NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE reticence of the Czar causes dissatisfaction. At Vienna, while Prince Lobanof was still with him, his little speeches in answer to toasts by the Emperor of Austria were considered so short as to be almost impolite, and after Prince Lobanof'a death he became more reticent still. At Breslau, where he arrived on September 5th, he replied to an almost fulsome speech of welcome from the German Emperor with the curt remark that he was " in- spired by the same traditional sentiments as his Majesty," which is considered exceedingly cool. Indeed, it is doubtful if he did not refer to his father's sentiments which were notoriously hostile to Germany, but this does not appear in the official report. The speech, moreover, was delivered in French. It is possible that the Czar, left without an adviser, and unused to public speaking, evaded his difficulties by excessive brevity, but the Germans are no more pleased than the Austrians. Both are under the impression that he intended to intimate that no change would be made in the policy of Russia. Both, how- ever, believe that his Majesty intends peace. At Balmoral he will make no speeches, but in Paris it will be hardly possible to be so reserved, and something of his inner self may con- ceivably be gathered. It is hard for Europe that that inner self should be so important, but we must accept facts as they are, and for the moment this shy young man of insignificant appearance and dreamy nature is the arbiter of the Continent.
