By "Soy Today, when the USSR. is excluded from the League of Nations ud the Soviet press is indulging in Ditter attacks against the Geneva body, it would be interesting _to recall how 190 years ago Russia made {he first attempt to found a League of Nations. 'This fact is unknown not only to the majority of foreigners but' also to. many Russians. In~ cidentally, the story of the effort of Emperor Alexander I to found 0 League of Nations in the beginning of the ith century. refutes once again accusations, cited in these columns ost week, that Russia has always been allied with Germany against England and France.
On March 11, 1801 Emperor Paul 1 was assassinated, and plans for a Russian march on 'India were immediately stopped. In Europe the poet of Amiens was disearded—by England, as it was thought in France, or by France, as it was thought in England.' In Boulogne Napoleon massed his forces to cross the Channel. Emperor Alexander T made an observation which present-day Russian diplomats might well keep in mind: that "Russia and England "are the only Europea! powers with no common interests." True, subsequent historians said that Emperor Paul's plan for a march on India were shelved because, Russian landowners, to whom the late peror turned a deaf ear, managed to Convince his son that 'Russia needs to develop the export of raw materials, especially wheat, which were eagerly bought by 'England. At any rate, England at that time: was already' in a state of war with, France, And so. an audacious. thought was born in St. Petersburg: would it be possible, in spite of al Aimmculties, to bring' England—and France together and form a League of Nations A Young Diplomat 'The Emperor's Privy Council decided to send a young diplomat, Novosilsem, to broach the question with London, and on September 23, 1004, he left' the country. Emperor Alexander's private letter read: "Why {is it not possible to #0 arrange inter~ national Taw that wars would be impossible until every means of settling {quarrels by negotiation are exhausted? On such a basis we should be able to" reach general appeasement Europe and form a League on a new code. of international law, which would have the support "of the, majority of governments in Europe ud which—would automatically Become law for every government, og any wishing to break it, would have to Focken with the strength of the new League."
In this and in other extracts, this letter reads very much like one of the latest speeches by Lord Halifax. Count S, R. Voronsteft, the Russian ambassador in London," was shocked. when Novosiltseff told him the purpose of his journey. "League of Nations? What League of Nations? 'The Hea would only enrage the English!" As regards Mr. Pitt, the English Prime. Minister, he " had firmly resolved to bring' the war with France to a victorious conclusion, Any other resolve at that time war impossible, since Napoleon had already mossed'an army' that was huge, according to standards of those times, and London believed that to cross the Channel would be, while very. dimeult, not at all impossible." The business of the day, then, was to quickly form a Euro: pean coalition in order to draw away Napoleon's forces, In this matter Pitt pinned his highest hopes on Russia, He even prepared to divide with "her predominating world influence. There was even talk of the division of Turkey and the Proclamation of Alexander as the "Emperor of all the Slavs." Conversations on the spreading of Russian influence into the Balkans were carried out in the Privy Coun. cil, but the Russian Emperor's advisers opined that the idea of a League of Nations did not necessarily, exclude a Pan-Slavonic Kingdom.
A Patient Ear itt gave patient ear to Novosiltseft. but at once got down to practical realities: (0 fight Napoleon Russian help alone would be insuMeient; it would thus be necessary to effect an alliance with Austria and Prussia. Consequently, it would have to be decided what bait could be dropped their way, or, as Novosiltselt wrote to the Emperor in French, "les appets qui pourraient tes tenter."
The idea of a League of Nations seemed to Pitt "the music of the future." "He must have listened to Novosiltsett very much like Clemenceau listened to Woodrow Wilson in Versailles. Pitt, however, spoke to every man ina manner most opportune under the circum stances, and thus declared himself to be "in'favour of this excellent idea with his whole soul." True, voiced his doubt whether any great power would agree to adopt the compulsory role of negotiator in major international quarrels. At any rate, he said, all this was a question of the future; the question of Turing Austria and Prussia on to. England's side would have to be! solved right away.
It proved to be very dificult to pin down the two enigmas: does! Russia, after all, want to claim stantinople, and if the powers should go ahead and realize the idea of 2 League of Nations, whose patrons, in principle, the Russian Emperor and the English Prime Minister, declared themselves to. be, how could Napoleon be included in such a Leagus? Space would not allow us to give a detailed description of Novosiltseff's journey, but in Russia twas deemed a. failure, and. by 1605 everyone seemed to have forgotten this brief attempt to found an international body of a sort that Woodrow Wilson succeeded in creating 114 years later.
Lawyer's Registration In connection with the registration of practising lawyers undertaken by French Concession authori-les, the question has arisen whether Russian and Chinese barristers-at-law who graduated from the Law Faculty in Harbin have the privitere to call themselves. barristers-at-law. 'The Law Faculty in question was founded in 1920 by Russian professors who were driven out of Russia by' the Revolution and the Civil War. A former Honorary Secretary and Lector at the Faculty, Mr.
Kichin, who was once' President of the High Court of Vladivostok, and who Is at present in Shanghai, point-out that the institution in ques tion was a branch of the Govern mental Far Eastern University, and that when this connection" was disfupled by the Revolution, it was placed under the Academic Centre in Prague. The latter Centre cluded the best Russian scholars and scientists in emigration and strictly followed the programme of education in Russian Imperial universities. Later the Chinese authorities made the Harbin Faculty a Government College. These explanations proved satisfactory to local French authori ties.
'A few days ago Mr. V. D. Jiganoft offered the French Consu-General a petition carrying the signatures of more than two hundred local tenants, as landlords Jetting out rooms inby 200 oF even 500 per cent, A room which, prior to the local hostilities, was let out for $7 or $10 ow costs from $20 to $50; in addition to this the tenant is often refused hot water or the right of making use of the bath. The petitioners ask the Concession authorities to issue regulations, however temporary, control rent on rooms. Information carried "by Harbin papers that authorities in that city have ruled that goods sold in all shops should have stable and similar prices, makes Russian Shanghailanders wish that a step in the same direction be taken by local municipal authorities.
Society's Good Work The directors of the Orthodox: Confratermty have decided to found branch-home for aged women in ide. Premises rear the home for indigent Russians on Tongshan Road will be rented and equipped for that purpose. The Home. for Aged Women will start to function fon January 1. A hi-annual meeting.
the Society of Accountants ai Book-keepers" was held recently. During the last half-year period the! Society has found jobs for twenty unemployed members, and has given. many others temporary work in their professions, In April a credit department was formed, making Toans, accepting accounts and buying and selling foreign currency. Founded with no capital of their own, the: Society now has considerable capital. In view of the present high cast of products, the Society plans to form A department where necessities of fife will be sold to members at minimum prices. In the near future the Society will open an insurance department.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.