The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-27
Point of Vantage Gained by Peter
the Great Has Been Used TO
Great Effect.
A PERVERSION OF FACTS
An Unnamed Diplomat Who Does
Not Love Russia Outlines that
Country's Methods.
CRISIS NOW IMPENDING
Time Has Come When Claim of
Having Strong Government and
Great Army VIII Be Tested.

Special Correspondence OF the Journal,
PARIS. March IA Paris diplomat. the
publication of whose name might bring on
grave international complications. recently
gave the following story of the way Russia
has succeeded in ''bluffing'' Europe and the
whole world so successfuly-a story that
seems TO me quite remarkable. / give his
remarks uninterrupted by my questions and
EXPLANATIONS incident to the conversation
Russia" lie said, has bluffed Europe
ever since the Spanish hereditary war gave
Peter. surnamed the Great, opportunity to
turn his anomalous Satrapie into Euro
pean great power.
Ever since that monarchs cheap tri-
umph over the Mailman of the North-the
battle of Poltava was but wild scramble,
in which the remnant of one of the most
splendid armies ever brought together, I'M
able to use its arms, leaderless, hopeless
of victory, was overwhelmed and crushed
by superior numbers-ever since Peter
spurious fire baptism by Charles XII has
Russia-that is, Asiatic barbarism-tired OF
her stiffness and stagnation, worried old
Europe into worshiping her.
at was not accident that found Russia
ridiculously unprepared for the present
struggle: it was part of her system Her
boast of war-preparedness is as old as her
incompetency to fight equal numbers; his
tory proves that in all the years of her
existence as a civilized state Russia was
never prepared for the struggles of her own
making. The reason is obvious; in her
despotic system falsehood predominates,
both as to interior and foreign affairs. Her
ten millions of starving peasants. the flower
of her intellectual youth eking out a pre-
carious living in foreign countries because
their own despises their knowledge and
frowns on manhood, give the lie to her
claim that she alone knows how to rule
vast peoples in kindly and fatherly spirit.
So is her pretense of being destined to rule
the world an impudent perversion of facts.
LET us now examine into the historic
genesis OF the political part of the legend.
Having become a European power
through Germanys, Frances and Eng
lands weakness, Russia made it her bust
ness to foster strife among the p1onarchs
that had recognized her-the nations had
very little to say then to peace and war.
And each laundering king or kinglet
brought money to Russia's Golfers, or added
territory to her overgrown body. After the
Spanish war, Russia made capital out of
Bourbon and Hapsburg. when Frederick
the Great appeared on the scene. it was the
enmity between Vienna and Berlin that
furnished her the means of aggrandise-
fiercer the war in Germany the more I'M
hampered was Russia to extend her do
miniOnS eastward
THE FRENCH REVOLUTION.
During all that time Russia had her
eye on Poland and Turkey-the latter her
hereditary prey, as she boasts; witness the
wrecker of states preach the crusade
against the French revolution. All, how
she stirred the legitimate dry bones to fight
for throne and altar to defend the
sacredness of the crown, the holy body OF
kingship-Russia that murdered her own
monarch as often as one became obnox-
ious TO mistress or lover as the case
might be.
''Behold now the smiling heir of the revo-
luton: Napoleon, turning old Dame Eu-
ropes clustering offensive into weak
| in the field, but Austria, the army OF
Frederick the Great. Spain. Great Britain
| and the rest-all sitting on their Launches
weeping and wondering what had STRUCK
| them.
Another changer Alexander embraces
his dear brother Napoleon" and assures
| him of his everlasting admiration and graf.
| itude Follows the Russian French alliance
OF Tilsit. mainly at the expense of Alex.
| anders friends and relatives, Frederick
William and Louise of Prussia.
Now the crisis has set in il looks as Il
| there was historic justice after all. Leav
| ing Japanese successes out of the question
| the fortunes of war are so uncertain they
may turn at moments notice-the inter
esting, the decisive fact is, that Russis
| must needs exercise her entire financial ant
war machinery to keep from being kicked
| ANONYMOUSLY out of the East. And thi:
happens at the moment when in the Euro
| pean Orient the apex OF Russian covetnes:
| and longing. queer things are about to hap
| pen. The Balkan question may be solved
| Truly she is being paid back for the double
| game played since Charles KITS inability
| TO sit a horse at Poltava gave Russia tn,
| entree to European society.
But this is not only a day of reckoning
for Russias love of intrigue and strife al
other nations expense; the Muscovites
conceit and arrogance too, will be reduced
Russia imposed her own estimate of herself
on Europe during century and a half-anC
| the old iubecile kissed her slipper every
| time il raised to kick her.
Whatever the outcome of the present
war may be, the Mikado deserves a statue
| in every capital in Europe for having made
bold to prove the shadowiness of Russia {
halo. That halo is not pure gold. as she
wants us to believe. but rather creature
of foul gases emanating from a decompos
| ing body.
| THE yellow peril Is a catchword Kaiser
| William culled from scare head in {
yellow journal, | believe. He made a car
! toon of il. or rather commissioned an artis
to do and presented the awkward dra w.
| ing TO his Majesty of Russia with his com
| pliments COMTESSE D'ALEMCOURT.