On Wednesday the King gave a dinner at Marienbad in
honour of the birthday of the Emperor Francis Joseph. Reuter's correspondent notices that whereas in former years the invitations from the King on this occasion were issued in the name of the Duke of Lancaster, this year they were in the name of his Majesty, proving the desire to make the dinner in all respects official. The King sent Mr. Arthur Walsh, Master of the Ceremonies, to Ischl with an autograph letter to the Emperor, which was presented on Wednesday. We are delighted that the King has shown by such un- mistakable signs the genuine desire of the British people to preserve their old friendship with Austria-Hungary. We have been compelled to dissent strongly from the policy of Count von Aehrenthal because, as it seemed to us, it violated the public law of Europe, but this need not put us at loggerheads with the whole Austro-Hungarian Empire, and certainly need not diminish our respect for the Emperor himself, whom English- men have long since learned not only to admire, but to trust.
