The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20, 1888.

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 145, 20 June 1888, Page 4

The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20, 1888.

Tor thetxsause that lacks assistance, For the -wrong that needs resistance, Tor the future in the distance, And tho good that we can do.

The young Emperor of Germany has signalised his accession to power by the issue of two proclamations widely different in their-character—-so diverse* indeed, as to suggest that they are really the utterance of the Bismarckian Sphinx. The first proclamation, ad_ dressed to the German army and nayy } has the martial ring of t'iie fighting Hohenzollerns, and has givten rise to the uneasy feeling that Germany means to force Eussia's hand with a, view to bringing the question of peace or war to a decisive issue. The newspapers of the Continent, including those of France and Russia, at first interpreted in this way the confident, almost^ flippant, tone of the Emperor's manifesto, and expressed grave doubts as to the maintenance of peace. The Eus;si_an press have since discovered peacefiaf" indications in. the bellicose pronouncement, and this is probably a forewarning that Russia means to back do.m in her threatening attitude and ceat>e troubling the peace of Europe. Everybody knows that the question of peacte or war has all along depended upon the attitude maintained by the Czar's Government, but it is equally plain ; that Germany's policy will now be decidedly less conciliatory than it has. been for some time past. ' Following the warlike manifesto of the new Emperor came an announcement, probably inspired, and intended to allay the apprehensions of war, stating that the Emperor would probably issue a further proclamation, which would show that he would endeavour to avoid all strife. The expected deliverance has been made, and has apparently taken the form of a proclamation to the people ; but the telegraphic summary of- it does not disclose any ground for considering it a specific declaration of peaceful intentions. It is c minently pacific in tone, but though it lacks the martial ring of the' first proclamation, it contains no direct pledge of peace—nothing, in fact, beyond the conventional commonplace which is usually found in such documents. The Emperor states that '-he assumes the Government looking towards the King of Kings, and prays that he may be a just and clement Prince, and that he may foster piety, guard over the peace, promote the welfare of the land, be a helper to the poor and the distressed, and be a firm guardian of all that is right." All this he may do, and yet may force a war upon Russia within the mouth, The Austrian Minister of War correctly describes the European situation as unaltergd, which means that war is probably imminent, and that the general feeling of insecurity in Europe is at jeasp a? strong as eve? it was be*