This afternoon at 4.30 o'clock in Sandens Theatre M. Andre Tardieu, editor of the political department of the Paris "Temps," will deliver the first of a series of eight lectures on "La France et les Alliances." The subject considered today will be "La France et I'Alliance Russe, (naissance, portce, evolution de I'alliance franco-russe. Les idees et les hommes. Valour actuelle de I'alliance.)"

These lectures are under the auspices of the Cercle Francais, and have been made possible by a fund of $30,000 given in 1898 by James Hazen Hyde '98. A series has been given each year since then on subjects varying from the history of French romanticism to a study of finance in France.

M. Andre Tardieu, who will deliver the lectures this year, is honorary first secretary of embassy as well as chief of the foreign political bureau of the "Temps." In 1895 he was the first to be taken into the upper normal department of the Ecole at Paris. However, being attracted by the problems of diplomacy, M. Tardien gave up this appointment, and a year and a half later received the position of attache to the French embassy at Berlin, where he became acquainted with a number of leading German diplomats.

On his return to Paris, M. Tardieu was made secretary to M. Hanotaux, and attache to the cabinet of M. Delease. In this double capacity, he had the opportunity of following closely the Fashoda affair. He was then given the rank of secretary of embassy, and left the department of foreign affairs for three years to take up the position of secretary to the president of the Council of Ministers. This was a valuable chance to become acquainted with French political circles during a difficult and crucial period. In 1902 he accompanied M. Lonbet, President of the Republic to St. Petersburg.

Since that time, M. Tardieu, who left the active diplomatic service with the rank of first secretary of embassy, has devoted himself to the study of contemporary history and politics. In 1904 he succeeded to the position of writer on foreign affairs for the "Temps." He likewise published in that paper a number of instructive articles on politics, under the assumed name of George Villiers, and also assisted in editing the Revue des Deux Mondes.

By his positions, past and present, M. Tardieu has been brought into relation with most of the diplomatic leaders in Europe. He owes to these relations his extensive knowledge of the questions of the day. During the Moroccan crisis in 1905-1906, he played an important part, and exerted an undeniable influence upon the course of events. He published a book entitled "The Conference of Algeciras," containing revelations as accurate as they were unexpected. M. Tardieu is also the author of another work, "Diplomatic Questions," which was "crowned" by the French Academy, and in which is found the same quality of intimate and precise knowledge of the inside of diplomacy which alone makes intelligible political events, of which the public sees but the outside.

The lectures are open to the public, but seats will be reserved to ticket-holders until five minutes before the beginning of the lecture. All those who wish to obtain tickets, for which no charge is made, should apply to W. G. Wendell, Claverly 2.

Following are the dates of the rest of the lectures:

Friday, Feb. 7.--La France of I'Entente anglaise.

Monday, Feb. 10.--La France et 1a Mediterrance.

Wednesday, Feb. 12.--Le Conflit des Alliances.

Friday, Feb. 14.--L'Epreuved'Algesiras.

Monday, Feb. 17.--Le Bilan des Alliances.

Wednesday, Feb. 19.--Les nouvelles Enientea europoennes.

Friday, Feb. 21--La France et les Etats-Unis.