THE ONLY PROFITABLE UNION.
By W. N. G.
The world's alliances are very unreliable. They are generally expensive, and when one becomes unable to keep up the expense, his expected benefits are liable to be cut off. This principle is true not only of individuals, but of nations. Italy's connection with the triple alliance with Germany and Austria has well-nigh bankrupted her, and greatly impoverished her people. Her purpose is to be strengthened in case of war, yet war would be just the thing to expose her weakness, as was shown in the trouble with Abyssinia. Aside from the expensiveness, however, there is the uncertainty. For instance, look at the alliance between France and Russia. The people of the republic were much elated over their offensive and defensive alliance with the autocratic monarchy. When the czar visited the city of Paris, there was an effort to show that even the seasons had been reversed in his honor. It was in the month of October, but the cherry, peach, and apple trees were everywhere in bloom. The labor and expense of thus decorating the trees with artificial blossoms of tissue paper must have been enormous, but the outlay showed the anxiety of the republic to outdo all other governments in adoration of the czar, and secure an alliance with the monarchy. Illogical as such a union must appear, France felt the need of some offset to the dreibund, or triple alliance of Germany, Austria, and Italy. This was important to France, on account of her purpose to seize the first opportunity for an effort to regain from Germany the territory lost in the war of 1870; as also a source of encouragement in the oft-recurring friction with England. But the fickleness of human friendship and the bitterness of such an alliance was manifested at a most critical moment. Just as the famous Dreyfus scandal was to be reopened, making imminent a fresh trouble with Germany, Russia sends out her disarmament proposition, which was quite generally interpreted as a ruse to cover up a sudden recognition of present inability to back up her bluff against England in China. So republican France has found her monarchical crutch a questionable support in a time of need. The lesson, however, is an individual one: “Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God; which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is; which keepeth truth forever; which executeth judgment for the oppressed; which giveth food to the hungry.” Ps. 146:3-7. The only alliance that can truly guarantee relief from the oppressions and dangers everywhere to be met in this world, is a union with Christ. “If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” John 15:7. W. N. G.