of France had for the most part been under the direc-
tion of Mr. Gabriel Hanotaux, a very able diplomat,
but an Anglophobe in his tendencies. When, on June
28, 1898, M. Brisson formed a new Radical cabinet, and
at the suggestion of M. Joseph Reinach chose M. Theo-
phile Delcassé as minister of foreign affairs, it would
have been only natural to expect that the new foreign
minister, inexperienced and following a minister of
exceptional ability, would attempt to carry out the
policy of his predecessor. Instead M. Delcassé elected
to blaze a new trail, to make a complete volte-face in
the foreign policy of France. While maintaining the
existing alliance with Russia, he was determined to
seek new friendships, and from the day he entered the
foreign office he was resolved that perfide Albion must
be changed into the fidus Achates of France. The
Entente Cordiale of April 8, 1904, which finally re-
solved itself into the Triple Entente, an understand-
ing strong enough to resist the shock of a world war,
will ever remain a monument to the success of his
endeavors.

While a young man, M. Delcassé had been a member
of a group of journalists associated with the "Répub-
lique Francaise," and, like other members of the staff,
was an ardent disciple of that grand old man of Repub-
lican France, Léon Gambetta. In such an entourage it
would have been just as impossible for the young
enthusiast from the Midi to avoid being drawn into
politics as to avoid becoming impregnated with the
doctrines and beliefs of the great tribune. Perhaps
it was then that he first came to consider seriously
Gambetta's views on French foreign policy; but there

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