English Translation

41 - 38 - do not tolerate from another state in the proportions existing so far in relation to England. When the English-Russian trade agreement expires, it is not renewed for five years. Only l793 are the meetings resumed, but lead to no conclusion until Katharina's death. "The special advantages for the promotion of the trade of their own subjects and the freedom of neutral trade in times of war - these were the points on which an agreement could not be reached.l) But even after the expiry of the commercial agreement English soot trade continues without significant damage; the position of the English commercial capital in Russia was solid enough to survive this test. In its isolation, England constantly strives for Russian friendship, in 1783, supporting the acquisition of Crimea by Russia, by offering Russians assistance similar to that of the First World War, by providing English seamen to the Russian fleet and by exerting appropriate pressure on Turkey, and by encouraging the conclusion of a Russian-Turkish trade agreement which is very important to Russia. 2) Russia, however, adheres to its policy towards England so far: it takes advantage of the English assistance as far as possible, but is not ready for any ties with England. Characteristic of the self-righteous thinking, which does not look beyond the English face circle, is not only the dama- lian English diplomacy the statement of the English Ge- sent Fitzherbert of 28 November 1783 after the failure of the alliance negotiations: "I am convinced that the Russians can not get rid of any narrow and purely egoistic system that this court has for so long in its handlu. : it towards other nations, and especially towards ours, has followed, and that they cannot be easily made to liberal and far-sighted views with reference to the allge- 1) Gerhard, p.144. 2) Stahllin 2, p.622; Gerhard S.173.174; Aleksandrenko 1, p.59.