The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-05-09
THE POLICY OF RUSSIA.
She VIII Never Permit the DismeIlber-
mont of France.

Sno Vul Never Permit the DtSmeElber-
mont of France.
In the Messenger Russo, review pub
lished in st. Petersburg, there is an
article upon the future policy of Russia,
by Mr.. Serge de Tatishoff, the eminent
historian and diplomatist. He 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 quadruple alliance. In opposing
such an act, he says, Russia would only
be defending her own interests, because
powerful France is absolutely neces-
sary as 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 we'll understood by the
Emperor Alexander T. in 1S14-15. and
later still by Alexander IL, when in
1875 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-
bered that at the 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, al She
head of the so-called league of peace,
a1 DIV of ,a uh IF
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 conauering
France without the interference of Rus
STA, or in conquering Russia, left with
out the aid of France, there would then
not My be no balance Of power in
Europe, but none in the 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
STA to sustain France, just as it is the
duty of France to sustain Russia. To
the objection that if an alliance were
concluded between France and Russia
declaration of war would be the immedi-
ate result Mr.. Totishoff replies:
''It 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 1t is as
plain as that two and two make four
that if the 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
the 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 con tain nothing hurt
full to anybody, even if it was not justi-
fed by the threatening coalition of the
four other great powers known under
the name OF the league of peace, and
which, notwithstanding its name, is pre-
cisely the thing that compromises the
peace of Europe by the mysterious ac-
tons and the constant ornaments Of its
members"