M. Poincare, the French Prime Minister, arrived at Kronstadt on
Friday week in the cruiser Conde' for a week's visit to Russia. M. Poincare is not only Prime Minister but Minister for Foreign Affairs. He is clear- headed, well versed in public affairs, and widely informed, and France is fortunate in her representative. On Sunday he was received by the Emperor, and political conversations took place between him and M. Kokovtsoff, the Russian Prime Minister, and M. Sazonoff, the Russian Minister for Foreign Affairs. In a statement to the Malin M. Sazonoff said that the visit was a " normal" event, as it was " logical " for the statesmen of the allied nations to have periodically the oppor- tunity of exchanging opinions. He denied that the new Naval Convention between France and Russia had anything to do with a scheme for getting the Dardanelles opened to Russian ships.
