The news of the week from France is more satisfactory.
The panic fear of Germany has passed away, and the two countries are negotiating a compromise about Morocco quietly, and agreeing, it is asserted, to terms which a Con- ference, in which Great Britain will take part, will afterwards ratify. The Sultan begins to fear that such Conference will in practice be irresistible, and that in resisting France he is calling a stronger master onto the scene. Moreover, the entente between Great Britain and France has been strengthened, the French having given up their absurd idea that the British. wished to cajole them into fighting Germany for the advantage of Great Britain, which would then destroy the German Fleet., There has been a perfect explosion of feeling in Paris in favour of Great Britain, which is now declared by practically the entire Press to be behaving with the greatest loyalty and moderation. The doubts upon that subject which had been diffused in the German interest have been dispelled, and the great attempt to separate the two States which has always been behind the Moroccan negotiations has for the present failed. Nevertheless, the old idea of the " balance of power " has once more been proved to have a great deal in it. The Sovereign who during the eclipse of Russia is predominant on the Continent cannot resist the temptation to have that predominance made manifest. The latest idea, it is said, is to form a Zollverein of the Continent in order to protect Europe from the aggressiveness of Anglo-Saxon commerce. That is not an agreeable prospect; but there is no need for much fear. Anglo-Saxondom as a power acting on the defensive is not weak.
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