Nine-Tenths '' Imperial''

While the grey, resistless German tide swept over Belgium, the banner of Imperial Germany flaunted black, white and red from the captured palace of Albert, King of the Belgians, at Brussels.

When the tide ebbed from Belgium, engulfing Imperial Germany instead, the emerging German Republic took other colors: black, red and gold. Last week Germans were stirred to notable excitement when the Cabinet ordered that alongside the Republican standard there shall be flown by all German diplomatic and consular offices the Merchant Marine flag--a flag whose coloring is nine-tenths "imperial" and only one-tenth "republican."

The Merchant Marine flag happens to have the same colors as the old Imperial flag, with a small field in the upper staff corner of Republican black, red and gold.

Toward the end of the week the Cabinet yielded slightly, modified its original ruling so as to apply only at seaports. Inland, the Republican colors will fly alone. But German sailors, arriving at port under the "nine-tenths imperial" Merchant Marine flag, will be able to identify the German legation or consulate by the display of both flags.