Page:Great Speeches of the War.djvu/300

264 Russia was bound by important interests, such as the Scandinavian countries, where Germany sowed distrust of Russia; such as Galicia, where German gold created a Ukraine movement; such as Roumania, where the Germans tried to blunt the consciousness of the community of interests between Roumanians and Russians; and such as Turkey, where German intrigues flourished, in Europe and Asia. In Persia German agents, violating the Potsdam agreement and the promises given to Russia, had sought to compromise Anglo-Russian interests. The same intrigues had been carried on in China and Japan, but they have luckily been sterile.

So too have the German attempts to sow discord among the Allies by spreading reports that one or other of them was inclined to conclude a separate peace proved futile. Fortunately all these efforts have ended in pitiful failure. The world knows that the union of the Allies is immutable, that it is becoming daily closer and stronger, and that its sole purpose is to destroy the military power of the enemy in order to create a state of things which will permit Europe to live and enjoy an enduring peace. In this common task each Ally is doing its share and they are vigorously helping each other. Our Allies have expressed their admiration of the efforts of Russia, who has sent her battalions to innumerable battle-fields and who is successfully fighting three Empires on an enormous front. For our part, we value most highly the unexampled valour of our Allies. We have a perfect appreciation of their co-operation on land and sea.

I shall mention once more heroic Belgium, whose deeds and sufferings have won for her imperishable glory. I also take this opportunity in the midst of our national representatives to express to our Allies our cordial gratitude for their active assistance.

Our close union is valuable in another and equally important direction, and its scope was enlarged the other day by the new financial and economic entente, the part to be played by which in the solution of our future complicated problems will not escape you. It arises from this entente that Russia and her Allies have organized their struggle against Germany in conformity with their definite decision to conduct it to a successful end.

The Orange Book recently published proved that the events on the Bosphorus which preceded the war with Turkey were the result of German treachery towards the Ottoman