THE WAR OFFICE ON COLONIAL DEFENCE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1509, 17 March 1887, Page 2

THE WAR OFFICE ON COLONIAL D EFENCE.

Wellington, March 1G The Governor has roceived a despatch from the w ftr Office, making a number of suggestions on the subject of colonial defence. Theso suggestions are 'ho outcome of the recommendations mndo by various Commissions which have been appointed to consider the question. The despatch is m the form of a circular, and one of its chief propoaala 13 tbe establishment of what fa formed a I'efence Committee, c inditing of experienced officers, to advice the looil authorities on nil matters connected with defence It has bsen referred by His Excelloncy t) his advieerp, acd is now under consideration of the defecca authorities. It la uad*rstood that tha Imperial Government m it endorses an opinion which his before found expression, that if Russia does «o to war with England overt action will be taken by the former prior to or without any formal declaration of war, and that this aotlun will almost certainly tako the form of a descent on the Australian colonies. The Imperial Government presses, and has furnished bo tbe Colonial Government, absolute proof tha* this is what 'Russia Intended' and was prepared for when an outbreak of war Bppearad imminent a fes» years ago. At that time a British man of war paid a visit to Wakapuako, where the Australian cable reaches tho New Zaeland shores, and remained some time, until'' all danger of a euddon visit fmm a hostile cruiser had passed away. The cable operators were warned t> preqorvo secrecy, which was done with such effocb that even tho Government know nothing about it for some time.