The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. MONDAY, JUNE 14, 1909. RUSSIA AND GERMANY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2527, 14 June 1909, Page 4

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. MONDAY, JUNE 14, 1909. RUSSIA AND GERMANY.

The present visit of the Kaiser to meet the. Czar of Russia provides an opportune time to review tho circumstances .under which in March last an absolute revolution took place in the relations between Germany and Russia. On the occasion referred to Russia received from Germany a blow so sudden and staggering that the statesmen of Europe- were completely nonplussed. The facts are very simple. On they last Thursday in March the German Ambassador in St. Petersburg requested the Russian Foreign Alinistcr to recognise forthwith the annexation of- the provinces of Bp.snia and Herzegovina by Austria-Hungary, though this was the very tiling which throughout the past six months ltustsia had refused to do, except in concert with the rest of Europe, and at a Conference formally summoned to deal with tho matter. If Russia refused to take the step required of her, it was intimated that Germany would consider the refusal an act. of hostility to her Austrian ally, and therefore to herself, and that her troops would at once cross the frontier. Further, Russia was made aware, in what form wo do not know, but no doubt with all the politeness possible in the circumstances, that a large portion of the German Army had already been mobilised on the Polish frontier, and that if the Russian Government did not submit, the German troops would bo in possession of large tracts of the Russian Empire before there would be time for orders-*'for Russian, mobilisation to take effect, Russia is stated to have, asked for time to consult. the Powers with whom she had been acting throughout, : —namely, France and Britain. ’To this request a peremptory, if polite, refusal was given. Russia was told that if she decided to yield she must yield at once. The Czar and his-Ministers hold that no other course was open to thorn, partly -because - they had-been placed at

what they believed to bo an enormous disadvantage by tho sudden and secret action of .Germany, and partly because they realised that the internal condition of Russia, her financial position, and still more tho condition of her Army, would make it impossible fbr her to wage a successful war against Germany and Austria-Hungary combined, even though .shp received support from outside.

It is now tho business of Germany, having satisfied her Austrian ally, to endeavor, if possible, to allay the bittor animosity that has been created against her in Russia. Tlow successful the Kaiser will be in this delicate diplomatic mission remains to bo seen.

Incidentally tho whole affair conveys a most important lesson for Britain and it is to be found in tho secrecy suddenness, and efficiency with which the Gorman military force on tho Russian frontier was mobilised and held ready for instant use. The Gormans did not show any diplomatic signs of the action they wore going to take an hour before they took it. There was no wordy debato in the Gorman Reichstag in which Russia was warned that she must not do this or that, or AustriaHungary was assured that Germany would take such-and-such action. German official newspapers maintained their old policy of saying nothing to provoke ill-feeling in Russia or to give any warning of the coming blow. Germany outwardly maintained the most perfect calm till the very moment when she struck, and struck with all her strength. Tho only news in regard to the frontier was what may be called a contra-indication. A great many telegrams were scattered throughout the Continental.. Press at tho beginning of the week in which Germany acted describing how Russia had mobilised her forces on the. Prussian frontier. Russia had done nothing of the kind. But while Russia was alleged to be doing what in fact she was not doing, Germany was doing that very thing so efficiently and so secretly that the first news of it to reach St. Petersburg was the polite communication made by the Gorman Ambassjor to the Russian Minister for Foreign Affairs. Commenting on this unpleasant theme a London writer says:—“Very possibly no such warning will ever he communicated to us. AYe can be almost sure that it will never be made provided we organise our resources for the building and equipping of ships to tho utmost, and then make the most complete use of those resources. If, however, we fail in this respect, we may be sure that action similar to that taken by Germany towards Russia will some day be taken toward us, and, from the German point of Hew, quite rightly.”