The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-09-03
FRANCO-RUSS|AN
ALLIANCE SHAKY
A Significant Editorial in the
Famous lsovoe
vremya.


OF the Franeo-Russian allianee2 Stands
1t where it did2 These are among the
interesting questions which are every
where being asked in political circles
since the discussion of the possibilities
of war between England's ally and
Russia s foe-Japan.
| The matter of the F'raneo-Russian
alliance has been pushed prominently
| forward by an article in the Novoe
Vremya, amounting to this argument.
| that as the French army is not pro-
portionately as strong as it was. Russia
would do well to seek another alliance.
This may seem like queer criticism
from Museovite when the recent war
with Japan and its grim consequences
are borne in mind But there it is.
And the arguments pro and con are
causing no end of indignant discussions
here.
Fuel has been added to the flames
by the discussion of series of articles
along parallel lines in one of the lead
ing Partisan newspapers, the Temps
This particular paper happens to be of
the moderate quality, and it is as much
IN favor of the Franco Russian alliance
as ever, but it frankly admits that
there have been errors, and in a city
| where frankness is not to be expected
in the newspapers or out of the news
papers-a city like st. Petersburg
| this very frankness is not regarded with
satisfaction-at least not in official cir
cles.
From these various newspaper and
official sources one gathers the follow
ing regarding the status of the Franco
Russian alliance: First of all, the at
titude of NJ. Combes and his friends was
as little French as could be conceive ed
when Russia s reverses began. Russia
asked nothing of France, and yet was
brutally told that she had nothing to
expect from her, and when Count White
returned from Portsmouth, n. H., after
the peace conference he spoke his mind
and that of many of his fellow-country-
men. Since then, however, blunder aft
er blunder has followed.
DECISION UP TO RUSSIA.
Whether NJ. Bompard was made last
year to give advice to NJ. Isvolsky
which he could not take. whether the
French ambassador undertook strange
missions of economic control which
We're as wounding to the Russians as
they were useless to the French,
whether certain wishes expressed at
st. Petersburg as to the "nodalites"
OF Franco-Russian relations received
no satisfaction, whether the French
war Office reduced to a minimum the
military communication that is indis-
pensahle between allies, the Russians
have derived the impression that they
We're being neglected, and, though in
correct, it was none the less unfortu-
nate. It was for Russia to put an end
to this situation by saying what she
wanted, but instead of this her gov@
eminent staff maintained an excessive
reserve. q
When M. Tsvolsky went to Paris last
year, it is now asserted, he kept away
from those who could have spoken to
him with advantage. The intimacy
which did not exist at st. Petersburg
needed to be restored at Paris or else
the Franco-Russian alliance was prac-
tically at an end. M. Loubet had had
the excellent idea, promptly approved
by the Car, of attaching a French Of
f1cer to his person, but M. Fallieres
did not carry it out. SO Germany's
adorers in Russia simply accentuated
their campaign against France. 1t is
true that the Cross of St. Andrew has
lately been conferred on NJ. Fallieres,
but, on the other hand, the point is
made that when GOODNESS exists it is
not to be dispelled with decorations.
CALLS STRUCTURES UNJUST.
Copies of the Paris Temps which
have been received here assert that
the Novoe Vremya's structures on the
French army are most unjust, and that
the Russian army on its side must still
be reckoned as force and power.
Talks about French loans to Russia are
most unreasonable, and the Temps
concludes by declaring that the alii
ance is as necessary TO them both as
ever, and that it is the fault of men
and not things if it does not work
well. ~
Meanwhile therh is undoubtedly al
feeling throughout the civilized world
that after all Russia was of decided |
value in Asiatic politiss as a sort of
great national policeman, and that, +!
brutal though her methods may have
been at times, they were the only
methods which We're capable of holding /
the orienta1s in check. Since the /
troubles in Korea and the revelations /
that Japan is disposed to dethrene the |
reigning family in the hermit king
dom, and then move first on Manchu-
ria and next on China, and that soon
er or later there must be a conflict
between the white races and the yei-
low, with Japan leading the yellow
and Russia, by the sheer force of po-
sition, leading the white, or, at least,
destined to bear the burden of the
of the yellow-an of these
things, it is argued here, show that
the Franco-Russian alliance is not only
a political necessity. but that the other
of the world will be forced to