THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1909. ITALY AND RUSSIA.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9639, 3 November 1909, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1909. ITALY AND RUSSIA.

It may be conjectured that international business of no ordinary importance took the Czar to the little town of Racconigi in North Italy, not far from the French frontier, where he met the King of Italy. The expulsion of the entire population, which was escorted outside the town and surrounded by armed troops during the Czar's visit, affords a curious glimpse of the reign of terror that the an • archists have established. The greetings between the Czar and the King of Italy were exchanged in the deathly silence of a deserted town. 1 and the people—whose interests all international arrangements are designed theoretically to serve—were herded, like animals, in a field while the two monarchs discussed their common interests. But it can hardly be supposed that the Czar would have run the serious risks that are indicated by all these unprecedented precautions if bis visit to Italy was a mere formal call ot courtesy undertaken for the purpose of exchanging empty compliments with King Victor Emmanuel. The natural conclusion is that a rapprochement between Russia and Italy is indicated, and the supposition is strengthened when it is borne in mind that the Russian Government sustained a sever humiliation before all Europe last March at the instance of Austria, supported by all the weight of Germany. In being compelled to abandon her opposition to the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina by Austria, under a peremptory mandate from Germany, Russia suffered such a damaging blow that her influence in the Balkan Peninsula virtually vanished. When Prince Bulow recently retired from office as the German Chancellor, the warmest tributes to ) his worth were baaed on the fact that he had won a decisive diplomatic victory over Russia by securing her assent and, as a matter of consequence, the assent of England and France also, to the Austrian annexations. The Russian reply may, perhaps, be seen in this rapprochement with Italy, which, thuugh bound to Germany and Austria until 1012 under the terms of tne Triple Alliance, has, of late years, chafed almost openly at the partnership. The exact terms of the Triple Alliance have been kept a strict secret In 1902 it was renewed by the contracting Powers for a further term of 10 years. What the Italian Government will do when the time comes to consider the question of a further renewal can only be conjectured. But the rapprochement with i

Russia is, at least, significant. In the event of Italy going over to the opposite camp and joining witT France and Ru3sia in a Latin-Slav coalition against the weight of Teutonism, the eve«it wuiilJ have a j powerful interest for Great Britain, j And not the least interesting feature of the redistribution would be its effect upon naval policy. The four Italian Dreadnoughts that are in process of construction woul 1 counterbalance the Austrian Dreadnoughts, and thus leave England free to concentrate her fighting strength in the North Sea instead of r eing compelled to detach a strong force to the Mediterranean.