On Wednesday M. Kokovtsoff, the Russian Premier, made a declaration
on foreign affairs in the Duma. The chief interest of the speech lay in its references to the Balkan war. The Premier said that Russia, in her capacity of a great Slavonic Orthodox Power which had made innumerable sacrifices to protect its racial brothers and co-religionists, could not remain indifferent to the question whether the Balkan Allies could obtain the conditions of existence which they had earned by torrents of blood. " Faithf al to our alliance and understandings with the other Great Powers," M. Kokovtsoff continued, "and sure of the support of our friends and allies, we for our part can see no use in setting up groups of Powers one against the other. Any Government which would abandon the ground of common discussion of the funda- mental questions of the present political situation by putting forward its immediate and, still more, its secondary interests would be assuming a grave moral responsibility." These words naturally led on to a tribute to Sir Edward Grey's action in bringing the Powers together. The whole speech was as temperate and wise as could be wished.
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