The latest rumour in town is that the Servians are
in move- ment; but it is not yet confirmed. It is certain, however, that the Ambassadors in Constantinople do not agree, and are, in fact, useless, the Governments negotiating over their heads ; that both in Russia and Austria troops are being silently moved southward ; that Servian preparations are ready, and that King Milan has not yet yielded to the pressure put upon him. The Porte, too, which has been "stupefied," as we expected, by Lord Salisbury's speech at Newport, is restlessly collecting reserves, and sweeping up every available penny,—even taking the guarantee- money of its own Officers' Pension Fund. It has not yet repudi- ated, as it must do if it declares war ; but all the signs look as if active hostilities were at hand. The Powers are too divided to stop them ; and, so far as can be perceived, King Milan is sincere. All still depends upon that, however, and upon his life. He has been struck by assassins before now, and some of his enemies are playing for enormous stakes. If he died, Servia would be occupied within a week by Austrian troops.
