RUSSIAN INFALLIBILITY.
(To THE EDITOR OF THE 'SPECTATOR."] SIB,—" Diplomatic failure" is a phrase which, according to some of the patriotic critics of the Government, is exclusively English, and untranslatable. Our policy in the Far East, it is dinned into our ears day after day, has been a uniform failure, that of Russia an unqualified success. Now, while it is not the function of any one outside the Cabinet to defend 'their very mysterious policy, it may be said that this popular view of recent diplomatic history somewhat overestimates Russian skill. The word " Corea," for instance, has scarcely been mentioned lately in Far Eastern politics; yet, can the annals of the diplomacy of Lord Salisbury or of any other British Foreign Minister show such a record of complete failure as is embodied in Russia's Corean Treaty with Japan ? For three years her minions have been intriguing for all they were worth to secure the mastery in that country, only to encounter complete disaster. 'Oh,' but it is said, 'that was a very smart move on Russia's part, intended to conciliate Japan.' It never struck any of Lord Salisbury's critics that some of his 4' graceful concessions" to France might have had the same ‘onciliatory tendency. It was in Corea, too, that Russia ply endeavoured to supplant Mr. MeLeavy Brown by a .gian Financial Adviser to the Corean Government.
her forgotten incident is that country's prodigious
gild. ' to secure the dismissal of British engineers on North
railways,—efforts which were so formidable that the cialvere constrained to appeal to England for support. e sur. 4-4rt was given, and another Russian scheme fell
rough. Then, though successful in preventing a British Government loan, M. Pavloff failed to secure it for the Russian-Chinese Bank, and had to see it concluded by the Anglo-German syndicate. In spite of all her efforts, Russia has not seriously damaged our interests in Northern China., and her failure is that of an energetic campaign. Our principal failure—to prevent the Russian acquisition of Port Arthur and Talienwan—was the failure in effect of a mild protest, unsup- ported by force ; while our successes—Wei-hai-wei, Kowloon, the Yangtse understanding, &c.—are surely quite as creditable to us as are Russia's to her, if there be credit in successful filching from a helpless invalid. Russia, we are also told, is dominant at Pekin at the present moment. How much does that signify She dominated at Constantinople a year or so back. Now the position is held by Germany. In the course of time it will doubtless revert to the old love, England. At the moment we do not, it is true, stand in a very pleasant position. But the British Empire was not built up upon, and does not owe its strength to, positions on the diplomatic chessboard. Russia may intrigue, Germany sneer, and France talk a great deal about vast expeditions, but we are likely to carry out our destiny in the old blundering way, the way which has brought us our World-Empire.—I am, Sir, &c.,
VIVIAN CARTER.
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