NEWS OF THE WEEK.
/VIRE new Reichstag was opened on Tuesday, and the Kaiser read his Speech from the throne in the castle. The Speech was, curiously unlike the hot words which the Emperor flung from the window of the castle at midnight after the declaration of the final ballots in the General- Election. The Emperor promises "to respect conscientiously all Constitutional rights and privileges." As the Berlin correspondent of the Times points out, such an announcement is usual only at the beginning of a reign; but the Kaiser may have purposely introduced it after being on the throne nearly twenty years as an answer to the recent criticisms of a "personal regime." The relations of Germany with her European allies of the Triple Alliance were said to be "cordial," and those with all other nations "good and correct." The rising in East Africa was described as "completely suppressed," while in South- West Africa the rebels had been dispersed, with the exception of a few remnants. A considerable reduction in the colonial forces might be expected. A supplementary credit for South- West Africa, however, was announced as one of the first measures to be submitted. The Hague Conference was men- tioned in terms of general benevolence, but nothing was said about the limitation of armaments.
