There is little more to be said about the negotiations
between Germany and France. All that is known is that the negotiations in regard to French concessions in the Congo are proceeding, and that rumours are afloat that the Germans are not disinclined to consider a rearrangement of territory which would involve a counter concession to France near the Shari River. What we take to be a good sign is the belief that the statesmen both in Germany and France are anxious to proceed leisurely, because they feel that the contemplated reciprocal concessions will excite unpopularity in both countries. That is certainly very much better than the pro- spect of one country believing itself to have gained immensely and the other side to have suffered a corresponding loss. In regard to the whole negotiations, we cannot resist quoting a statement which the German Emperor is said to have made to a Belgian General who attended the ceremonies at Aix-la- Chapelle on Wednesday. It was to this effect : "We made use of recent events in order to press demands which we could have pressed successfully in ordinary times only with great difficulties." The Times correspondent tells us that the alleged conversation will doubtless be denied. The fact that it is quoted by so careful a publicist as the Berlin correspondent of the Times is, however, significant. The words attributed to the Emperor would certainly seem to represent the facts. Possibly the analogy of the platonic dialogues is helpful. Though Socrates did not use the words put into his mouth by his disciple, they were generally consistent with the Socratic mind.
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