RUSSIA'S OPPORTUNITY.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3719, 2 September 1886, Page 3

RUSSIA'S OPPORTUNITY.

Times, July 7th. The sudden announcement, which readies ub this morning both from Berlin and Vienna, that the Russian Government intends to declare that Bntoum trill no longer be a free port, naturally associates itself m the relation of cause and effect with the political situation m this country. Those diplomatic coups de theatre aro very characteristic of the foreign policy of Russia. England is pre-occupied with a great domestic controversy ; she is ruled for the moment by a Government already weakened and discredited by the course of the general election but still supposed to be favourably disposed towards Russia j Germany and Austrianerer pretended to be deeply concerned m the military and naval questions involved m the retention of Batoum by Russia, and, to judge by the tone of the Berlin and Vienna Press, they are as indifferent now as they were eight years ago. Consequently, the moment is well-chosen by Russia for declaring her intention of ignoring an engagement contracted by her m the Treaty of Berlin. The step now to be taken is of no great importance m- itself, perhaps. The Russian newspapers may bo right m their contention that the commercial circumstances of the Caucasus have been so far altered by tho completion of the Baku-Poti Railway as to diminish the importance of Batoum as an emporium of goods m transit. But taken m connection with the genoral conduct of Russia m regard to Eastern affairs — with the attitude of the Czar towards Prince Alexander and Bulgarian affairs, and the recent manifesto issued to the officers of tho fleet at Sebastopol — this cynical repudiation of an important article of the Treaty of Berlin is calculated to inspire Euglish statesmen and English public opinion with profound suspioion of the good faith of the Russian Government. It bears an ominous resemblanoa to the repudiation of the Black Sea clauses of the Treaty ol Paris m 1870. The next time we are asked to believe m the guilelessness of Russian diplomacy we shall do well to remember these sinister episodos, and to reflect that tho difficulties of an English Liberal Government are generally taken ndvantage of by Russia to commit a breach of international faith. The Port of B*atoum occupied a conspicuous place m the negotiations which m 1878 ended m the substitution of the Treaty of Berlin for the Treaty of San Stefano. By tho latter instrument Batoum was unconditionally ceded by Turkey to Russia. In his celebrated dlspatoh of April Ist, 1878, sotting forth the objections entertained by England to the Treaty of San Stofano, Lord Salisbury contended thai " the acquisition of tho important harbour of Batoum will make the will of the Russian Government dominant over all the vicinity of the Black Sea." To this Pi'ince Gortchakoff replied th,at Lord Salisbury's contention w,qs. exaggerated, and that Batoum w,a,s the only good port m the district available for the commorce and security of Russia ; and, accordingly, the question was left open for settlement at the Berlin Congress. The discussion to which it was submitted at Berlin is recorded p,t length m the 14th Protocol of tUo Oangros3 ; and tho compromise than arrived at was embodied m the 59th article of the Treaty, which runs as follows ; —"His Mnjesty the Emperor of Russia declares that it is his intention to constitute Batoum a free port, essentially oommereial." This compromise wag reluctantly aooepted by Lord Beaconafiold. He would have preferred he Baid, that this fortress, which had not been captured by Russia, should, while being constituted a free port, be retained m the possession of Turkey; but ho accepted tho Russian proposal because he regarded as a, happy idea the transformation, at the. conclusion of a great war, of a disputed fortress into a free port and into commercial dep6t for all nations. The question of the Straits was also disoussed at the same sitting of the Congress and m this connection it is important to recall Jjord Salisbury's remarks on the relations m.

which tho two qr.o tions etond to each other m the judgment of the British plenipotentiaries. He declared, bo runs the Protocol, ' that if the acquisition of Bntonm had been maintained under conditions which would menace tho liberty of tho Black Sea, England could not have taken the engagement towards tho other European Powers to interlict to herself tha entry of that sea. But, Butoum having been declared a free and commercial port, the English Government will not decline to ronew their engagements under tho modifications imposed by the decisions already taken at tlio Congress." To this Prince Qortchakoff replied "that these dangers could not m any case have arisen, inasmuch as Russia had no vessels m the Black Sea." It thus appears that maintenance of the;status quo us regards the Straits —that is, to quote tho Protocol once more, " The order of things established by the Declaration of 1856 and by Article II of the Treaty of London of March 13th, 1871" —was made by tho British plenipotentiaries directly conditional on Batoum being declared a free port by Russia. It follows that if this declaration is now to be revoked, England will bo ipso facto relieved relieved of the collateral obligation to respect the status quo os regards the Straits, and will recover her entire liberty of action m that respect. This is made perfectly clenr by the remark with which Lord Salisbury closed the discussion, to the effect that he " understood that Batoum was to be only a commercial port, and, therefore, acceptod m principle, the status quo ante for the Straits. It is perfectly clear, therefore, that if England chose to insist upon a literal construction of international obligations, repudiation of tho 59th article of the Treaty of Berlin would involve the consequential abrogation of the Black Sea Trenty which was substituted at Russia's instance m 1871 for the stipulations of the Treaty of Paris.