It leaves unexplained the real crime against Europe.
To explain the causes of the war we must find the causes of the alliances of England, France and Russia against Germany.
For the cause of the war is that alliance--that and nothing else.

The defence of the _Entente Cordiale_ is that it is an innocent pact of friendship, designed only to meet the threat of the Triple Alliance.
But the answer to that is that whereas the Triple Alliance was formed thirty years ago, it has never declared war on anyone, while the _Triple Entente_ before it is eight years old has involved Europe, America, Africa, and Asia in a world conflict.

We must find the motive for England allying herself with France and Russia in an admittedly anti-German "understanding" if we would understand the causes of the present war and why it is that many besides Bernard Shaw hold that "after having done all in our power to render war inevitable" it was idle for the British Government to assume a death-bed solicitude for peace, having already dug its grave and cast aside the shovel for the gun.

When that motive is apparent we shall realise who it was preferred war to peace and how impossible it is to hope for any certain peace ensuing from the victory of those who ensured an appeal to arms.
The _Entente Cordiale_, to begin with, is unnatural.

There is nothing in common between the parties to it, save antagonism to someone else.