16 MAY 1908, Page 1

On Thursday week Prince Philip Eulenburg was arrested at his

home, Liebenberg Castle. Owing to his illness he was not taken to prison, but was placed in a hospital in Berlin. His arrest has been expected for some time ; but the necessity for such a step in the case of one who held so high a position and was formerly so deep in the Emperor's confidence is none the less a great shock to public opinion. The two witnesses who turned the scale in Herr Harden's favour at the recent libel action brought

by him against a Bavarian editor at Munich were brought to Liebenberg and confronted Prince Eulenburg. The arrest was the immediate result of their statements. The vicissitudes in Herr Harden's affairs are indeed singular. After winning the libel action which Count Moltke brought against him for his charges against the " camarilla," he was himself prosecuted by the Public Prosecutor and was sentenced to four months' imprisonment on the ground of making false statements. Then he brought his libel action in Munich, which reconfirmed many of the statements which were supposed to have been disproved. Though Prince Eulenburg may yet show his innocence, he has certainly played a weak and foolish part in not using any of the opportunities he has had to appear in Court and clear his character. The Kaiser deserves the congratulations of all right-minded men .for making no attempt to prevent the fullest investigation.