The Belgian incident is clearly not yet ..over. The German
papers declare that the Belgian reply, which we summarised in our last issue, is thought very unsatisfactory at Berlin, and 'will, require a rejoinder. Professor Bliintschli, who, though no organ of the German Government, has more than once guided the National Liberals to the official view of international affairs, has intimated that Belgium is making a very great mistake in simply awaiting news of Prussian or German legislation, instead of at once altering her own laws so as to prevent offences against "international amity." And English correspondents telegraph significantly from Berlin that Belgium will get out of the scrape comfortably enough, if she will only change her Cabinet, and put back the Liberals into power, as the Berlin Government desires. But this is, we suspect, as we have elsewhere explained, the very humiliation which the Belgians, both Conservatives and Liberals alike, are doing their beat to avoid. Indeed, a Liberal Govern- ment forced on Belgium by German pressure would be in a very unfortunate position, and in one fatal to its own popularity.
