, 1891-09-19
FRANCE AND RUSSIA
From the Spectator

are convinced that something very like q
formal alliance has been arranged between
France and Russia, or if not this, at any rate
" an understanding quite as binding. To
deny this IN toto, or to represent it as in any
way impossible, is by no means our intention.
1t is, OF course, quite conceivab BILE that the Gar
may have yielded at last to Panslavonic pres
sure, especially, too, since his mind was evid-
IDENTIFY relieved by the S~oldierly bearing and
perfect discipline of the French sailors and
marines. Apparently, the Emperor imagined
that the fighting men Of a Republic must
necessarily be anarchical tatterdemalious Of
the sort that fought the battles of the Conven-
ton, and the dissipation of this notion may
very likely have banished from his mind the
conviction that France is not a country with
which it would be possible to form anything
like a real allan &c. Still in spite of the
weight of opinion and of superficial evidence
against us, we incline to the notion that the
SO called alliance is no alliance at all, but
instead something very like q make believe on
the part Of the French. There have been a
great many manifestations of good viii on both
sides, and these manifestation it has been the
policy of France, and to a less extent of Rus
STA, to represent-Or, rather, to permit to be
Representatives. the outward and visible signs
Of an actual agreement. Beyond demonstra-
ton, however, there has, we believe, been
nothing.
In order to determine which is the better
opinion as to the situation, it is important to
note what has taken place in France during the
past week. There, a very curious series Of
phenomena have been developed. The moro
serious portions of the Republican Press, and
especially those papers which are likely to be
IN communication with the authorities in
regard to matters Of great national moment.
have been doing their utmost for the last few
days to restrain the enthusiasm Of the m b. and
to prevent Paris an France from explodin
with joy over the alleged alliance. They
have been preaching caution and reserve with
an earnestnesS not a little remarkable. Itmjght
have been supposed that they would have
encouraged the 1pulace to show the Gar how
heartily the alliance was received. and that
they would have recommended an emphatic
exhibition of friendly feeling. Instead, the
Temps, the D3bUts aud the LibortG vie with
each other III administering cold water douches
to what they deem the too exuberant enthusiasm
of the populaoe. For example the Ltbeyf6
of Tuesday writes;-"Reserve is aduty. The
Emperor of Russia. who ON so many occasions
has proved with what impassibility he directs
his policy, sets us an example il, this respect,
and he would perhaps Justly complain if the
exuberanoe Of our traditional C~hanvinisnn
threw us into dangerous exaggeration ..,......
Let us avoid our national intemperance and i'm
pressability. They would lead us into some
grave fault that we must avoid at any cost.
800. Free patriotism dictates calm an
reserve" Now, this is all very well, but it
cannot be said to afford any substantial expla-
nation Of the curious nervousness displayed by
the responsible portion of the French Press lest
the RusSomania of the Parisians should be over
done. 1t is neat and e~pigrammatic to say that
=" free patriotism dictates calm and reserve
but no newspaper would insist so eagerly on
reserve merely because "free patriotism dicta-
7d it. There must, it is clear. be some other
and better reason for the course taken by all the
journals of the capital. We believe
that the real ground for this remarkable pheno-
nenon is to be found in the fact that the so. call
I'D alliance is, as we have said above, in a great
ake-believe. The word, we expect,
has been passed round to the chief Republican
newspapers that this is SO, and they have been
made to realise that unless a good deal of eau
5ioni is use(, the real character Of the understand
ng arrived at at Nronstadt may become appar-
ant. The French diplomatists have been.
a game of bluff. They have some
their hands, no doubt, but not nearly
so much as they pretend. This being SO, the