4th January.
WHEN the clouds have gathered most darkly of late over the Far East, when the telegrams from Japan and from London have been painfully disturbing, we could always turn for relief to the telegrams from Berlin to our German contemporary, confident that they would tell us that there was no fear whatever of an explosion, and. that the Czar and Count Lams-dorf were-competing with each other in the utterance to the world of: assurances that it was a comedy and nota tragedy at which we seem about to assist. This morning, however, there is a melancholy change: in the telegram dated the 2nd inst, even the German optimism has to admit a qualification, and we are told that "both the Czar and Count Lamsdorff expressed themselves in a very confident way as to the maintaining of ace, provided nothing wnenpected Although it is stated that the Russian reply to Japan's note is still being withheld, it appears to be understood in Paris and in Japan that the reply when it comes will be unpleasant, It the Czar and Count Lamsdorff are really anxious for peace, why do they exasperate Japan by postponing their reply, and using the time gained to hurry out reinforcements of all kinds? To say peace and to act war is not the course 1o reassure those who are really peace-lovers, nor does it deceive the very able statesmen who direct the destinies of Japan, Can anything be more calculated to inflamean excitable people, whose future is hanging on the expected answer, than to make the official announcement that "no time limit within which an answer was required was given in Japan's last note"? Therefore, of course, any amount of procrastination may be indulged in securely, unless something unforeseen happens. The "Japan Mail" is always doing its utmost to deprecate and allay alarmist rumours, but its remarks on the, situation in its issue of the 29th ult. are very much to the point "Berlin asserts vie London that Russia is prepared to abandon the strong attitude exhibited by her in her first answer to Japan. It is to be hoped that this rumour will prove correct. But we remember that precisely similar assertions preceded the delivery of the Russian note of the 11th, which contained no concession at all. Japan is certainly prepared to make some sacrifices in the cause of peace. She has proved that already by her patient. forbearance. But beyond a certain point she cannot go, and unless Russia meet her at that point a hopeless situation is created. The world believes that the Czar and some, at any
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.