The Times tells us that the Russian Press, with few
excep- tions, is coldly critical in its references to the Imperial meeting, and that close to the news from the Baltic are placed telegrams describing the Russo-French military banquet at Rheims. The official Rossiya declares that the traditional friendship of Russia and Germany can in no wise be regarded as a menace to other European Powers. Certainly it will not be regarded as a menace here nor, we believe, in France. No one who desires to maintain peace is anxious to make ill-blood between Russia and Germany. Again, only very foolish people suppose that the Russian Sovereign is likely to be cajoled by an Imperial visit or by Imperial " table-talk " into deserting his French allies or endangering the entente with Britain. What, we expect, will happen at the visit is something of this kind: the Emperor William will talk with his usual interesting mixture of impulsiveness, rhetoric, and political metaphysics to the Emperor of Russia and sketch all the wonderful things the two Powers in combination might do to secure the peace of the world and to prevent "the revolutionaries" from destroying that fabric of society and of religion which it is the special business of autocrats to preserve. The Emperor of Russia, partly amused and partly impressed with the vigour of his august brother, will make " suitable replies."
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