. All the Russias: travels and studies in contemporary European Russia, Finland, Siberia, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. ry Service Law for theGrand Duchy, sagaciously points out that as the existing period of service with thecolours for Russian conscripts is five years, and as the object of the new law is to se-cure unity of service in the Russian army, this particular enactment probably points toa reduction from five to three years in the period of active service throughout the wholeRussian army.—Morning Post, August 2, 1901. 90 ALL THE RUSSIAS stitution is met by one simple consideration.
. All the Russias: travels and studies in contemporary European Russia, Finland, Siberia, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. ry Service Law for theGrand Duchy, sagaciously points out that as the existing period of service with thecolours for Russian conscripts is five years, and as the object of the new law is to se-cure unity of service in the Russian army, this particular enactment probably points toa reduction from five to three years in the period of active service throughout the wholeRussian army.—Morning Post, August 2, 1901. 90 ALL THE RUSSIAS stitution is met by one simple consideration. As a matter ofplain fact, there is in human affairs of this kind no such thingas finality. Or rather, the only final thing is force majeure—imperative national self-interest. Before that all promises areair, and all treaties are black marks on white paper. I put thisbrutally (foreseeing the consequences), but there is no use inmincing words. Every student of history, politics, or diplomacyknows it to be the simple truth, and every country, not Russiaalone, affords examples in proof. Germany broke her promises to. Salmon Traps in Finland. Denmark. France broke her promises about Madagascar. Tocome nearer home, England has repeatedly pledged herself toevacuate Egypt, and the United States was solemnly pledged togrant complete independence to Cuba. None of these pledgesseems likely to be kept. Therefore, if it is, in the judgment ofRussia, an imperative condition of her national prosperity orsecurity that her relations with Finland should be fundamentallyaltered, she will only be following the ordinary line of historicaland modern precedents by breaking her promises and tearing THE FINNS AND THEIR NEIGHBOURS 91 up her pledges. I do not defend the principle—I state the fact. Pity tis, tis true. And who is to be the judge of Russian national prosperityand security? Obviously, Russia herself—not the well-meaningforeigners who from the safe comfort of their libraries hurl thei
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjecttolstoy, bookyear1902
