Page:Michael Farbman - Russia & the Struggle for Peace (1918).djvu/183

 Rh publication of the Secret Treaties, and wanted Russia to declare them null and void. The majority, though of the same opinion that the imperialistic agreements of the old regime could not be binding on democratic Russia, considered that the Russian Government ought not to publish them without the sanction of the Allies. They therefore proposed to convoke an immediate conference of the Allied Governments, at which the Allies should replace the Secret Treaties by an open declaration of Allied war-aims in accordance with the principle of "no annexations and no indemnities."

The Russian democracy again showed wise statesmanship on this occasion. Unfortunately the Allies did not meet them with straightforward statesmanship.

At first they expressed readiness to meet the Russians. For instance, Ribot, in his speech in the French Chamber, and the British Government, in its Note to the Russian Government early in May, announced their willingness to discuss the revision of the treaties in conference. After that Russia asked and implored the Allies to make arrangements for such a conference, but it did not take place. All Russia's hopes were set on the conference. It was many times announced and many times cancelled, postponed, and again announced. But it remained a "phantom conference." No doubt this obstinacy and prevarication was exercised for lofty national interests. But the question remains: would it not have been better honestly to fulfil the promise, to call the conference and revise the treaties, instead of driving Russia to desperation and compelling her to publish the agreements independently and to repudiate them as the ignominious legacy of Tsardom?

The longer the Allies put off the revision of their war-aims, the more the strength and military fitness of Russia became undermined through lack of certainty and confidence in the purposes of the war. And the more Russia's military power decreased, the less interest the Allies had in meeting her requests. Thus the behaviour of the Allies became more and more high-handed. The