The Washington herald., 1907-07-08
An Anelo.Rnssinn Agreement

This seems to be an epoch Of good viii
among the nations in spite Of the jingo
talk about complications in the far East
The world powers seem to be getting
closer together and working in greater
harmony, so that it is not surprising that
much is being said in Great Britain about
an understanding" between that coun-
try and Russia.
For years the two countries have been
on unfrlendly terms To Great Britain.
with her vast interests IN Hlndustan, the
Russian Bear has always seemed q men
ace, and 10 Russia, with Great Britain
following out the policy of Beaconsfeld
and standing firm against allowing Rus
sia access 20 the sea through the Darda-
nelios, England has always been q nation
20 be circumventcd. if possible. But now
that France has concluded an agreement
with RUssia-presumabl with England's
cOnsent-there seems 70 be no reason why
the Anglo-Russian agreement. which came
50 near cOnsummation some five or six
years ago, should not be concluded. There
is every economic reason in favor of
such an agreement It would he a mark
ed step toward insuring the peace Of Eu-
rope, and it would. in these times of un-
rest in India, relieve Great Britain of
much Of her anxiety rs 10 the northern
frontiers Of Hindustan.
One point stands in the way and that
is the present unsettled state Of the Rus
sian government. The general public of
England has condemned the dissolution
Of the Douma. has expressed sympathy
with the Russian movement for popular
government and Il holds that an agree
ment at this time between the govern
ments Of Russia and Great Britain would
be taken as a recognition Of the auto
cratic rights Of the Car.
The Liberal ministry, AZ present in pow
er, is not outspOken on the subject: Il de
pends so much on the popular favor of
the masses that it can hardly afford to
be, especially when it is remembered that
some oTense was taken when the premier.
Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman. cried
''Vive Ia D0uma, As a matter Of fact.
a formal protest against the conclusion
Of any such agreement has been drawn
and signed by literary men. lawyers.
philanthropists. ministers. and others
The protestants hold that while an Anglo
Russian agreement might be a good
thing, the British government should
wait until it can negotiate with a con
stituuonal government in Russia.
The Dross Of England is uniformly
against these pr9tostants. and the Statist.
a conservative weekly, characterizes the
movement as sentimental and unfortu-
nate. The Statist recalls that the rela-
tons between Russia and England have
been anything but friendly for over half.
q century; that. indeed. during that period T,
they have been often at the swapping
point and at all times have stood in the
way Of England's free action in the
world It goes on:
They have imposed heavy military burden upon
the Indian people, and they have Influenced cd /
TeTcly the course Of events throughout the world
DO these who drrw mp and signed this protest sori-
Cus'y mean 70 contend that the government Of this
country o1rht not 20 erdeavcr % IN, an end 10 |
50 injurious a state Of things? Do they further 4
mean % imply that the government of this c1u1- /
Try. IN its relations with other governments ought
not 10 be Influenced by the real interests Of the
British empire. but rather by the s,,pposed inter.
csts Of FOREIGN peoples; Lastly. arc we to under
stand that these who drew up and signed this docl
ment are not opposed to WaT as war!"
It is, indeed, hard to conceive Of anvil
international agreement that would be so