MR G. A. SALA ON " POSSIBLE WAR."

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 126, 2 May 1885, Page 2

MR G. A. SALA ON " POSSIBLE WAR."

Mr George Augustus Sala, m his lecture delivered at the Golden Age Hall, Maryborough (writes the correspondent of the Argus), to a crowded house, spoke as follows m reference to the iniDending war with Russia : — ln 1876 war with Russia was imminent, as imminent as it is now, and my employers said, " Go to Russia at once, and see what they are up to." So I wont, to St. Petersburg, from thence to Warsaw and Moscow, and from the latter place towards Odessa, on the Black Sea. When I got close to Kief, however, I found that the railway was broken away and unworkable, through a great snowstorm which had recently occurred, and I had to travel m a sledge close on 200 miles to Kichineff. Here I saw the Russian army m course of mobilisation* making ready for the invasion of Turkey ; and eventually I left there, passed through Odessa to Constantinople, where the International Peace Conference was then sitting, at which Lord Salisbury represented England. That conference proved ineffectual. War eventually .broke ©ut, and after a few checks, by mere force of numbers Russia won battle after another, until at length her armies penetrated to the very environs of Byzantium. The Muscovites then got Turkey to agree to the infamous treaty of San Steffano, whereby the Turkish territory was to be reduced almost to nothing, But that treaty was not carried out. The celebrated conference of Berlin was held, when Benjamin Disraeli, on behalf of England, boldly told the Russians that its scandalous proposals could not be allowed. (Loud cheers.) Through the energy of Disraeli the Bear moderated his claims and smothered his ambitions, and for a time England has had peace with honour. (Hear, hear). Now we are again on the point of being confronted with the necessity of determining whether we are again to tight with our implacable foe. I am too far from England, where I meet the journalists and politicans who know most about these questions, to give anything like a reliable idea of what the determination may be. But 1 don't think for- a moment the Russians mean fighting. If their hand was forced by some audacious Afghan troops they may be compelled to fight. I am convinced they never intended to do so. The most they want to do is to swindle us, for a more thoroughly corrupt and venal Government does not exist. , I beheoe, if their hand has not been forced, they would prefer cheating to fighting. For these reasons their whole material and political organism is honey-combed with Nihilism, which might at any time lead to internal discord, and m order to carry on a continuous struggle. itisnecessary to have money. I declare to you that Russia is more than trebly bankrupt, and she does not know the extent of her own bankruptcy. She had just enough money — whether it comes from the gold mines of the Ural or the Caucasus I know not — to pay the Imperial debts and the salaries of the corps diplomatique, but that is all. As for credit she cannot get loans m any capital m Europe At all events let us beware of the Bear. We know that wherever England rules there is a rule of right and ireedom Let peace be secured by proper act. It is not to be based on halting counsels, or our prestige can never be preserved. (Hear, hear.) It is not for me to • tell you what may bo done, but keep a firm heart, and, as Cromwell said m the old days, " Trust m God, and keep ypur powder dry." (Great applause.)