The action of Italy in the Tunis affair is still
uncertain. The Italians are extremely enraged, accuse the Cairoli Government of having failed in "competence," and have so reproached General Cialdini for " French proclivities " that he has resigned his embassy in Paris. Rumours have even been set afloat that many leading Italians would not dislike to utilise their very large army, and recover Nice and Savoy, and that a formal proposal has been made to Prince Bismarck for a war with France. All this must be exaggerated gossip. That the Italians feel strongly about Tunis is true, but they are a sensible people, and will hardly risk their national existence in a war for such an object. They have only just reached a cur- plus, and have entered into negotiations for a loan to enable them to withdraw their inconvertible paper. They will, there is little
doubt, wait their time, and meanwhile accept a Ministry formed by a combination of the different sections of the Left, with probably S. Depretis at its head,. with a policy of reserve towards France and watchfulness in Africa. The incident, however, has already cost France more .influence iu the Mediterranean than the acquisition of Tunis could compensate her for.
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