NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THERE is something going on in France in connection with the Turkish subject which is worth our readers' attention, for it may produce large consequences. The first and last object of the higher politicians is to maintain the Russian alliance, but they are slowly awakening to the fact that it involves heavy burdens on their policy. They do not like at all the Russian plan of at once protecting and weakening Turkey so that the whole Empire may ultimately become a dependency, like Bokhara, of St. Petersburg. That policy deprives France of her share in the great partition. They like still less the Russian idea of letting Turkey go bankrupt, for that would irritate, perhaps ruin, many of their own bankers, and scores of thousands of stockholders with votes. And they like least of all the Russian reluctance to raise the Egyptian -question. They begin, therefore, to ask what they are to get by the alliance, and M. Hanotaux is reported to be " dis- tracted " by the remonstrances addressed to him, some of which, it should in fairness be added, are dictated by humanitarian feeling. Under these circumstances it is quite natural that the French Foreign Office should swerve slightly towards England, just as a gentle hint to St. Petersburg that other allies are possible, and that really French interests must not be quite so openly disregarded. If M. Nelidoff should become the Czar's Foreign Minister, this disposition may become stronger, and offers may be made to Lord Salisbury which will require at least very earnest attention. We got along very well with Napoleon 'IL
