It was, we are certain, with feelings of anything but
pleasure or satisfaction that the British public read on Thursday the extracts from the Berlin Imperial Gazette announcing that the German Emperor had been "most graciously pleased to confer the Grand Cross of the Order of the Red Eagle upon the British Minister of War, John F. Brodrick [sic]." What may be the comparative value of Eagles, Red, Black, or Blue, we are not anxious to consider, but we cannot but remem ber with regret that Mr. Brodrick is the first Secretary of State, and, if we remember r!ghtlY, the first member of a British Cabinet while in the Cabinet, to accept a foreign decoration. Chatham and Palmerston were Secretaries of State for War when we were actually in military alliance with the King of Prussia, but we find no record of Red Eagles in their cases. In justice to Mr. Brodriek, we must say, however, that we do not for a moment "PPose that he desired the possession of the Red Eagle, or that he wished still further to break down the proud and sound rule of former days against the acceptance of foreign Orders except in cases where Englishmen have actually been in the service of the presenting Sovereign. We feel sure he was a l'el7 unwilling victim, and that he took the Order because he thought be could not refuse without actual rudeness. But if that is the explanation, he should not have exposed himself to the risk by going to the manceuvre.s; or if he was determined to go, he might surely have stipulated that he was to return undecorated. What makes the incident the more disagreeable is the fact that it is not a year ago that the Emperor's official representative publicly declared it to be an insult to compare the German Army with the British. Surely Mr. Brodrick, as the Parliamentary head of the British Army, might have made this a reason for refusing the decoration?
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