32 IN THE DIPLOMATIC SERVICE- IX 



As I revise these lines, we see another exhibition of the 

 same weakness and folly. The question between Russia 

 and Japan could have been easily and satisfactorily set 

 tled in a morning talk by any two business men of average 

 ability ; but the dominant clique has forced on one of the 

 most terrible wars in history, which bids fair to result in 

 the greatest humiliation Russia has ever known. 



The same thing may be said regarding Russia s dealings 

 with the Baltic provinces. The &quot; Russification &quot; which 

 has been going on there for some years is equally absurd, 

 equally wicked, and sure to be equally disastrous. 



The first Russian statesman with whom I had to do was 

 the minister of foreign affairs, M. de Giers; but he was 

 dying. I saw him twice in retirement at Tzarskoye Selo, 

 and came to respect him much. He spoke at length re 

 garding the entente between Russia and France, and in 

 sisted that it was not in the interest of war but of peace. 

 &quot;Tell your government, 7 he said, &quot;that the closer the 

 lines are drawn which bind Russia and France, the more 

 strongly will Russian influence be used to hold back the 

 French from war. 



At another time he discoursed on the folly of war, and 

 especially regarding the recent conflict between Russia 

 and Turkey. He spoke of its wretched results, of the in 

 gratitude which Russia had experienced from the peoples 

 she had saved from the Turks, and finally, with extreme 

 bitterness, of the vast sums of money wasted in it which 

 could have been used in raising the condition of the Rus 

 sian peasantry. He spoke with the conviction of a dying 

 man, and I felt that he was sincere. At the same time I 

 felt it a pity that under the Russian system there is no 

 chance for such a man really to enforce his ideas. For one 

 day he may be in the ascendancy with the autocrat; and 

 the next, through the influence of grand dukes, women, 

 priests, or courtiers, the very opposite ideas may become 

 dominant. 



The men with whom I had more directly to do at the 

 Foreign Office were the acting minister, Shishkin, who had 



