The Fortnightly Review: No. CCCCLXIII, New Series [‎667v] (225/239)

194
CORRESPONDENCE.
has felt the absence of Russian influence in Continental politics so
much as France. The fact is that at the present moment it is at
a very low ebb, and the one object of French foreign policy must
necessarily be to restore it, at least in part, as speedily as possible.
Otherwise, the increasingly preponderant influence of Germany must
naturally damage the splendid position which of late years has been
acquired by France through peaceful methods having the consolida
tion of peace for their object. Consequently, France not only ardently
desires to see the end of the war, but also wishes for a lasting peace.”
lhat sums up the attitude of Great Britain, France, and the United
btates towards Germany and the war. It is essential that the war
should cease and the Russian troops from the Far East come back
to Germany s Eastern frontier and the Kaiser be checked. Russia’s
weakness as a formidable bogey has been sufficiently demonstrated,
and yet she can be of value in restraining the much more pressing
dangei presented by the Germans. The Russian troops may not
be very good, but their presence on the frontier will at once
divide the German forces and reduce the German policy to
saner methods. The Russian troops must come home! is the
despairing cry of a badly frightened France. Great Britain alone
could have done little to persuade the Russians of the urgency
of the case and, in fact, little was directly done save to point
out the foolishness of throwing away the Near East as well
xf i ^ a continuance of the war with Japan.
But through France plenty of pressure could be and was brought
to beai. I ranee did not even refrain from threatening her ally with
a collapse of the artificially sustained Russian bonds if peace were
not speedily approached. In reply to Russia’s declaration that she
would rather spend money on continuing the war than on the pay-
ment of an indemnity, the French informed the Russian authorities
that while they would gladly raise a Russian indemnity loan, they
tt°v j o toucl1 a war loan on any consideration whatever. The
United btates also put considerable pressure on Russia to induce her
to accept a proposal to discuss terms with Japan. America also
suiters from an untrammelled Germany, since the South American
repubhes rmght m the near future well create difficulties similar to
that in Morocco.
Japan offered cordial co-operation when approached on the matter
by Great Britain, recognising as she does to the full the vital im
portance of international equilibrium. She was assured that there
was no question of her giving up her essential demands, including the
indemnity. If it can be done, will you be ready to help us settle
the matter up without prejudice to yourself?” was the way the
proposal was placed before Japan. Waging no war of aggression
the Japanese are quite ready to stop hostilities whenever the neces-
sary guarantees for the preservation of peace and the maintenance of
Japanese prestige can be obtained. Japan has shown her power
and her accession to the paramountcy of the Far East, and fully
recognises that it may be easier to obtain her terms when semi
officially supported by several Great Powers. Not that there will
be any direct support, but the pressure put on to Russia to make
peace on the one hand and the acknowledgment of Japanese rights
on the other, tend to help along the acceptance of the necessary terms
by Russia. Advantage has also been taken of the opportunity to
enter thoroughly into the question of the enlargement and renewal