Oie  innere  Entwicklungsgeschichte  des  Oreiverbandes.  71

 

Brief  Sir  E.  Greys  an  den  französischen
Botschafter  Paul  Cambon.

Foreign  Office,  November  22,  1912.

My  dear  Ambassador!  From  time  to  time  in
recent  years  the  French  and  British  naval  and  military
experts  have  consulted  together.  It  has  always  been
understood  that  such  consultation  does  not  restrict
the  freedom  of  either  Covernment  to  decide  at  any
future  time  whether  or  not  to  assist  the  other  by
armed  force.  We  have  agreed  that  consultation
between  experts  is  not,  and  ought  not  to  be  regarded
as  an  engagement  that  commits  either  Covernment
to  action  in  a  contingency  that  has  not  arisen  and  may
never  arise.  The  disposition,  for  instance,  of  the
French  and  British  fleets  respectively  at  the  present
moment  is  not  based  upon  an  engagement  to  cooperate
in  war.

Vou  have,  howewer,  pointed  out  that,  if  either
Covernment  hat  grave  reason  to  expect  an  unprovoked
attack  by  a  third  Power,  it  might  become  essential
to  know  whether  it  could  in  that  event  depend  upon
the  armed  assistance  of  the  other.

I  agree  that,  if  either  Covernment  had  grave
reason  to  expect  an  unprovoked  attack  by  a  third
Power,  or  something  that  threatened  the  general
peace,  it  should  inmnediately  discuss  with  the  other
whether  both  Covernments  should  act  together  to
prevent  aggression  and  to  preserve  peace,  and,  if
so,  what  measures  they  would  be  prepared  to  take
in  common.  If  these  measures  involved  action,  the
plans  of  the  GCeneral  Staffs  would  at  once  be  taken
into  consideration,  and  the  Covernments  would  then
decide,  what  effect  should  be  given  to  them.