Speaking of the Much-Talked-of Franco-Russian Alliance
Speaking of the much-talked-of Franco-Russian alliance, an exchange well says: “France has been very useful to Russia, always ready to back her up, always ready to lend her money, and apparently ready to fight for her in any quarrel, good or bad. What advantage has France had from the much-boasted Russian alliance?—Absolutely none, and now she is getting so sick of her humiliating position that even in the interchange of international compliments, the treasured word ‘alliance’ is dropped on both sides, and the neutral word ‘friendship,’ which means nothing, is substituted. The truth is that, for Russia, France is a squeezed orange. She can do no more for Russia; there is now no conceivable occasion on which the alliance of France would be of indispensable use to Russia; and there is absolutely none in which Russia would not laugh at the idea of fighting for France. So another curious comedy of international delusion is fast passing to an end.”