Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-20
Special Cable to Euening Public Ledger

Special Cable to Euening Public Ledger
Copyright, 1918, bv Ncto York Times Co.
Paris. Sept. 90.
The French Government has released
for publication the Iong-expected Yellow
! Book. containing the hitherto confidential
diplomatic documents which reveal the
origin and development of the Franco
Russian Alliance. Extracts from some
of the more important documents given
| herewith are remarkable as showing the
French estimates of just what Germany
would or could do as a belliserent
against France.
The Yellow Book consists of l07 let
ters consisting mostly OF exchanges he
tween the Quai d'Orsay and successive
French ambassadors in Petrograd. 1t Is
divided into four chapters, dealing,
respectively, with the origins of the
Alliance, August, 1890. to January. 1892,
an elaboration of the military convention
between the two nations during 1892. the
conclusion of the military convention in
1898 and the naval agreement between
France and Russia Of 1912.
The letters and notes attached to
many of them constitute diplomatic
narrative of first-class political and his
torical Importance.
The practical value the publication OF
these documents presents at this juncture
will be realized when II is remembered
that little more than a year ago the
German Imperial Chancellor Michaelis.
who had obtained power to examine the
confidential archives OF the Russian
Government revealed to the world the
agreement concluded between the two
Allied nations through NJ. Doumergue on
the subject of the future eastern frontier
of France. This document was used by
the Germans in support OF their allega-
tion that the Franco Russian alliance
had been been arranged with the funda-
mental object of aggressive action
against Germany.
Proves German Faisity
In order to prove beyond question the
falsty of this. the then French Foreign
| Minister Ribot promised that con-
| fdential documents showing the history
| of the origin and development of the
alliance would be published This prom
| Use his successor, PinChon, has now full
! filled
The documents published prove be-
| Yond question: First, that the Franco
Russian alliance was directly caused by
! German pretensions to n hegemony of
| Europe, which left France and Russia
no possible alternative except to unite in
a defensive alliance: second. that there
was no ground whatever for the Ger
| man assertions that the alliance was
| entered into to enable France to recon-
! quer Alsace Lorraine; thirdly, that the
| alliance at first was not specially d.
rected against Germany any more than
| against Austria or even England, AS its
aim was directed against no matter what
! combination of powers that might desire
! to disturb the status quo. and fourthly,
that the French general staff in 1892
clearly foresaw and prepared for. as far
as possible, what steps Germany would
| take and did take in anticipation OF
making the onslaught she launched on
Europe in 1914.
1t is impossible even to summarize
the lO7 documents contained in the new
yellow book. which begins with dis
patches to NJ. Ribot. the Foreign Min
lister, from NJ. De Laboulaye, the
French ambassador to Petrograd, relat-
Ing to a visit by General Boisdeffre to
witness the Russian military maneuvers
Of 1890, and ends with a letter by NJ
Poi -are to the Russian Foreign
Minister Sazonoff. dated August. 1912
Offering congratulations on the signing
of the naval convention between the two
countries.
Perhaps the most interesting Of these