The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-07-24

ance, which placed her constantly at
 the mercy of any incident. involuntary or otherwise, of the vague attitude of Russia and the apparently enigmatical neutrality of England, she had no pro-
 lection from the worst eventualities, She could not prepare her defence without her designs being suspected, and she could not let them be suspected
 without running the greatest risks,
 Russia, in her turn, in view of the Triple alliance, which menacing atti- tude on her part would have converted into quadruple one, felt that her posi-
 tien was secondary and that single handed she was unable to obtain her due rank. Aiexaader TIT. was styled the arbiter of peace. This was siinrly a compliment. A man may be the ar bitter of war, for he has the power Of declaring war. but he cannot be the ar bitter of peace unless he is strong enough to enforce peace on others. Russia, moreover, had, and still has, need of peace for her economic devel- opment, as well as of money; she was anxious, like France, to emerge from her isolation, and by approaching France she recovered her rank, besides finding well-stocked coffers to enable her to prepare for the realization of her ambitions. Such is the origin of this logical union, and it must be acknowl- edged that, if Russia has found in
 France all the capital she needs, France has found good investment, for if ever Russia could not pay her coupons it would be because of a gene ral ruin involving even the most pros porous states. Thus those who labored for the isolation of France and Russia labored for their union. Hitherto, however, the profit derived by Russia from the alliance has been evident, whereas little advantage could be seen for France beyond the cessation of iso- lation and an investment at a moderate rate of interest. Russia has had all the capital she could desire, the rate of i'm
 terest has fallen from five to three and one-half, she has recovered her inf1u- ence in the east, arms have been manu- factured and a post opened for her i'll the Mediterranean, she has assured her hold of the Balkans, and has assumed aseendancy in the far east. With French money she has become the financial protector of China, who has sent her most celebrated statesman to grace the Moscow coronation, and in spite of all the favors accorded him at Berlin, in spite of all the ponlp dis played on his account, if that states man has signed any treaty, 1t has been in Russia and not in Germany. If the King of Korea has quilted his asylum and is free to show himself 1t is becauss ? Russia now protects hin-a protection quite sufficient-and a Russian railway, 1t is now said, will be carried through
 Manchuria to a port in the Liaotang Peninsula, of course for the better pro- lection of Chinese territory.
 This is what Russia has already gained by an alliance rescuing her from an isolation which threatened her greatness, if not her security. Her di- nlomacy is now thinking of giving France the benefit of the alliance by settling the Egyptian question, and thus satisfying her dignity-for noti- ing else is concerned. France knows that she cannot at present broach the fundamental question of Alsace-Lor- raine, for she knows that war alone can settle this, and she is neither inclined | nor prepared for that. But the Egyp- tan question has become for certain | unsound minds-and how numerous they area kind of second Alsace-Lor- raine Why not advise us,' writes a French correspondent to me, to re- nounce Alsace-Lorraine, inasmuch as l you advise us not to be obstinate re specting Egypt?" And this strange l idea is also discernible in the press.- | London Times Paris Correspondence.