NEWS OF THE WEEK
THE Algeciras Conference seems to have sunk into a slough of confusion. Early in the week it looked as if it would drag on for a week or two without any hope of ultimate agreement, since Germany's attitude on the police question was fundamentally opposed to France's desires. Hope revived, however, on Thursday with the announcement that Germany was prepared to yield on the Casablanca question, provided that the inspection by a neutral officer was made really efficacious. Germany is announced to be preparing a new scheme of counter- checks, which will be • proposed, as usual, in the name of Austria. This, it is said, may take the form of a scheme for placing 'French and-Spanish officers together in the same ports,—a proposal to which it is highly improbable that either France or Spain would agree. If, however, she merely aims at rendering the inspection by a neutral officer more effective, there is some hope of a settlement. On Friday the tone of the reports from Algeciras was slightly more optimistic.
