The Sun.
London, England, 1870-12-17 00:00:00

SIGNS.

Various items of intelligence from different quarters
look very significant when taken together. There
is discontent at the prolongation of the war through-
out Germany. The German besiegers round Paris
now take quite a different view, says one correspon-
dent,of the chances of soon entering the capital from
that which they entertained a week or two ago. The
King is grievously annoyed at tha curt
refusal of General Trochu to parley after the defeats
on the Loire. And, worst of all, there is no certainty
of peace being made after the capture of Paris. It i 3
amid these circumstances that we again hear of
the long projected grand coup. The Germans are to
retire to Alsace and Lorraine, make over the
army of prisoners to Buonaparte, and leave the
different parties in France to settle all differences
between them. It cannot be doubted that this
scheme is seriously thought of by the German
leaders; but it is likely to be thought of still
more before it is carried out. It is impossible
for such a man as Bismarck to overlook
the dangers of this expedient, the most obvious
and serious danger of all being that of the released
army making common cause with the multitudes of
half-trained men scattered all over France, and
giving the Germans the task of fighting the war over
again. The Daily News correspondent politely says
that "Napoleon may be reckoned to be a sufficiently
hungry dog to eat very dirty pudding ;" but in this
case the pudding has to be considered, and also the
instruments with which it is to be eaten. We have
already seen that hundreds of French officers in
Germany disclaim all allegiance to Napoleon. The
Emperor himself says that these men are Orleanists,
which is very likely ; but whoever they are, they are
likely to interfere with the neat project for bolting
the aforesaid dirty pudding.
THE WAR STRAIN.

The cry for peace 'in Germany testifies that the
terrible military engine constructed by the Prussians
is not exactly the thing for very lengthy operations.
By this time every class of Landwehr has been
called out—even men of about 40 years of age,
fathers of families, and masters of businesses ; and
now it becomes needful 'to levy new recruits. It
is hardly to be expected that after such
drain upon all classes of their.industrial population,
the Germans should complacently view fresh seizures
of young men. It is absurd to say, as the Standard
does, that there is a great scarcity of men in Ger-
many, for men are no more scarce there .than in
France ; but the ruinous measures submitted to by
the invaded nation are not likely to be so readily
borne by the victors.

FRENCH PRISONERS IN GERMANY.

'Marshal Canrobert reports flint the sufferings. of
the unfortunate French troops at Stuttgard are
atrocious. They die off wholesale, succumbing to the•
various hardships they have to endure. They are
indifferently fed, lie upon miserable straw litters, and
live in tents, which allow free entry of the wind,
rain, and snow. Warm clothing is entirely wanting;
ils manquent de tout. The Marshal says he is doing
his best to procure relief, but hopes that England
will once more boar a call upon her heavily tried
generosity. Some disputes have taken place respect=
ing the condition of the French prisoners in Ger-
many ; but this evidence leaves no doubt as to their
condition in Wiirtemberg.