lasses, suddenly become their enemy, has
experienced a personal defeat in this matter which is all the greater
for the fact that the Socialists, while they rejoice at seeing it
inflicted upon him by the Reichstag, will not forgive him for his
"convicts' law."

July 8, 1899. [6]

The wretched policy, which sent French ships to Kiel to salute the flag
of the King of Prussia, continues to be honoured--no, dishonoured--by
the Government of the Republic of to-day. For this Government, the
least of William's wishes is an order.

So the Emperor William II has set foot upon the soil of France by
paying a visit aboard of the _Iphigenie_ (for every one of our ships is
a bit of the mother-country). The Waldeck-Rousseau Cabinet, the ideal
of M. Urbain Gohier, has allowed this monstrous thing to be done almost
immediately after William II had laid the first stone of his fortresses
on the Moselle, fortresses intended (to use his own aggressive words)
to hold _the enemy_ under Germany's guns. So we are the enemy for
Germany and yet, oh shame! even while she slashes us with this word, we
seek to show her that she is our friend.

* * * * * *

It certainly looks as if the present Prussian Ministry has neither the
prestige nor the strength of will to control successfully the conduct
of the ex-Mamelukes. Its failure at the last session of Parliament was
complete. It is amongst the strongest supporters of the monarchy that
the most determined opposition was offered to the proposed law for the
construction of the canal from the Elbe to the Rhine, an enterprise
dear to the heart of the Emperor, once the father of his working men
and now the father of German manufacturers.

Where the political impediments block his path William II cuts and
hacks away as it may please him. There is proof of this in the
feverish haste with which he is lowering the age of officers in the
army. On the 10th of June, six Prussian generals were allowed to
retire; on the 15th, ten more were placed on the unattached list, and a
further movement in the same direction is expected to take place after
the great Imperial manoeuvres.

July 25, 1899. [7]

THE HAGUE CONFERENCE

I desire to convince my readers by indisputable facts--

(1) That the pacifist agitation in Europe, in all its various forms, is
inspired and sustained by the most uncompromising military Power on
this Continent, that is to say, by Germany;

(