this attitude is not accepted without reserve by other nations.  For during the last half-century we have, in fact, waged wars to annex Egypt, the Soudan, the South African Republics, and Burmah, to say nothing of the succession of minor wars which have given us Zululand, Rhodesia, Nigeria, and Uganda.  Odd as it does, I believe, genuinely seem to most Englishmen, we are regarded on the Continent as the most aggressive Power in the world, although our aggression is not upon Europe.  We cannot expect, therefore, that our professions of peaceableness should be taken very seriously by outsiders.  Nevertheless it is, I believe, true that, at any rate during the last fifteen-years, those professions have been genuine.  Our statesmen, of both parties, have honestly desired and intended to keep the peace of the world.  And they have been assisted in this by a genuine and increasing desire for peace in the nation.  The Liberal Government in particular has encouraged projects of arbitration and of disarmament; and Sir Edward Grey is probably the most pacific Minister that ever held office in a great nation.  But our past inevitably discredits, in this respect, our future.  And when we profess peace it is not unnatural that other nations should suspect a snare.

Moreover, this desire for peace on our part is conditional upon the maintenance of the status quo and of our naval supremacy.  Our vast interests in every part of the world make us a factor everywhere to be reckoned with.  East, west, north, and south, no other Power can take a step without finding us in the path.  Those States, therefore, which, unlike ourselves, are desirous farther to extend their power and influence beyond the seas, must always reckon with us, particularly if, with that end in view, by increasing their naval strength they seem to threaten our supremacy at sea.  This attitude of ours is not to be blamed, but it must always make difficult the maintenance of friendly relations with ambitious Powers.  In the past our difficulties have been mainly with Russia and France.  In recent years they have been with Germany.  For Germany, since 1898, for the first time in her history, has been in a position, and has made the choice, to become a World-Power.  For that reason, as well as to protect her commerce, she has built a navy.  And for that reason we, pursuing our traditional policy of opposing the strongest continental Power, have drawn away from her and towards Russia and France.  We did not, indeed, enter upon our arrangements with these latter Powers because of aggressive intentions towards Germany.  But the growth of German sea-power drove us more and more to rely upon the Entente in case it should be necessary for us to defend ourselves.  All this followed inevitably from the logic of the position, given the European anarchy.  I state it for the sake of exposition, not of criticism, and I do not imagine any reader will quarrel with my statement.

4. France.