The St. Petersburg correspondent of the Times said on Wednesday
that the Russian Government is turning its attention to the Armenian question. The Russian people want the Government to move much faster, and the general feeling is that the Government has of late practically aban- doned its "historic mission" of protecting the Eastern Christians. Allowances must be made for the tendency to criticise the Government whatever it does, but it should be noted that the dissatisfaction with Russian foreign policy is almost universal. Even the Octobrista are saying that M. Sazonoff should at least have exacted by this time the free passage of the Dardanelles, while both the Left and the Right accuse the Government of caring little for the South Slave. The correspondent says, however, that the Government certainly means to face the Armenian question. It does not favour the insertion of promises of reform in the final treaty of peace, for such promises (as in the Treaty of Berlin) have always been illusory, but hopes that the Ambassadors at Constanti- nople will be able to draw up a plan in conjunction with the Porte. An essential part of the plan would be the intro- duction of European officers into Armenia. We heartily agree that the welfare of long-suffering Armenia must be carefully provided for in the final settlement.
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