NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE week has been marked by that last worst sign of coming war, the proposal of a Conference to prevent it. The Govern- ments of Berlin and St. Petersburg have, it is said, proposed that a Conference should be held to settle the disputes between Greece and Turkey, and the remaining Powers hesitate to reject the proposi- tion. If Greece or Turkey want an opportunity of retreating from a difficult position a Conference might be useful, but if not, it could but intensify the existing bitterness. If the Powers were in accord they could stop the war in an hour; if they are not, talking will not reconcile interests so diverse. Besides, what have foreign Powers to do with internal insurrection ?—and a war between Greeks and Turks, though technically between independent powers, is really one between the Sultan and his subjects. Before the diplo- matists had drawn up their first paragraph the whole Eastern question would' be on the table, and compromise on that is next to impossible. The doctors may chatter as much as they like, but the sick man will object to be killed, and his heirs will resist any medical disposition of his property.
