The most important of these rumours concerns the action of
Great Britain, upon which point the facts appear to be these. The Conference is sitting, but the German representatives have received orders to interpose every kind of delay, at one time professing to require fresh instructions, at another impeding the armistice with entirely new demands. The country is becoming deeply irritated, and Her Majesty's Ministers, sensible of this change, and feeling acutely the humiliation of their attitude, are disposed to adopt a higher tone. They have already in one form or another prohibited the entrance of the Austrian squadron into the Baltic, and though the Aurora is only ordered to watch, we are collecting stores in Funen, and have ample means in the Downs of enforcing ourdecisionsbysea. The official journals are becoming almost menac- ing in language, and the Times has at last abandoned the peace- at-any-price attitude. The tone of the country press, moreover, is becoming warlike, and there is a general sense that the hour for discussion is passing away. Beyond this nothing is known, and there is still a hope that the peculiar position of Austria, who can gain nothing by war, may induce her to retire, and that Prussia may awake at last from the delusion that her English friends will protect her under all contingencies.
