Otcbakoff.' About two thousand men seem to have sur- rendered,
but the casualties are said to have been very heavy, —five thousand is, indeed, stated in some reports as the total figure. But even if the mutiny at Sevastopol is at an end, there is no respite for the Government, for with the news of this success there comes information of grave disaffection among the soldiers in St. Petersburg, including several Guards regiments. Again, the Manchurian army is said to be seething with the spirit of rebellion. We wonder whether among its officers there is some Lieutenant of Artillery who is already planning to play the part of the saviour of society. Possibly ; but remember that things move very slowly in revolutions, and that the call for such a person will probably not be heard for three or four years.
On Monday the international squadron representing the Concert of the Powers occupied Mytilene, a French detach- ment taking possession of the Custom House; and later the mouth of the Dardanelles was reconnoitred with a view to the establishment of 'a blockade. In spite of this, however, Friday's telegrams show that up to Thursday night the Sultan had not yielded. What will be the next step taken by the Powers has not been revealed, but it is clear that they cannot now draw back, and that the Sultan must be- made to
give way. Though the news of the occupation of Mytilene is known at Constantinople, the event has not affected the Mohammedans, who remain calm. That they will so remain unless incited directly or indirectly from Y'ildiz Kiosk is generally admitted. This being so, the Powers should make it quite clear to the Sultan that he will be held personally responsible for any disturbance which may lead to outrages upon Christians or foreigners at Constantinople. He must not be allowed to play massacre as one of his trump cards.
On Tuesday the new Session of the German Reichstag was opened by a speech from the Emperor himself. Its chief significance lies in his references to foreign affairs, and the apparent desire to differentiate between Powers who are friendly to Germany and those who are not. He congratulated his people on the fact that their relations with all Powers were correct, and with most friendly. He welcomed Japan into the circle of the Great Powers, and declared his hope that the Czar might yet "earn the love and gratitude of his people as the pioneer of a happy future for Russia." He complained that German ideas were often misconstrued abroad, chiefly through jealousy of her industrial progress. The trouble with France in Morocco was due to an inclination to leave Germany out of arrangements where German interests were in- volved, and "tendencies of the kind, though suppressed at one point, may reappear at another." "For me," he concluded, "the peace of the German nation is a matter of sacred concern. But the signs of the times make it the duty of the nation to strengthen its defences against unjust attacks."
These dark sayings do not mean very much, for there is small prospect of any Power desiring to attack Germany. Indeed, if the German Emperor, who, we believe, has a sense of humour—it is stated that be appreciates Mr. Gould's inimit- able caricatures in the Westminster Gazette—will pardon us the comparison, the speech reads very like the immortal " 0-ration " of the great Elijah Pogram,—an oration in which everybody in general and no one in particular was defied and told to " come on." The obvious want of inclination on the part of anybody to do anything of the kind is no obstacle to eloquence of this description. Seriously, the explanation of the speech lies most probably in the new Navy Bill with its increased taxation which will shortly be brought before the Reichstag. The Emperor wants money, and he has to hint at some possible use for it.
The French papers comment frankly, but in the main with composure, on the Kaiser's speech, the more sober organs taking the line that for France to retort in the same spirit would be to play into Germany's hands. It is admitted that the pessimistic tone of the German Press is a disquieting symptom, but Frenchmen are no longer surprised at such language. M. Clemenceau, in the Aurore, observes that the Kaiser "seems to have wished at one and the same time to reassure his subjects by declaring his strength and to make them uneasy in order to obtain a fresh pecuniary effort on their part by denouncing the foreign peril. The Powers indicated by the Emperor William will consider themselves warned." In fine, the French Press, while unable to overlook the disquieting effect of the Kaiser's oratory, counsels vigilance rather than recrimination as the proper attitude for France to take up.
The new Session of the Austrian Reichsrath opened on Tuesday, and the Prime Minister, Baron Gautscb, gave a sketch of the Franchise Bill which he proposes to introduce. It is to be based on the principle of universal suffrage, but will be ao drafted as to save racial minorities from being over- whelmed. At the same time a Redistribution Bill and a Bill to amend the Standing Orders of the Chamber will be intro- duced, that the new reforms may lack nothing of complete- ness. During the sitting an imposing and most orderly demonstration took place in the Ringatrasse, where nearly three hundred thousand working men and women filed silently for four hours past the Reichsrath building. The demon- strators carried placards inscribed in various tongues, and racial distinctions seem to have been forgotten in the common desire for the promised reform. Similar demonstrations took place on the same day in other Austrian towns. It is generally believed that the result of the measure will be not only to increase the popularity of the Emperor, as its chief originator, but to create a certain solidarity among the different races, who at last find themselves combined on a question of national interest. The Pan-Germans, its only opponents, are powerless in the face of such unanimity.
An instructive summary of the contents of the Report of the Committee for Foreign Affairs of the French. Chamber is given by the Paris correspondent of the Times in Wednesday's issue. Especial. interest attaches to the appendix dealing with the Moroccan affair. M. Gervais, who has drawn up the Report, abstains from all provocative- comment, contenting himself with the observation that while France "means to accomplish her task without abandoning her imprescriptible rights," she has reason to think that " those whose opinion is important for us will finally under- stand that it is to their advantage not to thwart a task calculated to serve the interests of the countries which may like to profit by it when completed." In regard to the Far East, the line adopted by the Report is that while France must protect her own missionaries, the effort to protect those of the other Powers is compromising, and that the idea of putting French military power at the service of Christianity must be abandoned. For the rest, M. Gervais recommends that France should now follow a policy of preservation, the possession of Indo-China being her paramount interest. In conclusion, he expresses a hope that the British Government will use its good services towards facilitating an equitable settlement of the New Hebrides question.
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