On January 16, 1892, M. Ribot instructed Paul Cambon, French ambassador at Constantinople, inclosing a copy of the Russian instructions. Of Egypt he wrote: "We will not cease to devote ourselves to the pacific solution of a question which puts in jeopardy the integrity of Turkey, the equilibrium of the Mediterranean and the freedom of the communications of Europe with the Far East." The execution of "certain attempts visibly inspired by the example of what has been done in Egypt" was to be prevented in Tripoli by the concerted action of the French and Russian ambassadors near the Sublime Porte. As to Bulgaria, France desired to prevent "every complication of a nature to endanger the rights of the Sultan or the general interests of peace." In a frank discussion of the religious difficulty, M. Ribot emphasized the conviction that "if, by its very nature, it did not permit a community of action between the representatives of the two powers at Constantinople, it did not exclude on either side concerted efforts with a view to preventing a political divergence between the two countries resulting from it." Referring to the naval situation M. Ribot reiterated M. de Giers' statements and stated that France had just decided to station a squadron permanently in the Levant.

These dispatches were sent by the French courier to Constantinople on January 30, 1892, and their receipt there completed the political phase of the alliance.

2. MILITARY CONVENTION, AUGUST, 1892.

a. GENERAL DE BOISDEFFRE TO THE MINISTER OF WAR AT PARIS.1

ST. PETERSBURG, August 18, 1892.

In continuation of my report No. 4 of August 10, I have the honor to render account of events occurring since my arrival in camp.

PROJECT OF MILITARY CONVENTION.2

France and Russia being animated by an equal desire to preserve peace, and having no other object than to provide against the necessities of a defensive war provoked by an attack of the forces of the Triple Alliance on one or other of the two, have agreed upon the following provisions:

1 Ministère des affaires étrangères. Documents diplomatiques. Alliance Franco-Russe, 18901893, No. 71; Pages d'histoire, No. 159, pages 140, 144-145, 147, 152.

This document is preserved in an envelope bearing this autographic notation: "The military convention is accepted by the letter of M. de Giers to M. de Montebello giving the force of treaty to this convention. (Signed) Félix Faure. October 15." See Document No. 91. [Official note.]

MUTUAL SUPPORT PROMISED

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I. If France is attacked by Germany, or by Italy supported by Germany, Russia will employ all her available forces to fight Germany.

If Russia is attacked by Germany, or by Austria supported by Germany, France will employ all her available forces to fight Germany.

II.1 In the event of the forces of the Triple Alliance, or of one of the powers composing it, being mobilized, France and Russia at the first news of the event and without any preliminary arrangement being necessary, shall mobilize immediately and simultaneously the whole of their forces and move them as near as possible to their frontiers.

III. The available forces to be employed against Germany shall be, on the side of France 1,300,000 men, on the side of Russia, 700,000 or 800,000 men.

These forces shall engage to the full, with all speed, in order that Germany may have to fight on the east and west at once.

IV. The general staffs of the armies of the two countries will confer at all times to prepare and facilitate the execution of the measures contemplated.

They will communicate to each other during the time of peace all information relative to the armies of the Triple Alliance which is or will be known to them. Ways and means of corresponding in times of war will be studied and arranged in advance.

V. France and Russia will not conclude peace separately.

VI. The present convention shall have the same duration as the Triple Alliance.

VII. All the clauses enumerated above shall be kept rigorously secret. Signature of the minister:

Signature of the minister:

General aide-de-camp,

chief of the General Staff,

Signed: OBRUCHEV.

General of division, Councillor of state sub-chief of the General Staff of the Army. Signed: BOISDEFFRE.

August 18. This morning, Tuesday, I have received from the minister of war a letter dated August 5/17, by which in transmitting to me officially

1 On the final form of these articles see documents b and c following.

one of the two copies of the project of a convention which I have signed with General Obruchev he informs me that the Emperor had approved in principle the whole of the project.

I inclose in this report the said letter and signed project.

Annex to the Report of General Boisdeffre under date of August 18, 1892. AUGUST 5/17, 1892.

Dear General:

I have had the honor to submit to his Imperial Majesty the project of the military convention worked out by the two general staffs. His Majesty, having approved in principle the whole of the project, has ordered me, in view of the character of several of its provisions, to have it submitted for the examination of the ministry of foreign affairs.

Accept, Excellency, the assurance of my high consideration.

Signed: PETR VANNOVSKIŤ.

b. M. RIBOT, MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS, TO M. DE MONTEBELLO, FRENCH AMBASSADOR AT ST. PETERSBURG.1

PARIS, August 27, 1892.

(Private.)

I have telegraphed you this morning that the President of the Republic had approved the whole of the project of convention, under reserve of some changes in editing. . . .

(a) Art. II:

"In event of the Triple Alliance or one of the powers composing it setting the general mobilization of its forces into operation, France and Russia," (b) Art. III:

"The available forces to be employed against Germany shall be, on the side of France 1,200,000 to 1,300,000 men. . . ."

(c) Art. VII reads thus:

"All the clauses enumerated above shall be kept rigorously secret." It has seemed to the President of the Republic that this wording is of a nature to raise some objections, from the constitutional point of view.

In principle, the President of the Republic cannot conclude secret treaties, that is to say, having to be submitted to the control of Parliament, after

1 Ibid., No. 75.

SECRECY DISCUSSED

225f

the security or interest of the state shall have ceased to justify the refusal to communicate them.

What the Emperor desires is that the treaty should not be published or divulged without his consent. It seems to us that satisfaction could be given to the desire of the Emperor and to the legitimate scruples of the President of the Republic by making Art. VII read:

"The clauses given above shall be divulged only with the consent of the two parties."

C. REPORT OF CAPTAIN PAUFFIN DE SAINT-MOREL TO GENERAL DE BOISDEFFRE RESPECTING INTERVIEWS WITH GENERAL OBRUCHEV.1

The general dictated to me the following: . . .

"Arts. II and III,—I have no adverse remarks, and I write in this sense to the minister of war.

"As to Art. VII, it is necessary to understand that the Emperor sets much store upon it; it determined his approval.”

...

The general thought to attempt a wording, in the following sense, which perhaps would smooth over everything:

"The above clauses shall not be divulged without the consent of the two parties.

"Secrecy shall be rigorously maintained on all the military provisions resulting from the present convention."

d. M. DE GIERS, RUSSIAN MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS, TO M. DE MONTEBELLO, FRENCH AMBASSADOR AT ST. PETERSBURG.2

(Very secret.)

ST. PETERSBURG, December 15/27, 1893.

After having examined, by supreme order, the project of military convention drawn up by the Russian and French general staffs in August, 1892, and after having submitted my appreciation thereof to the Emperor, I now have the duty of informing your Excellency that the text of that arrangement, as approved in principle by his Majesty and signed by Aidede-Camp General Obruchev and General of Division de Boisdeffre, may henceforth be considered as having been definitively adopted in its present

1 Annex to the dispatch of September 1, 1892, of General de Boisdeffre to M. Ribot, Ibid., No. 76. 2 Annex to the dispatch of M. Casimir Périer, president of the council, minister of foreign affairs, dated St. Petersburg, December 30, 1893, Ibid., No. 91.

form. The two general staffs will also have the faculty of consulting each other at any time and of reciprocally communicating to each other all information which they may deem useful.

GIERS.

e. M. MONTEBELLO, FRENCH Ambassador at ST. PETERSBURG, TO M. DE GIERS, RUSSIAN MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS.1

ST. PETERSBURG, December 23, 1893/January 4, 1894.

I have received the letter which your Excellency did me the honor to address to me on December 15/27, 1893, by which you announced to me that after having, by supreme command, examined the project of military convention drawn up by the French and Russian general staffs and submitted your opinion to the Emperor, you had the duty of advising me that this arrangement, as approved in principle by his Majesty and signed in August, 1892, by Aide-de-Camp General Obruchev and General of Division de Boisdeffre, both delegated for this purpose by their respective Governments, may be considered henceforth as definitively adopted.

I have hastened to communicate this decision to my Government, and I am authorized to declare to your Excellency, with the request that you bring this resolution to the knowledge of his Majesty the Emperor, that the President of the Republic and the French Government likewise consider the said military convention, whose text is approved in every part on either side, as henceforth executory.

In consequence of this agreement, the two general staffs will from now on have the faculty of consulting together at any time and of reciprocally communicating to each other all information which may be useful to them. MONTEBELLO.

3. EXCHANGE OF NOTES CONFIRMING ARRANGEMENTS OF 1891-1894. a. COUNT MURAVIEV, RUSSIAN MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS, to M. DELCASSÉ, MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS.2

ST. PETERSBURG, July 28/August 9, 1899.

The few days that your Excellency has just spent among us will, I hope, permit the determination again of the solidity of the bonds of lively and unchanging friendship which unite Russia to France.