The San Francisco call., 1897-04-04


undertook over his signature to demons trate
to the world by means of a widely circulated
newspaper article that Russia had conferred
very great favor and benefit upon Flance by
borrowing m oney from her. 1t is pity that
it is impossible to reproduce the article in
question here, since its logic and the in
geniousness OF its arguments are Character
istically Muscovite and Oriental-that is to
say, plausible in the extreme. But the real
truth of the matter is that while few OF the
leading fnanciers i'll France may have made
money by floating the loans which Russia has
contracted at Paris, nearly the whole OF the
enormous debt of the Muscovite empire is
held by Gallo investors, who have been
prompted by patriotic fervor rather than by
sound, so ober judgment, to contide to Russia
the savings that had remained to them after
the payment of the terrible war indemnity TO
Germany. 1t is probable that the war indem-
nifty will in the end prove TO have been
the better investment of the two. For the
milliards o. francs, of which 1t consisted, have
long since returned, in one way ana another,
from Germany TO France, with heavy interest,
whereas if the French continue to show them-
selves restive to dictation from st. Petersburg
there is nothing to prevent the MuscoVlte
treasury from either arbitrarily reducing the
interest of its foreign debt, or else of following
the example of other Oriental governments in
repudiating it altogether.
1t may be pointed out that the present
alliance between France and Russia is the
fourth that has been contracted within the
last 100 years, and that each of the three
previous alliances has resulted not in peace
between the two contracting parties, but in
war. The first of these alliances bears the
date of 1897 and the signature of CZar Paul.
1t was treaty of alliance offensive
and defensive, yet the following year found
the French Marshal Massena inflicting q
crushing defeat at Zurich on a Russian army
commanded by Prince Souvarow. In 1907 q
fresh treaty of alliance was signed at Tilsitt,
and subsequently ratified at Erfur tn by the
Emperors Napoleon and Alexander Yet in
1872, that is to say five years later, Napoleon
invaded Russia at the head of the so-called
Grand Army, campaign which eliminated
in the disastrous retreat from Moscow. Then
came the Franco-Russian alliance of 1852,
which was followed two years later by a
French invasion of the Crlmea.
Acc ccording to the most authoritative state
ments the present treaty of alliance be-
tween France and Russia, so long in
process of negotiation, was finally signed and
sealed during the visit of Emperor Nicholas to
Paris last autumn. How long will it be before,
in accordance with past precedent France
and Russia are once more arrayed not side by
side as friends. but face to face as foes, the
Gnimosity of the French being intensified
hundred fold by the memory of the sacrifices
OF money and dignity that they have made TO
secure friendship that is a the best Oriental,
and therefore perfldious and unreliable.
1t has been stated above that the Franco
Russian alliance was only completely and def
nitely signed and sealed last autumn. But il
had been under way, SO TO speak and in pro-
cess OF negotiation ever sin ce 1887. For con-
trary TO general belief, there was no
understanding OF France with Russia prior to
that date, the French statesmen of the first fiji
teen years of the third republic fighting dis
t1nctly shy of any union with Russia. Indeed.
in the many conversations which had about
the matter in 1879, 1880 and 1881 with
Gambetta, he invariably professed himself
as most strongly opposed thereto on the
ground that it was both illogical and impo-
litic - Illogical because there could be no
community OF interest or ideas between the
aosolutism and tyranny of the Orient and the
mest enlightened liberalism of the Occident:
1mpolitic because no Oriental could ever be
depended upon 10 su bordinate his interests to
those OF his European friends. and that an al
lance therefore between Russia and France
must Inevitably result in advantage to the
former and in detriment to the latter
Ihe manner in which the understanding be-
tween France and Russia was first brought
about in 1887 is sufficiently curious and nm
known 10 be worthy OF being placed on record.
King Leopold of Belgium has an illegitimate
son who is well known in Brussels, Baden.
Spa' Paris and at Monte Carlo as a great
gambler. One day he turned up at Paris and
called upon a gentleman of the name OF NJ
Foucauit de Mondion, who had. while
acting as tutor of the late Prince
de Chimay, the Minister OF Foreign
Affairs OF Belgium, rendered such impor-
tant services to the French Foreign Office in
the way OF keeping the latter posted that after
leaving Brussels he was attached to the de-
partment on the Quai d'Orsay in species OF
underlined capacity. The Baron Informed NJ.
de Mondion that he required at once sum OF
$50, 900 to pay what he described as a debt
OF honor" failing which he would be obliged
to blow out his brains. Mondion Of course de-
clared that he was unable 10 lend him any
such sum, whereupon the Baron replied: 81
know II at. but you can procure it for me-"
'How?"
"Well. have here in my possession docu-
ments of the highest Importance, authentic
proof that Prince Bismarck is playing a dou-
BILE game with Russia, and is fooling the Car
all along the line, above all in the Bulgarian
question. The Car believes that Bismarck is
acting frankly and Loyalty. Here is evidence
TO the contrary II France can show these
proof. of Bismarck's duplicity to Emperor
it means that Russia abandons her
alliance with Germany and Austria and will
Dly SOutTdCl Il new UNION with france
Thereupon the Baron showed him the docu-
ments which he had surreptitiously obtained
from the desk of his father, King Leopold.
They comprised letters from Princess Glenn
entine (mother of Prince Ferdinand of Bull
gara) and likewise letters from King Charles
of Roumauia to his sister, the Countess of
Flanders, which she had handed to the King;
also letters from Prince Bismarck to King
Charles and to Prince Clementine, which they
l.. rlnI -
Mondion took the papers and showed them
to NJ Lockroy, who was at that time member
of the Goblet Cabinet. At his request and at
that of his colleague, Minister of War Gen.
eral Boulanger, the well-known Paris banker
Hentsch, advanced the $50. 600 demanded,
which was handed to the Baron.
Six months later these papers were sent by
ex- EN- bassad dor General Appert, a warm and
intimate friend of the Car, to the latter at
Copenhagen. The general showed them to
the Emperor, who for the first time became
aware of the duplicity of Prince Bismarck.
That was the beginning of the alliance between
France and Russia, which the Cretan crisis
has now brought near to the breaking Point.
since Russian sympathy is with the Turkish
crescent, and French sympathy with the
Greek cross. Ex-ATrAcHE.