The German Emperor, advised, it is said, by Prince Hohen-
lohe and Count Munster, has decreed the relaxation of the passport rules in Alsace-Lorraine. Indeed, except as against soldiers, they may be said to be abolished. They were im- posed to punish France for clamouring against Germany, and made more strict because the Parisians were impertinent to the Empress Frederick. They benefited the Empire in no way, and they harassed the people of the Reichsland, who could neither trade in freedom nor see their friends beyond the frontier. The innkeepers, in particular, were nearly ruined. The Alsatians are greatly delighted by the decree, and it has been well received even in Paris, where it is taken as a sign of amity, and a proof that the Emperor, in spite of his Erfurt speech, has no bitterness against France. It is probable that its single motive was to give an impulse to trade.
