Considerable interest has been taken this week by Parisians in
a sort of formal reconciliation between the Russian Govern- ment and M. Floquet, now President of the Chamber. M. Floquet, who is a Radical of the Clemenceau stripe, has repeatedly been named for the Premiership, but has always been withdrawn, under a fear that, if he were appointed, any idea of alliance with Russia must be given up, the Romanoffs hating him because he cried, "Viva la Pologne ! Monsieur," in the face of Alexander II. The Russian Government probably did not care all that about M. Floquet ; but it has now been considered wise formally to disavow any feeling of hostility. M. Floquet and the Russian Ambassador have met, and are to call on one another. The incident has strengthened the report that M. Floquet is to be the next Premier, and the correspondent of the Times even names his reported Cabinet, with M. de Freycinet as Minister of War, and General Boulanger as Chief of the Staff. Clearly there are great persons in Paris and St. Petersburg who think the great European war is not far off.
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