192 Russian Policy [ I ^95 



I found out afterwards that on Giers' death the Russian policy to- 

 wards Armenia underwent an entire change, though Philip Currie was 

 not aware of it at the time. Instead of the old policy of protecting the 

 Christian subjects of the Porte, Labanov's policy was to encourage the 

 Sultan to exterminate the Armenians as allies of Russia's own Nihilists. 

 It is doubtful whether the change was communicated to Nelidoff, a 

 diplomatist of the old school of Christian protection ; and I am inclined 

 to think that he was in good faith in continuing his own sympathy with 

 the Armenians, and expressing it to Currie. But of this later. 



