The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1890-05-10
The POLICY OF RUSSIA.


/ ono WIZ NcNcr Aernib tne DtSmcmDct-
ment of France.
In the Messagor Russo, n review pub
lished in ST. Petersburg, there is an
article upon the future policy of Russia,
by Mr.. Serge de Tatishoif, the eminent
historian and diplomatist. lie declares
that Russia may remain indifferent to
all the Misunderstanding and difficult
ties of Western Europe, but that there
is one thing that the Empire is bound at
all hazards to resist, and that is the dis
memberment of France by Germany or
by the quadruplo alliance. In opposing
such an act he says, Russia would only
be defending her own interests, because
a powerful France is absolutely neces-
sary as a counter-balance to the German
Empire, which is at present supported
/ by the armies of Austro- hungary and
| Italy and also sustained by the naval
| forces of Great Britain. This was some
thing that was well understood by the
Emperor Alexander ]. in 1Sl4-15, and
later still by Alexander H., when in
1915 he would not permit Germany to
invade France for the second time, be-
fore she could recover from her disasters
and place herself once more on
the defensive. Let it be remem-
bcrcd that at tho above-named
dates Russia was bound to the
courts of Berlin and Vienna by
treaty, while to-day she is perfectly free
to mold her policy according to her own
interests and needs. Germany, at the
head of the so-called league of peace.
already dominates tho whole of Central
Europe. Two great powers alone pre-
serve their independence and hinder her
domination from spreading all over the
universe. Hence the absolute identity
of their reciprocal interests. If Ger
many should succeed in conquering
France without the interference of Rus
sia, or in conquoring Russia, left with
out the aid of France. there would then
not only be no balance of power in
Europe, but mono in tho entire world.
All powers and all peoples would find
themselves obliged to bow their heads
under the yoke of Germany and to ac-
knowledge her universal sovereignty.
Therefore, in any struggle with the
quadruple alliance it is the duty of Rus
sia to sustain France, just as 1T is tho
duty of France to sustain Russia. To
the objection that if an alliance were
concluded between Franco and Russia
declaration of war would be the immedi-
ate result hIr. Totishoif replies:
at is just the same as if two separate
army corps, acting against a concentrate
ed enemy, were advised to keep separ-
ate for fear of hurting the feelings Of
that enemy. And how should they be
kept thus separate? by maneuver
which must necessarily lead to defeat!
The absurdity OF such advice is plain to
every body from . purely military point
of view, and only half-blind and in
competent diplomacy fails to see it as
matter of policy. To our eyes it is as
plain as that two and two make four
that if tho peace of Europe is to be as
sured it must be by an alliance frank
and sincere between France and Russia
The conditions OF such an alliance are
very simple-common defense against
tho common enemy; mutual guaranty
of the integrity of our territories, and
an engagement not TO conclude peace
otherwise than by common consent.
The treaty would ontain nothing hurt
full to anybody, oven If it was not justi-
fed by the threatening coalition of tho
four other great powers known under
the name of tho league of peace, and
which, Notwithstanding its name, is pro-
cisely the thing that compromises tho
peace of Europe by the mysterious ac-
tons and the constant armaments of its
members"