B. ALLIANCES OPPOSED TO THE CENTRAL POWERS.

I. FRANCO-RUSSIAN ALLIANCE.

1. EXCHANGE OF LETTERS, AUGUST 27, 1891.

a. M. MOHRENHEIM, AMBASSADOR of Russia at PARIS, TO M. RIBOT, MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS.'

PARIS, August 15/27, 1891.

During my recent stay at St. Petersburg, where I was ordered by my august sovereign, it pleased the Emperor to provide me with special instructions contained in the letter subjoined in copy addressed to me by his Excellency, M. de Giers, minister for foreign affairs, and which his Majesty has deigned to order communicated to the Government of the Republic.

In execution of this supreme order, I have made it my express duty to bring this document to the knowledge of your Excellency in the firm hope that its contents, previously concerted and formulated in common agreement between our two cabinets, will meet the full approbation of the French Government, and that you may be good enough, Mr. Minister, conforming with the wish expressed by M. de Giers, to honor me with a response indicating the perfect agreement fortunately established henceforth between our two Governments.

Later developments, of which the two points thus agreed upon are not only susceptible, but which will complement them, may be made the subject of confidential and intimate pour parlers, which either cabinet will consider it possible to take up at the proper time.

Holding myself for this purpose at the entire disposition of your Excellency, I am happy to be able to take advantage of such an occasion to ask you to be good enough to accept the renewed homage of my highest consideration and of my most unalterable devotion.

MOHRENHEIM.

1 Ministère des affaires étrangères. Documents diplomatiques. Alliance Franco-Russe, 18901893, No. 17; Pages d'histoire, No. 159, 26-28. The translation is very literal.

CONCERT ON EVERY QUESTION

225

Annex.

LETTER OF M. DE GIERS, MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF RUSSIA, TO M. MOHRENHEIM, AMBASSADOR FOR RUSSIA AT PARIS.

ST. PETERSBURG, August 9/21, 1891.

The situation created in Europe by the open renewal of the Triple Alliance and the more or less probable adhesion by Great Britain to the political objects which that alliance pursues, caused during the recent stay here of M. Laboulaye, between the former Ambassador of France and myself, an exchange of ideas tending to define the attitude which in present junctures and in the presence of certain eventualities, might seem best to our respective Governments, which, henceforth in complete league, are none the less sincerely desirous of surrounding the maintenance of peace with the most efficacious guaranties.

Therefore we have been led to formulate the following two points:

I. In order to define and consecrate the entente cordiale which unites them, and desirous of contributing by a common agreement to the maintenance of the peace which forms the object of their sincerest wishes, the two Governments declare that they will concert upon every question of a nature to bring the general peace into question;

II. For the case where this peace should be in fact endangered, and especially if one of the two parties should be menaced by an aggression, the two parties agree to reach an understanding on the measures which the two Governments would have immediately and simultaneously to adopt upon the occurrence of this eventuality.

Having submitted to the Emperor both the fact of this exchange of ideas and the text of the conclusions resulting therefrom, I have the honor to inform you to-day that his Majesty has deigned to approve completely these principles of agreement and would view with favor their adoption by the two Governments. In informing you of these sovereign decisions, I request that you be good enough to bring them to the knowledge of the French Government and to communicate to me the decisions which it may take on its side.

GIERS.

b. M. RIBOT, FRENCH MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS, TO M. MOHRENHEIM, RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR AT PARIS.1

PARIS, August 27, 1891.

You have been good enough, by order of your Government, to communicate to me the text of the letter of the minister of foreign affairs of the Empire, wherein are contained the special instructions with which the Emperor Alexander had determined to provide you, after the last exchange of ideas with regard to the general situation in Europe had taken place between M. de Giers and the ambassador of the French Republic at St. Petersburg.

Your Excellency was charged to express at the same time the hope that the contents of that document, previously concerted and formulated by a common agreement between the two cabinets, should meet the full approbation of the French Government.

I hasten to thank your Excellency for this communication.

The Government of the Republic can only view as does the imperial Government the situation created in Europe by the conditions in which the renewal of the Triple Alliance occurs, and believes with it that the moment is come to define the attitude which in the present junctures and in the presence of certain eventualities the two Governments should agree upon, both being equally desirous to assure the guaranties which result from equilibrium between the European forces for the maintenance of peace.

I am, therefore, glad to inform your Excellency that the Government of the Republic gives its entire adhesion to the two points which form the subject matter of the communication of M. de Giers and which are formulated as follows:

I. In order to define and consecrate the entente cordiale which unites them, and desirous of contributing by a common agreement to the maintenance of the peace which forms the object of their sincerest wishes, the two Governments declare that they will concert upon every question of a nature to bring the general peace into question.

II. For the case where this peace should be in fact endangered, especially if one of the two parties should be menaced by an aggression, the two parties agree to reach an understanding on the measures which the two Governments would have immediately and simultaneously to adopt upon the occurrence of this eventuality.

1 Ibid., No. 18.

AGREEMENT ON PROBLEMS

225b

I furthermore hold myself at your disposal for the examination of all questions which in the actual state of general politics impose themselves more particularly upon the attention of the two Governments.

Moreover, the imperial Government will without doubt take account, as do we, of the importance of confiding to special delegates, who should be designated as soon as possible, the practical study of the measures destined to prevent the eventualities contemplated by the second point of the agreement.

In requesting you to bring the response of the French Government to the knowledge of the Government of his Majesty, I cannot help saying how much I cherish the opportunity to participate in the consecration of an agreement which has been the constant object of our common efforts.

RIBOT.

c. FURTHER UNDERSTANDINGS.

M. de Giers had two interviews with M. Ribot at Paris on November 20-21, 1891. In the second interview the Russian suggested that the arrangement of August 27 be made more precise. M. de Giers on December 14, 1891, sent a long dispatch to M. de Nelidov, Russian ambassador at Constantinople, in which the lines of Russian policy in the Near East were laid down. Its salient points were: "We must reunite our efforts to maintain the present status quo" in the Ottoman Empire; M. de Nelidov is instructed that France has no designs on Tripoli and that he is to quiet the apprehensions of the Porte on that subject; he is to concert with the French ambassador advice to the Sultan respecting the withdrawal of British troops from Egypt. The illegal status of Bulgaria constituted "the delicate point of the eastern situation." The Sultan's primary interest should be the re-establishment of a legal régime. Although the Sultan had made concessions "under pressure of the cabinet which protects Prince Ferdinand," he himself had a fundamental interest in respecting the provisions of the treaty of Berlin. "A correct and reserved attitude regarding Bulgaria" was enjoined, in concert with France. The French claim to protect Catholics in the Near East and the Russian tradition of protection of the Orthodox Church created difficulties to be avoided by "sedulously refraining from giving the violent character of political quarrels" to the defense of the respective coreligionists. "The almost permanent" pressure of British naval forces in the Levant had disquieted Turkey. "A counterweight to this intimidation" and an equilibrium might be established if French and Russian vessels likewise sailed along the Turkish coasts.