New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-08-08
ZINOVIEFF.
RUSSIA'S STORMY PETREL AND CLEV.
EREST DIPLOMAT-THOUGHT TO BE
THE AUTHOR OF THE NATIVE
DISTURBANCES IN BRIT
ISL INDIA.

Machiavel would have us believe. then assur
edly there are few greater masters in the art
than NJ. ZinOvieff, whose name, though COM
paratively unknown to the general public, is cele-
brated in government circles throughout the
world that of quite the cleverest diplomat in
the service of the Car. Nowhere does the
mention Of his name give rise to greater uneasi-
ness than at the Foreign and India Offices in
London. as well as at Government House in Cal
cutta, where he is credited with a large share Of
the responsibility for the present alarming con-
dtion Of affairs in India: and under the cir
cumstances. the news just received of his APP
pointment to the post of Muscovite Ambassador
at COnstantinople is extremely significant. 1t
BODIES i'll for the Sultan. for Great Britain. for
Austria, and for what is known as 'the Euro
pean Concert" For wherever this arch -intriguer
so fertile in resource untiringly active and so
utterly devoid of scruples, makes his appear
ance. trouble is sure to follow. Indeed, he may
be described as a species of Russian stormy
petrol.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs at St. Peters
burg consists of two great divisions. the one
known the European Department, which is
devoted to the direction of the diplomatic rela-
tions between the Government of the Car and
all Western Powers, including the United States
and TIE South American Republics. while the
ter is far and away the more important of the
two. at any rate in Russian eyes For it has
charge not only of Muscovte interests through
out Asia and also in Abyssinia well in
Egypt. hut likewise maintains watchful eye
all the vassa rulers of Central Asia. besides
keeping in hand the threads Of the intricate net
work Of intrigue by means of which the Cars
Government remains in touch with the Amer
OF Afghanistan and with almost every native
ruler and chief of any importance in British
India. For number Of years past-indced. for
more than two decades Znovieff has been the
chief and moving spirit of this Asiatic Division
of the St. Petersburg Foreign Office and al
though in the interval he has acted for time
as Minister at Teheran. and more recently still
as Envoy at Stockholm yet he has never really
abandoned its helm. Indeed. it is to him more
than to any else that Emperor Nicholas is
indebted for the phenomenal success achieved
by Russia without the striking of a single blow,
in China. in Persia, in Corea, and even in Japan,
since it was solely in Difference to the commands
of the Gar that the Mikado arrested the march
of his armies upon Picking. surrendering what
were practically the principal fruits of the vic
tories which he had won both by land and at
KING OSCARS SITUATION
A few years ago Russia acquired the convic-
some kind of secret treaty or military con-
vention with King Oscar Of Sweden and Nor
way, with the object of closing the Baltic to the
entrance or egress of Muscovite cruisers in the
event of between Russia and Germany.
True. there is the Baltic and North Sea Canal.
But that is in the hands of the German Govern
ment. and would be naturally unavailable for
Russian ships under circumstances OF In... char-
acter. This understanding between Sweden and
Germany which is based not only upon a com
munity of interests, political as well as eco
nOmic between the two nations. but also upon
close ties of knsmanship between the families
of King Oscar and of Emperor William. is a
matter of serious importance to Russia. For
oscar, besides holding the keys to the entrance
Of the Baltic in his hands is the next-door
neighbor of Russia along a frontier which ex
tends some five hundred miles Realizing that
it was necessary to take some steps at once to
counteract the effects Of this deal between the |
courts of Stockholm and Berlin. the Russian |
Government dispatched NJ. Znovief to Sweden |
Minister Plenipotentiary.
Zinovieff quick to take advantage Of the |
discomfort and bitterness that prevailed in Nor !
way against not only the Swedish nation but |
also against the Swedish Government and the |
Swedish regning family. His entire energies
were devoted to fOmenting this feeling of Nor
wegian dslOyalty to King Oscar knowing full
well that the latter would be unable to fulfil his |
engagement toward the German Government
in the event of war with Russia Norway
to decline to follow him in that direction To
what extent ne succeeded is shown by the fact