NEWS OF THE WEEK.
ON Tuesday, at a banquet at Merseburg, in Saxony, the German Emperor delivered a characteristic speech. It was, however, somewhat more gloomy than his usual harangues, and even produced a disquieting effect on the Berlin Bourse. After thanking the province for the enthusi- astic reception accorded to him, he said he hoped that -the prosperous yeomanry of Saxony would for ever endure and continue to overcome all difficulties. " As Christians," he added, " we must bear what Heaven sends. We all hope -that peace will be maintained, but if it should be otherwise, we are not to blame." The Vossische Zeitung, commenting on this, declares that the speech will attract considerable atten- tion abroad. It goes on to declare that "the outbreak of popular passion such as recently took place in Russia and France could not fail to give the Emperor cause for anxiety," and then quotes Prince Bismark's declaration that France and Russia are the pike in the European carp-pond. " Germany, however, will not allow herself to be lulled into a sense of false security." The article ends by a somewhat frigid de- claration that "the conviction of the possibility of war does mot exclude the hope of the preservation of peace." No doubt the Germans are anxious, but the Press should have the self- restraint to ignore the disquieting side of the situation as far as possible. Fears expressed as to the understanding between France and .Russia will only tend to inflame French feeling into the belief that Germany is afraid of the Republic.
