New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-08-29
RENCIAN DIPLOMACY

Inc conspiracy Dy winch Grlnce Alexander
of Bulgaria has been overthrow may perhaps
have been prematurey accepted as proof of
the skill with which Russian diplomacy is
conducted. Hitherto the chief ground of the
theory referred to has been the unexpectedness
of the stroke. But il, as now appears certain,
the main effect of the conspiracy is to make it
clear that the Bulgarian people and troops are
strongly in favor of Prince Alexander and
condemn his removal, the difficulty of demon
strating the brilliancy of the arrangement will
be considerable 1t may be that Russian
diplomacy Is supposed to be especially astute
because 80 little is really known about its
springs. Recently, however, two unqueston-
ably well-DfOrmed men have said things con-
corning it which decidedly run counter to the
common impression. Mr.. Charles Marvin, an
acknOw lodged authority upon all Russian
matters, has shown, IN magazine article, that
the Batum incident was really an inexplicatle
blunder on the part of the Cars Government,
nasmuch as the latter had good case to 90
to the Powers with and might have secured the
change it desired by frank representation Of
the facts.
Instead of taking this course Russia
brusquely and Extensively violated an agree.
IUtut Hlttu6 WIFI INC IOWcIs, tuub WdUtOUly
defying Europe, and giving ground for the
damaging accusation that the Car cannot be
trusted even upon his pledged word. If Mr..
Marvin is right the Baum case was conse-
quently proof rather of special stupidity than
extraordinary acumen, for whereas way was
open for securing the change demanded
amcably, the Russian Government went out of
its way to give offence and to estrange all
Europe. But Stepniak, whose acquaintance
with the governmental machinery of his
country is VIGOROUSLY ample, declares in his
latest work that all the current reports about
the Machavellian wisdom and subtlety of the
Russian Ministry are nonsense. He says that
the Cars Ministers q live from hand to mouth.
thinking ouy how they can get through the
day, and not knowing in the evening what they
are going to do on the morrow According to
him, instead of following any fixed line of
policy, they drift yielding to external pressure,
to impulse, and never looking ahead to
estimate the results of what they are doing.
That the finances of the country have been
managed, or mismanaged. in this way, there
can be no doubt, nor has the internal policy of
the empire been marked by greater sagacity
or scope. But there has always been a |
which Russia n anipulated her foreign affairs. |
and if this proves to be ll-founded one at least
of the causes of apprehension will be removed |
from the minds of those Europeans who always |
fear lest the Cossack shall swallow up progress.
Perhaps one reason of the dread of Russian |
diplomacy is the circumstance that Russian |
Ministers have fewer scruples than their |
colleagues. They employ Oriental methods |
without hesitation, and to these methods |
Europe has not yet become accustomed. But |
hand-to-mouth foreign policy such as Stepniak |
describes is not likely to be very formidable |
in its results, and it is always liable, even in it's
boldest strokes, to be nullfed by factors which |
ave been ignored. If, for instance, the
Bulgarian people manifest an unmistakable
desire to have Prince Alexander back, what
becomes of the palace conspiracyf As
means OF covering direct Russian intervention
it will be quite futile, and if Russia is deter
mined to control the Bulgarian situation she
must throw off all DISCUSSES and do so openly.
In which event the diplomatic plots will cut
very insignificant figure.