them. We reyiew elsewhere in this issue the latest- volumes of (14k-14-House's papers -.incl. it wilt` IC " how Serious a difficulty was created for America in 1917 by the to-called secret Treaties which Great Britain had made with Italy and Rumania in order to bring them into :the War. Those Treaties were necessary and in no sense dishonourable, but the point is that the League of Nations has abolished the conditions in which such Treaties -used to be the only possible solution of problems.
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