NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE week, so far as the foreign situation is concerned, has been full of anxiety and of rumours and threats as to the terrible things that Austria-Hungary will do if the Powers do not coerce Montenegro firmly and rapidly. Fortunately, however, there seems some reason to believe that Austria- Hungary is more ready to talk than to act, and that at heart she is anxious to take any excuse she can get for letting the Powers act instead of her. In other words, she will probably give the Concert time to do by negotiation what she has been threatening to do by violence. This is what is wanted by Sir Edward Grey ; for it is on his good sense, good faith, quietness, and confidence that the peace of the world now hangs. It is, we think, quite safe to say that none of the Powers wants war. The difficulty is that most of them suspect some other Power so strongly that no one dares to take the initiative. Fortunately no one suspects Sir Edward Grey, even though they may suspect Britain in the abstract. Therefore in all probability he will be more and more given a free hand, and thus be able to bring the situation under control.
