ontinental system assumes, for all practical purposes, that the nations
of Europe are ready to fly at each other's throats, and that the only way
to deter them is to make them realise how extremely perilous to themselves
would be any such military enterprise. Can any one doubt that this is the
real meaning of the phrase? If we listen to the Delphic oracles of
diplomacy on this subject of the Balance of Power, we shall understand
that in nine cases out of ten a man invoking this phrase means that he
wants the Balance of Power to be favourable to himself. It is not so much
an exact equipoise that he desires, as a certain tendency of the scales to
dip in his direction. If Germany feels herself weak she not only
associates Austria and Italy with herself, but looks eastward to get the
assistance of Turkey, or, perhaps, attempts--as it so happens without any
success--to create sympathy for herself in the United States of America.
If, on the other hand, France feels herself in danger, she not only forms
an alliance with Russia, but also an entente with England and, on the
principle that the friends of one's friends ought to be accepted, produces
a further entente between England and Russia. England, on her part, if for
whatever reason she feels that she is liable to attack, goes even so far
as to make an alliance with an Asiatic nation--Japan--in order to
safeguard her Asiatic interests in India. Thus, when diplomatists invoke
the necessity of a Balance of Power, they are really trying to work for a
preponderance of power on their side. It is inevitable that this should be
so. An exact Balance of Power must result in a stalemate.

CHANGE OF POLICY

Observe what has happened to Great Britain during recent years. When she
was ruled by that extremely clear-headed though obstinate statesman, Lord
Salisbury, she remained, at his advice, outside the circle of continental
entanglements and rejoiced in what was known as a policy of "Splendid
Isolation." It was, of course, a selfish policy. It rested on sound
geographical grounds, because, making use of the fortunate accident that
Great Britain is an island, it suggested that she could pursue her own
commercial career and, thanks to the English Channel, let the whole of the
rest of the world go hang. Such a position could not possibly last, partly
because Great Britain is not only an island, but also an empire scattered
over the seven seas; partly because we could not remain alien fro