which the peace of Europe was nicely adjusted. We
now realize that neither secret treaties nor a balance of
power are of any value in maintaining the world's
peace. A close study of the European situation pre-
ceding the. World War makes us wonder that the bitter
rivalries could have been held in leash so long.

To all Americans, the rôle that France played in
this critical period of the world's history is of par-
ticular interest. In the following study I have at-
tempted to portray impartially the policy of the French
foreign office, from the crisis of Fashoda to the crime
of Serajevo. Before 1898, French foreign policy
seemed for the most part to be merged in her colonial
policy; after the murder of the Archduke Ferdinand,
the foreign policy of France was inextricably mingled
with the foreign policy of her allies. In the critical
intervening period the policy of the Quai d'Orsay
stands forth in clear outline against the cloudy back-
ground of European diplomacy.

The revolutions brought about by the World War
have aided materially in such a survey by bringing
to light secret documents which ordinarily would have
remained hidden in the state archives for generations.
The governments of the leading states of Europe have
also found it to their advantage to break the custo-
mary veil of silence and publish many of their secret
communications.

It has been of considerable advantage to me in mak-
ing a study of this period that I was present in Paris
throughout the critical Agadir Affair of 1911, and also
during the year preceding the outbreak of the World
War.

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