The Washington herald., 1909-08-29
SIR IAN WITH THE GAR
The Importance of His Presence at the Russian Army
ManeuverS.

for such action IN the fact that. accord
/ Ing 20 a remark made recently by Mich
olas II 20 Admiral Touchard. formerly
/ French ambassador at ST. Petersburg II
will require another twelve months TO
complete the reorganization OF the Mus
covite army, and that his navy is still
In process OF reconstruction. The En-
! peror, therefore, in determining the set
| telment Of this scheme of western de-
/ Tense. has to consider. not merely the
/ strategic advantages. which are undeni-
/ able, but the possibility Of its precipitat-
/ ing a conflict with Germany and Austria
before his people are ready for the strug-
gle.
For some time past. in fact. ever since
I the close OF Russia's war with Japan.
the Kaiser and King Edward have been
/ competing. so to speak. for pre-eminence
In the affections and good will Of Mich
/ olas ii. The British ruler, as we'll as his
| German nephew are men Of remarkable
/ brilliancy. masters OF st6tecraft and
| possessed of great powers OF personal
magnetism and fascination. These they
have exercised to the utmost upon the
/ Car.
The King has in this rivalry had the
advantage Of the support OF his sister
/ in-law the widowed Czarina. and of his
niece, the young Empress Of Russia, who
was brought up 20 a great extent IN
England under the watchful care OF her
grandmother, the late Queen Victoria, OF
whom she was a particular favorite.
Then, too a popular impression has al
ways prevailed TO the effect that. whereas
Edward VII was In hearty accord with
a I ffaor- 1fuf
the Car, Emperor William was opposed
thereto and in favor Of reaction and au-
! tocracy in Russia. while last spring. when
! the Kaiser at the time Of the Balkan
crisis was obliged to choose between
supporting Russia and supporting Aus
tria. he threw in his lot with the latter.
and thus enabled the dual empire 70 Sc
cure a diplomatic victory at the expense
Of Russia.
| All this has contributed TO further Eng
| fish interests at the Court Of St Peters
burg al the expense OF Germany. and
naturally the influence OF France has been
| exercised in behalf Of Great Britain on
the banks Of the Neva in the matter.
! The foundations OF the present under
standing between England and Russia
were laid in connection with the agree
ment between the two powers regarding
their respective policies in Asia. and more
| especially I'm Persia.
The agreement much criticised al first.
and which may be described as largely
due TO the personal diplomacy OF King
Edward, has stood the severe test Of the
recent revolution in Persia. which has
had the effect OF removing from the
minds OF both Britons and Russians all
remaining suspicious as 20 one another's
/ loyalty
| II is an agreement which was still fur
Their strengthened by the meeting Of King
Edward and Nicholas II az Reval last
year. and which has been cemented by
their recent intercourse at Cowes. The
presence Of Sir Ian Hamilton at the ma
neuvers Of the Russian army now IN
progress is the result of the Cars
visit 10 COwes.
Some people have endeavored TO argue
that this understanding between England
and Russia is aimed against Japan. It
is improbable in the extreme that this Is
the case. There is nothing to show in
favor OF any such presumption. or TO
/ lead to the belief that either England
or japan contemplate the reputation Of
! their alliance, which has still several
years 10 run
But there is much beyond what have
mentioned above to indicate that Il is
aimed against Germany. In Persia. Rus
sia and England are working against
] German interests politically and eco
nomieally. The same may be said In
Turkey, where the French Ambassador
is cooperating with mis- English and Rus
sian colleagues, the later a graduate Of
Oxford and a pronounced Anglophile.
while the intimacy of the relations be-
tween the French. the Russians, and the
English is perhaps most strikingly shown
/ by the fact that the new French Am
bassador al ST. Petersburg NJ Louis, Is
known to have been appointed by the
/ French government, and 10 have been
| accepted as persona grata by the Car.
at the personal suggestion Of King Ed
ward. who has long known Louis. though
/ his name was scarcely familiar to the
public either in France or abroad. owing
/ TO the fact that most OF his work was
done within the precincts Of the palace,
on the Quai dOrsai, where he has for
years been one OF the most influential Of
1 permanent officials, the occult power, in
deed. behind the throne.
| Premier StOlypn Is a vigorous sup
porter OF his cOuntry's alliance with Great
Britain-for an alliance II is. IN actual
| fact. although it may be described as a
mere entente cordlale. He knows full
well that whatever influence King Ed
ward has been able to bring TO bear on
his nephew, the Gar has been exercised
in benalf OF his own liberal policy, as OPP
posed 10 the forces Of reaction.
The Kings complimentary reference to
the Douma in his speech at the official
banquet in honor Of the Car az COwes,
and the Emperor's expression Of graft
tude for the hospitality and attentions
with which the members Of the Douma
were welcomed by court. government
and the public generally during their re-
cent visit 70 England, have had the ef-
feet not only Of reassuring people in Rus