The Government of Germany denies semi-officially the report of an
inclination towards a Russian alliance, and General von Caprivi, writing to a Committee of the Reichstag, declares that the only thing he has to tell them is that Germany adheres strongly to the alliance of the Three Powers. Nobody doubts that, the point in dispute being whether there is any intention of admitting Russia into the League, and so changing its character. This will not be settled until the Emperor and the Czar have met at Krasnoe-Selo. It should be observed that Prince Bismarck, who is talking a good deal, has informed a correspondent of the Novoe Vremya that he regards a war with Russia as most undesirable. Victory could bring Germany nothing except Poland, and if she had Poland, half her electors would be Roman Catholics. If war with Russia could bring nothing, and yet the fear of Russia is the great burden on Germany, the Emperor must desire an arrangement with St. Petersburg, which would, for some years at least, relieve his subjects. The difficulty is to secure that result without alienating Austria, half of whose subjects hate the idea of a partition of the Balkans. The Emperor, how, ever, has self.00nfldence enough to make the trial.
Previous page
