The Prospects of War.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 248, 24 April 1896, Page 2

The Prospects of War.

The Southland Times has been permitted to extract the following portions of a letter recently received by Mr Zimmev from the Earl of Dysart (to whom he was a few years ago private secretary and companion) bearing on some of the prominent questions of the day :— " I went round the world in '93 by China and Japan, and back through Canada. I also went to South Africa in '94 and saw President Kruger at Pretoria. I was also in Venezuela in '91, so all these questions are naturally extremely interesting to me. I think that the change of government here in July last was most providential and almost miraculous. There is no doubt that we are on the eve of the most tremendous change which has ever taken place in the world's history ; it is just 1250 years since Caliph Omar took Jerusalem (A.D. 637) and this great upheavel is prophesied both in Daniel and Revelations. How the British Empire will come out of it Heaven only knows. There is no doubt that the Jews and Mohammedans are on their last legs." The dictum here expressed in regard to the destiny of Jews and Mohammedans hardly agrees with the general view, but is worthy of consideration as emanating from an intelligent nobleman who takes an active interest in politics, who has for many years past travelled extensively, and is in constant touch with the great thinkers and diplomatists of the day."