The Times of Monday publishes a telegram from their corre-
spondent at St. Petersburg giving extracts from an article which appeared in the Novoe Vremya of December 17th dealing with the French Alliance. The article declares that if the Emperor Alexander M. entered into an alliance with France, it was not because he feared a land war. He knew very well that Russia was strong enough on land. What he looked for in his ally was not a land army, but a naval force ; and at the time in question the French Navy was the only one in the world which, in the event of war with Great Britain, would not have been obliged to take refuge in its ports. The article goes on to point out the immense benefits which France has derived from her alli- ance with Russia owing to the safety which it guarantees her from a German attack. Russia, on the other hand, "continues to be a prey to the greatest uneasiness, as any reduction in the naval forces of France would be a breach in the Franco-Russian Alliance. It has been seen that a reduction is possible, inasmuch as it was actually carried out a short time ago, while the explanations of the person responsible were approved by the Chamber of Deputies. If the opinion that the task of the French fleet should consist in defending the French coasts, and not in active operations, definitely triumphs in France, what assistance could our allies render us in a naval war against Russia ?" Russia would be bound to help France at the cost of much Russian blood in the event of a land war against France.
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