Count Kalnoky, the Austrian Chancellor, has visited Prince Bismarck at
Friedricharuh for three days, and diplomatists are in an agony of curiosity. No particulars of the interview have, however, transpired, and the official cue is to represent it as comparatively unimportant, its object being merely to carry on the business of the alliance. That, however, is important. The " League of Peace " is adopting regular methods of transacting business and arranging " details," and is thus, in fact, creating a system which may last for a generation. A permanent alliance of that kind is of the last importance, if only because it is fatal to all ideas of a balance of power. Central Europe forms a single Power, and keeps 1,200,000 men in barracks in time of peace. The Power at present is not ambitions, and desires to maintain peace ; but supposing it to be infected with other ideas, it might alter materially the organisation of Europe. It is already drawing to itself as by natural attraction, small State after small State, so that Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Roumania, Servia, Greece, Bul- garia, and Turkey are " within the sphere of its influence," and inclined to obey its commands. That may be all for good, and so far as peace is concerned, certainly is for good; but it gives to a singularly limited group a degree of ascendency rare in history. English alliances are so temporary that we forget the immense effects a permanent alliance may have.
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