The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-09-27
-,, FRANCO. RUSSIAN ALLTANCn
v.,,y 10 the Triple Aiiisnee-LorA Sale
"e hnry,s Change OF Front.

- lion of what has taken plaoc ct Cron-
e,,,t II H. simply the roply OF tho Gar to tho
,,n of tho Triple Alliance and to the evolu-
. that England seemed disposed to accom-.
vi, In oraor to get close to II, at least II not
i',,it. Alexander III. calls the attention OF
-, ,'ijcd mowers to tho fact TINT they are Mis-
. ". If thuy imagine that the peace OF Europe
'a"",mrlctcy turned over to thoir good pleas
,. liz tells them that they must count with
,,n. ain. and that heuceforth the cause OF France
i,,,, Franco. Russian cause. They were already
",y,e in Borlin. Vienna. and Homo that the
m,,,umcut OF St Petersburg would not al-
t'.y,Ir country to DO crushed as 1t was In
so. mt the allied cabinets had no idea Of
,,, n,.sibility Of so sudden an intervention OF
s,r,trctyo nature in Russian diplomacy In
"nr favor ut the moment whom We were In
I~n,,r They could not believe In . close
,ni,n between an autoorGtic Emperor and Q
.annI,l.c, But Alexander III. has opened
,h,ircycs 1t is reported that on returning
Tam hIs visit on board tho French vessels, he
.,l. "lncvcr imagined that republican sailors
orl marines could present such an appear
.nc,." That phrase resumes the work Of
t,onstnrlnation that hos boon accomplished In
bis mind.
A. tho Official banauets tho Russian bands
,,.ycl the Marseillaise rs we'll as their own
,,tloual hymn. and thereby publicly celebrst-
~ the union Of the two Governments which
our enet,ios thought were divided forever BY
Ma irrcsoncilablo incompatibility Of their In
,ttutous The reciprocal enthusiasm Of the
~, nations hus put tho seal upon this union
hr tho spontaneous manifestation Of sympathy
An IN, mart Of both populations. In which no
s,rii7.e penste is mixed. and In which no pos
.h,, antaconism Of interests Gun como to
-,at,n, What O contrast there 10 between
,,rh an alliance and that artificial and almost
unnatural one into which tho imperi-
ons ingenuity Of bismarck has thrown the
.mhitlon Of Germany. tho distrust Of Austria
and tho greed OF Italy! Tho contrast shows
mainly all that is fictitious and fragile in the
combination OF Dismnrckian machinvelism
Inspired by hatred OF France. and all that 10
.clid and endurin. in the new alliance which.
,r,rhavng boon slowly formed by tho sole
Influence OF circumstances. Is now proclaimed
To-day with such 6clat.
I, is very likely that the Gear has another
M,urht beyond that OF freeing France from
tbs Danger suspended over her By the German
Italian coalition. 1t may DO that his friend-
shin for France and his desire to see her hold
inc her proper place in Europe are FORTH cd By
Russian interest in keeping up barrier and
r,uoterpoisct to German expansion. 1t may DO
also that his determination to place his hand
IN that Of tho republic has been hastened By
Ma recent revelations in regard to the bargain
between England and Italy. and the
formers indirect afIlliation with the
Tripl. Alliance. for the purpose Of
leppins tho statu quo in the Mediterranean.
But that in itself can only render more com:
Met, tho Franco Russian entente. because IL
makes it rest upon practical considerations OF
mutual interest. Even II 1t were true that
toto laH 70 uck n In n
the price If her alliance for our consent to the
realization of her secular views uponsConstan.
tno,ls, that would be no reason why We
should separate ourselves from her. Things
have greatly changed since the time when the
maintenance Of the Ottoman empire at any
cost was considered as necessary portion OF
tbc policy Of Franco. Who knows but what
our war In the East In 1854 was not . fault
and II the capture Of Sebastopol. notwith-
standing the glory which It shed upon our
arms. did not turn against US much moro than
the installation Of Russia on the Bos-
phorus could possibly have done7 Even In
possession Of the posts that she Is ambitious
Of having in the Mediterranean. Russia would
never be q real danger for US. She does not
aim at our side: It Is toward India she has her
eyes turned. and We have no reason to inter-
iere with her projcots- England. the mistress
Of Malta, of Gibraltar and Cyprus. England
working for the acquisition OF Egypt. England
giving the island Of Heligoland to Germany
and ready to join the triple alliance. 10 for
France q veritable and perpetual rival II she
Is not altogether the hereditary enemy. abe 10
lncontestably an adversary. and has been at al
times without exception. even during the Pc
Rods when she has appeared to be our friend.
The policy Of the entente oordiale imagined By
the dynastlo diplomacy Of Louis Philippe. was
cordial only on our side. and It returned to us
nothing but deceit and abandonment In times
oidi11culty. don't see why We should eter-
nally play the game Of q neighbor whose only
and constant preoccupation Is to work for her
own Advancement at the expense Of every
body especially those who innocently bo-
leve that in her they can have an ally.
Lord Salisbury now understands that q new
era is opened up In European politics. and he
has fastened to shift his gun. HIS attitude
and Language toward France have been trans
formed with rapidity that must have given
very little pleasure In Rome and must
have been a lesson there upon the value Of
English friendship He beloved that he had
done something very smart In attempting 20
belttle the effect on the Manifestations at
Cronstadt by bringing about an analogous
Spectacle in a British port But neither the
invitation nor the Royal visit nor the Solae
given to the demonstrations which followed
has been able to transform Into . political
event that which. as everybody saw perfectly
well. was nothing more than q pioce Of inter-
national coquetry. The attempt to give In
England counterpart Of the reception at
Cronstadt has resulted rather In bringing out
the particular character and the importance of
that reception. in tho eyes even Of those who
Affect to troat tho thing as Of no consequences
Indeed, Lord Salisbury must have been sert-
ously anxious in regard to the outcome OF his
policy when no did such violence to his sentd-
uents so VIGOROUSLY unfriendly to tho French
nation. His evolution contrasts strangely
with his attitude OF the few weeks past. and It
may be regarded as first moral victory to our
profit 1t is easy to see how this must ex-
ssspeFate them In Berlin. trouble them In
Vienna. and puzzle them In Rome.
The impatient tell us that tho practical OBJECT
olthe entente comcntcd ut Cronstadt must soon
follow. They fancy that they SEQ link be-
@eon the Franco Russian union and the
movement on tho part Of tho Turkish Govern
ment to remind England that 1t Is time to
Think ~ hn oy,o,,otiop ~ Eovpt Tho hrinO.