The Feilding Star. Oroua & Kiwitea Counties Gazette. Published Daily. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1894. FRANCE ON THE WAR PATH.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 85, 4 October 1894, Page 2

The Feilding Star. Oroua & Kiwitea Counties Gazette. Published Daily. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1894. FRANCE ON THE WAR PATH.

. Tub French people, as represented by professional politicians and the newspaper press in Paris, are nerer so truly happy as when they have something to be savage about. A few years ago Germany was the special object of their hatted and vituperation, but now Italy and England hold the place of honor in that respect. On the subject of Italy a writer in the Nineteenth century for August says : " The true cause of French hatred for Italy is not far to seek. Smarting under the knowledge that the French armies had been defeated by the Germans, and that these defeats would probably be repeated were France to attack Germany, the French looked elsewhere for an opportunity of regaining their lost military prestige. It was evident to every Frenchman that if Italy stood alone she could easily be crushed by the overwhelming numbers of the French army. France could thus gain military glory, new territory, and a ready made fleet. Here then is a glorious opportunity waiting for the armies of France, and nothing but that pestilent Triple Alliance stands in the way. This is che whole secret of the growth and violence of French hatred towards Italy. France wishes to wage a war in which victory would be reasonably certain. France wants the superb Italian fleet, the possession of which would give her an overwhelming naval preponderance in the Mediterranean. France wants to destroy Italian unity so as to render any future Triple Alliance impossible, and nothing, so the French believe, hinders this desirable consummation except (he fact that hehind the army of Italy are ranged the armies of Austria and Germany. By the successful commercial war waged by France when the latter refused to admit Italian wines and silks, a deadly blow was struck at Italian finances. Now Italy has only the choice between war and bankruptcy. It is true that war is a desperate remedy, but Italy has nearly arrived at a desperate state. She has everything to gain by a successful war between ( he Triple Alliance and France. Were the Triple Alliance to crush France, Italy could at once disarm in safety and her share of the fine which France would be compelled to pay would go far t wards covering her share of the expenses of the war. The logic of the position points inexorably to war/ The situation ha« been made by France and on her alone must rest the guilt of the coming struggle. Turning our view towards England we find that the French aie angry because certain manoeuvres performed by the British fleet at a recent sham fight, were, to the excited imagination of some one in Paris, indica tive of what would be attempted in the event of a war between France and England. The unlucky ambassador as a natural consequence of the i diatribes in the Parisian papers, was recalled from London, and another, and do doubt a sharper individual sent in his place. The excuse given was that the disgraced ambassador had failed to report these hostile movements of the British fleet a duty which by the way, it would be impossible for him to fulfil under any circumstances whatever. All this looks very absurd and would be hardly worth notice were it not for the fact that just now France is trying to obtain the uncontrolled possession of Madagascar, an island which for the lost hundred and fifty years has been looked on by that nation as a convenient halting place on the ocean road to the British possessions in India. All the world knows of the failures which have followed the several attempts to found French colonies there, but it would appear that experience has not made the nation wise, and yet another attempt is now being made to achieve the impossible. Remembering the events of the past it is very likely that France is seeking for an excuse to irritate England by what she is now attempting, but finding that John Bull had not become " alive to the situation" in the sense the French would like, they have assumed the attitude of , the "injured person " and established a grievance in connection with the British fleet, an institution which has always been the object of special abhorrence to " our lively neighbours." We do not anticipate that the subject will be taken too seriously by the English Government, but the French are apparently very much in earnest.