12 MAY 1917, Page 3

As for the remark of Mr. Atkins's friend that he

is sure the Kin g would do his utmost to save the Hohenzollerns because there had been no official statement in condemnation of them, has this collier ever reflected that we are not the only Power that is at war, and that the French Republic, the Russian Republic, the Kingdom of Italy, and now also the American Republic have equal rights with our- selves in laying down the conditions of peace, and especially on so

important a point as to how Germany is to bo governed in the future ? For ourselves, we agree with him in hoping that it may be possible to put the Hohenzollerns under the ban of Europe, as Napoleon was put under that ban ; but to think first that our Government can do it off their own bat, and then to turn round and dethrone the King because it is not done, is surely a little unreasonable. Besides, we are not sure whether the procedure is quite as democratic as it is sometimes supposed to be. After all, the German people must in the last resort choose what form of government they like. But though we agree here, we hope and believe it may be possible to say that we will make our peace only with the German people as a whole, and not with an irresponsible autocrat like the Kaiser.