from which to bring back tropical products. This
meant a strong navy to protect these colonies, and the race with
England was on. As soon as Germany built some new battleships, England
built still others, larger and with heavier guns. The next year,
Germany would build still larger ships, and the next England would
come back with still heavier guns. As fast as England built ships,
Germany built them. Now, each battleship costs from five to fifteen
million dollars, and it does not take long before a race of this kind
sends the taxes too high for people to stand. There was unrest
throughout Europe and murmurs of discontent were heard among the
working classes.

[5]The present Kaiser's father reigned only ninety-nine days, as he was
a very sick man at the time of the old emperor's death.

Questions for Review

1. How did France pay off her war indemnity so promptly?
2. Why did Bismarck's three-emperor-alliance fail?
3. What is meant by "the balance of power"?
4. What was the condition of the Serbs, Bulgarians, etc. before 1878?
5. Why did Russia covet Constantinople?
6. Why did the powers prevent the treaty of San Stephano from being
carried out?
7. What wrongs were done by the Congress of Berlin?
8. Why did Bismarck form the Triple Alliance?
9. How was he able to induce Italy to join her old enemy, Austria?
10. What was the effect of the formation of the Triple Alliance on
France and Russia?
11. What result had the formation of the two alliances on the
gun-industry?
12. How was England brought into the race for war equipment?

CHAPTER XIV

The "Entente Cordiale"

Ancient enemies.--England and France in Africa.--A collision at
Fashoda.--Germany offers to help France.--Delcasse the peacemaker.--A
French-English agreement.--Friendship takes the place of
hostility.--England's relations with Italy, Russia, and
Germany.--Germans cultivate the friendship and trade of Turkey.--The
Morocco-Algeciras incident.--The question of Bosnia and
Herzegovina.--England joins France and Russia to form the "Triple
Entente."--The Agadir incident.

England and France had never been friendly. There had been wars
between them, off and on, for five hundred years. The only time that
they had fought on the same side was in the campaign against Russia in
1855, but even then there was no real sympathy between them.

In the year 1882, events happened in Egypt which gave England an
excuse for interfering with