New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-07-05
FRANCE AND RUSSIA.

The approaching visit Of the French PRESIDENT
to the Russian Car lends tlmeliness to the dls-
cussion of the Franco-Russan alliance whlch
Mr. 7 r Eustis offers in the current number or
The North American Review" Mr.. Eustis mas
inst been for four years United States AmbasSa-
dor TO France. and therefore may be supposed
70 sneak with the authority Of expert knowl-
edge and with the Judgment Of trained dipio-
mat. His opinions may be taken, moreover
rs certainly not hostile to France, but rather
as svmpathetic and benevolent toward that re-
nubIic Regarding them thus, they are by no
means reassurjng to the friends of France, but
they NAV serve the useful purpose of opening
some ewes TO the real state Of affairs, and TO
facts which might otherwise pass hidden De-
neatb the glamour of fraternal celebrations and
euphonious tOasts. 1t may even be or service
70 the French themselves to see themselves as
others see them. through the eyes or friendly
American.
While others look with apprehension upon the
small increase. If not the actual decrease Oh
the French population. Frenchmen themselves
are more concerned about the Russian aiilahce'
They know their own strength, even WIN
stationary census. But they do not know what
the Russian treaty means. to what extent their
indepcndcnce of action is forfeited, ana the H.
terests of the nation sacrificed for the welfare
of a Power with which they have no ha'urai
sympathy. The origin Of the compact IS eX-
plicable France had for twenty years been $50
| lated. and was glad to secure at last one Irlehu
Among the Powers. That was deemed Deuer
than for her to stand alone amid the hostiie
camps There was also suppOsition that such
friendship would be reciprocal, that hussia
would aid France as welsns France ala RUSSIA
If such We're the case even so paradoAicaI III
alliance might be a good thing.
But such. as Mr. Eustis sees it, Is not the case
Russia promptly made use of France, 10 the
latter's embarrassment and shame. In robDng
Janan of the fruits Of the Chinese war. frahce
was compelled to side with Chinese DarDarism
against Japanese civilization and TO angn her
self with Germany. her deadly foe. That was
had. but worse remained. In the recent reopen
ing of the Turkish question. in relation 10 poth
Armenia and Crete, Mr.. Eustis reckons that
France has been made in Illuminating wa!
the tool of Russian sefshness. She has Deeh
forced to foregO the opportunity or making her
self the leader of Europe and OF dong great
work for humanity, and to tolerate ana cohdohe
the evils Of Ottoman mlsgovernment TOT the
ACKNOWLEDGMENT Of Russia. On the otner hahd
she has failed to gain from Russia the slightest
assistance in asserting her claims IN Egypt, n
fact which Mr.. Eusts emphasizes by relating
a characteristic bit of Russian diplomatic his
tory. hitherto unpublished
Mr. Eustis concludes, therefore. that the So
called Russian alliance is one-sded arrange
ment fraught with much peril to France. Ihere
can be no affinity Of sentiment, no polltlcal
solidarity, between two nations so diametricaiiy
opposed to each other in all essential conditions
The danger is that the national virility or
France will be destroyed by needless suDservi-
ency to Russian authority and political inter-
ests; that France will, in brief, become niue
more than protectOrate of Russia Certainly
that would be an unspeakable calamity, not
only 10 France, but to the whole civilized world.
1t will be gratifying to see French statesmen
prove all such apprehensions baseless, ana 10
show that whether she stands alone or IN all
ance with any other Power, France Is still
France, free. enlightened and unconqueraDle