The Russian Exhibition in London is a great event, and Lady Muriel Paget, who is the very soul of that great enterprise, deserves the warmest gratitude of any Russian whose heart throbs with deep love for his country. After the Те Deum, sung by the Chaplain of the Russian Embassy and his choir, we all heard with great emotion the heroic Lord French’s words, which we are trying to reproduce with the aid of the English Press almost verbatim. The only fault you can find with him was that he spoke of his drawbacks and his inability to do justice to the cause he represented. I hope people will not blame me for reproducing his very words.

“Viscount French said he was very glad indeed to have the opportunity of expressing the warmest thanks of the Army generally to Lady Muriel Paget and to those who have helped her in this great work in Russia; and to tell her, and those who have worked with her, how they appreciated the splendid work which they had done. They had done a very great deal to help the suffering soldiers and the Russian wounded, and in so doing they had shown in the most practical form the sympathy which all felt with our great Russian Ally. He thought that Lady Muriel Paget not only deserved the thanks of the Army, but the thanks of the nation.

“In speaking of Russia, his mind inevitably went back to those anxious months between August and December, 1914. They all knew how hard we were pressed, and what terrible sacrifices and what terrible risks we had to run in order to maintain ourselves; but when they were in deepest anxiety their thoughts turned with the utmost gratitude to those who gave them real and splendid assistance, and helped them out of their anxiety. Thus the hearts of all those who were engaged in the army go back to Russia and to the Russian army.

“Speaking of the Grand Duke Nicholas, Viscount French said: ‘I am sure no soldier in the British Army will ever cease to regard him as one of the greatest of commanders. His courage and intrepidity, above all, his unvarying loyalty to his country in all circumstances, has earned the admiration of everyone. It was this same great general who, though he commanded an army almost as unprepared as our own, without hesitation threw them into East Prussia, overran nearly one-half of that province, held his ground, and in consequence rendered the most invaluable help to those who were on the Western front. Then I come again to that magnificent advance a little later into Poland and Galicia, and the equally magnificent retreat, conducted with skill and determination on the part of the leaders, and a sturdy courage on the part of the men which, I think, will for ever take a place in the military history of the world. Afterwards things did not go so well, but I am quite sure that had the interior of Russia—I think I may say this—been quite on a par and up to the condition of the Russian leaders and the Russian army, we should have seen a different state of things in Eastern Europe at the present time. Russia has since had her trouble—her terrible trouble. A great revolution in the midst of a great war cannot do otherwise than create enormous difficulties in the prosecution of such a war, but I feel quite certain that these difficulties will be overcome, and quickly overcome, and that a nation which has the battle-cry of freedom in its heart will go forward stronger, better, and more able, and will finally carry out that great task it has set itself to realize. I am quite certain that we shall realize the enormous power and possibilities of that wonderful people, of whom I am afraid we know very little. Russia never went to war for the purpose of aggrandizement. She went to war to succour and help a weak nation of her own race, whose religion was her religion, and I am quite certain she will never flinch until she brings that task to a successful conclusion.’ Their thoughts and their sympathies went out to their Allies, and they earnestly prayed that their efforts might be crowned with the most complete success.”

The beauty of Lord French’s speech was that he understood Russia and her aims better than some of the extremist politicians, who seem to forget now the aims of our country which have manifested themselves ever since the great Sviatoslav I., and who fail to understand that the consequence of their ideas would be a criminal peace with Germany and the sacrifice of all the duties of Russia.