The Sun.
London, England, 1870-07-21 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY MORNING, JULY 21.

officers and soldiers passed and repassed continually.
There were as m any patriotic songs to be heard as in
Pali% but more order prevailed. General Froissard has
served as the centre of much enthusiasin. It is said that
he was at the theatre of the camp when the first news of
the complications reached him. The intelligence spread
quickly through the regiments, and caused the greatest
excitement ; but when the declaration of war put a
period to all doubts, the general feeling of delight
that prevailed surpassed all expectations. At present
all movements seem concentrated on Metz. The
unfinished condition of the railway from Verdun to
Metz compels the troops to make a detour by Chalons and
Frouard. Some other portions of the railway in this
neighbourhood are also incomplete. There is no reason
to doubt that Strasbourg will also become a rallying point
and the centre of warlike operations. Bodies of troops
have arrived here from the valley of the Rhone, and
Marshal MacMahon is shortly expected. Great confi-
dence is placed in General Ducrot, who is a most intelli-
gent general, and intimately acquainted with the borders
of the Rhine and with all parts of the Black Forest. On
all sides one meets with people who ask for news
instead of giving any, and the same thing was to be
noticed yesterday on leaving Frouard. After this station
not a soldier was to be seen ; all stopped at the branch line
which leads to Metz.

METZ. MONDAY.

We hear that there is a strong movement in South
Germany. The Bavarians to the number of 15,000 men
are concentrated in the neighbourhood of Forbaeh, and
are watching on the frontier. The Prussians are as-
sembled in large numbers around Mayence, the defences
of which are in a very complete state. A despatch just
arrived through Strasbourg announces an important
concentration of troops at Wissenbourg. From Thion-
ville the news is nil. At this town, which may soon be
the theatre of such important events, there is absolutely
nothing stirring, except rumours and reports. A
statement to the effect that the King of Prussia had
caused a proclamation to be affixed at Luxembourg created
great excitement at Thionville the other day, It turned
out that this, like the affair of the "first battle," was a
hoax.

THE GERMAN FRONTIER.

MAYENCE, JULY 16,

An inspection of Cologne, Forbach, and Mayence shews
that all three are absolutely confident as to the result of
the campaign, and even the smaller towns are equally
patriotic. Crowds of Prussians surround the railway
stations asking for news from Paris, which they are of
course unable to get. Military preparations are going on
here as fast as in France, but going through Rhenish
Bavaria no preparations at all are to be seen. Faithful
to their traditions the Bavarians are waiting to see which
is the strongest side. If Prussia could be beaten
while Germany won, the Bavarians would be very
well satisfied. Old Prussians will not, however,
be sorry to shew that it is possible for them to
defeat French troops. Old Prussians, properly so called,
belong to the oldest possessions of the House of Branden-
berg. The young Prussians are those which came into
the kingdom with Cologne and the Rhenish provinces in
1815. The inhabitants of the States annexed in 1866 are
designated by the conveniently comprehensive title of
Germans. News of the declaration of war was pre.
maturely given in several parts of Ger-
many by a false telegram. As far as can be
learned, the Prussian, forces will be stationed as
follows. At Mayence they will have from 40,000 to 0,000
men. The Hessians at Darmstadt, and the Bavarians at
Rastadt, will conjointly occupy the position of Seitz,
which is of great strategical importance. On the Rhine
and at Wissembourg troops are being concentrated, but
no aggressive movement is in contemplation. At
Strasbourg there is great enthusiasm (on the other side of
course), for the hatred of the Alsatians against Prussia is
not a thing of yesterday. They still tell the story of the
pillage of their province by the Prussians in 1815, while
the Cossacks, they aver, took little or nothing.
Ninety thousand French troops passed through Metz on
July 17 between 1 a.m. and 4.30 a.m. It is worth notice
that the whole of the African army took the train at
Marseilles and arrived at Metz without changing
carriages, by using several different lines of railway.

STUTTGART, MONDAY.

The declaration of war in this city, the capital of Wur-
temberg, caused a feeling of stupefaction. The news is
unwelcome probably throughout Germany ; but most un-
welcome of all is it in Wurtemberg. This is the least
Prussian of all the South German States. The
feeling in favour of unity is weaker, and
dislike to Prussian domination stronger than
in any part of the Fatherland. No State
of South Germany signed the Treaty of 1866
more unwillingly, none will observe it more grudgingly--
though there can be little question that it will be observed.
Hence the Wurtembergers are in a double difficulty.
' They do not want to see themselves follow Prussia in a
war, which, if the great German State is victorious, will
leave them more under its domination than
ever. Nor do they wish, on the other hand,
that the Fatherland should be humbled by
the triumph of France. There is not the slightest doubt
that Wurtemburg, with all the other South German
States, will do its duty. Whatever may be the result,
the treaty of 1866 will be respected, and all Germany will
be one. In fact, so early as Saturday evening anti-French
precautions were taken. All telegrams to France, no matter
what might be their contents, were refused. The first
mail on Sunday morning, which generally brings the
French, English, and German papers, brought nothing
but the Presse of Vienna. Even telegrams from Frankfort
are kept back. The usual stampede of visitors, too,
is to be seen. Yesterday the hotels of Stutt-
gard were full. To-day they are empty. Ah I
it is a bad time for the hotel keepers. Their guests
flee affrighted before the war. Later on, more and more
alarming intelligence arrives. They say that
the communication by the bridge of Kehl is
intercepted, and there is, in consequence, a tremendous
rush to the French diplomacy office in order to obtain
passports. It appears to be doubtful whether the bridge
has been broken down or blocked up. But there is no
doubt whatever of one warlike fact—all the Wurtemburg
reserve has been called out.

Russia should interfere, for in that event Austria's
freedom, and indeed her very existence wouldle at stake.
COMMENCEMENT OF HOSTILITIES.

The Pall Mall Gazette has the following :—" The an-
nouncement that the. French have commeneed hostilities
somewhere near Forbach is not very intelligible by itself.
That the French would move in this direction is probable
but one wouldscarcely have expected them to penetrate so
far upon German soil. Forbach is a little village in one of the
most picturesque parts of the Black Forest, situated at a
point where the valley of the Murg narrows to a ravine
some twenty or twenty-five miles from Baden. As the
crow flies Forbach is not more than about twice
that distance from the nearest point of France,
but then it is situated on the eastern slopes of the
range of hills which forms the backbone of the Black
Forest. Perhaps the French crossed the Rhine some-
where near Lichtenau, hurried across the flat country
near the river, and encountered the Prussians on the west,
not the east side of the hills.
We have reason to believe that the Prussians are not 1
so advanced in their preparations, especially in regard
to the supply of ammunition, as their Government
could desire, and it is probable that it will be some
days yet before they will be fully ready for the field;
and if the report as to the French advance is correct,
the latter seem determined to take advantage of this
circumstance. It has been supposed that the French have
a monopoly of the mitrailleuse, but this is an error. The
Prussians have also a weapon of this kind, only under
another name— Kugelspritzen.
THE UNITED STATES AND THE WAR.

Baron Gerolt, the Prussian Minister, has communicated
to Secretary Fish a message received from Count Bis-
marck, announcing tnat private property on the high seas
will be exempted from seizure by Prussian vessels without
regard to reciprocity. M. Prevost-Paradol has informed
Mr. Fish that France will respect the treaty of Paris.
An enthusiastic meeting of Germans has been held at
Cincinnati, to express sympathy with Prussia. The Ger-
man societies in the great cities are subscribing large
sums of money for the relief of the widows and
orphans and soldiers who shall fall in the coming
contest. The time for the ratification of the Samana
Bay Treaty, and the protectorate of San Domingo by
the United States, has been extended for one year by
President Baez.

DENMARK. - The Times's Paris correspondent
says :—" One of this morning's papers says it is considered
certain that the alliance between France and Denmark is
definitively concluded, and that for the last two days the
Danish ironclad squadron, consisting of six ships, has
been ready to put to sea. This does not agree with what
reaches me from an authoritative quarter. I hear that
the Emperor desires no alliance, and holds it a point of
honour to seek no aid in a conflict with a single Power.
So all the other Powers may for the present maintain
their neutrality without temptation from France to
abandon it ; and if Denmark intends striking a blow in
hope of regaining some part of the territory unjustly.
wrested from her she will have to do it without combina-
tion with this country. Such, I have reason to believe,
is the state of things at this moment."

THE ALLEGED SCENE AT EMS.—The Morning
Post is assured that the King of Prussia did not adminis-
ter any snub to the French Ambassador in consequence
of an outrage. " The French Ambassador never ad-
dressed the King, and his Majesty never requested his
aide-de-camp to tell the French Ambassadorthat he would
hold no further communication with him. The statement
of King William which we published yesterday refers to
the one and only interview which ever took place on the
promenade at Ems. It was on the 13th the King in the
Kursaal-gardens spoke to M. Benedetti, and handed the
Cologne Gazette to him with the news of the step taken by
Prince Anton. Subsequently, at a later date, the French
Ambassador pressed for an audience, upon which the
king sent Prince Radzivill to decline it. When M.
Benedetti left, the king accidentally meeting him on the
road to the station, saluted him courteously, and the
personal relations between the monarch and the French
representative were never otherwise than excellent."

THE SITPPU OF NEWS.—As to the supply of
news during the campaign, in all probability the public
will be kept in grievous suspense and very tardily en-
lightened. In the French army certainly no newspaper
correspondent of French or other nationality will be
allowed at the front. One distinguished officer has dis-
tinctly threatened that he will shoot any journalist he may
catch in his lines, and although the wording is harsh we are
inclined to believe of him as the Duke of Wellington said of
General Picton, " If he said so, he will keep hls promise."
During the Italian campaign of 1859 the correspondents
of German papers in the Austrian army published the
only reliable information the French had as to the move-
ments of the Austrian army. The blunder will not
occur again. Chance may bring a newspaper correspon-
dent to the front, but it will be at much personal risk ;
and both French and Prussians are likely to make short
work of any one whom'they may find within their lines who
is not able to furnish the most satisfactory proofs of the
legitimacy of his calling.—Standard.

INTERVIEW WITH M. OLLIVIER.—A military cor-
respondent of the Daily News has managed to obtain an
interview with the French Premier, and has heard from
his own lips of the annoyance which the attitude of the
English press has given in France :—" M. 011ivier seemed
not so much vexed or annoyed, as grieved at the com-
ments in our journals. He complained that the Emperor
had always been more than friendly towards England,
that he himself had done everything to promote
warm relations between the two countries, that
especially he had studied the English commercial interests,
but that now he was accused of breaking the peace of
Europe. As to Germany, he had taken office on the con-
dition that there should be no German war; the Emperor,
too, was well aware of the responsibility involved, and
most anxious not to destroy the state of peace but it was
impossible to permit Prussia to drag them through the
mud by an insult openly and publicly avowed."
This writer puts an end to the hopes of the
foreign correspondents ; they will not be allowed with the
French army. The Morning Post gives similar news. It
says :—" Besides the official intimations which have been
published, we have received answers to applications to
both Governments concerned, requesting permissron to
send representatives of this journal, to accompany the
respective armies, and to report the progress of operations.
The refusal is positive and absolute.

The Birmingham. Gazette says that a high authority on
volunteering has appealed to our Government to arm the
volunteers with the Snider breech-loaders, arguing that,
in the event of complications, the Enfield is perfectly
useless against the .breech-loader. He reckons that the
gunmakers of Birmingham and London alone could con-
vert 50,000 Enfields into Sniders in six weeks. It is
considered possible that the Government will listen to this
suggestion.
Her Majesty's Government has issued an orderprohibit-
ing all officers in the service from joining either army as
newspaper correspondents. It is also intimated that both
post-office and telegraphs are completely in the hands of
the French Government, and no news which they object
to will be allowed to pass.

The Patrie says that in all the great shops of Paris a
notice has been fixed that any of their employes who may
volunteer or be called out to serve in the army will receive
pay from the establishment at the rate of 15fr. a month,
and on their return they will be re-engaged. Subscriptions
in aid of wounded soldiers are being opened in all the
chief towns of the empire.

The Spanish press universally] condemns the 'Emperor
of the French for declaring war against Prussia. Spain
is quite peaceful, and bent on observing strict neutrality
between the combatants.

The screw steamer Harraton, from Hamburg, which
arrived at Sunderland yesterday morning, reports that the
Schaarhar beacon was burnt down on Monday morning.
Twenty-two steam vessels running between Sunderland
and the North German ports are laid off through the
war.

The Berlin Official Staatsanzeiger, of July 19, pub-
lishes a decree ordering that French merchant vessels
shall not be captured by vessels of the Federal fleet, except
under circumstances where capture would be justified in
the case of neutral ships. The same decree summons all
North Germans now serving in the French army to
return home without delay.