CONDITION OF ENGLAND.

Manawatu Times, Volume II, Issue 87, 18 August 1877, Page 3

CONDITION OF ENGLAND.

The New York " Herald " has.the following reassuring observations with regard to the fortunes of the British Empire : — The one thing which even Englishmen cannot do with ships is to fight with them on land. Some day of other and England must defend her Empire on land. The much vaunted Channel, the. silver streak of shining sea, which Mr Gladstone regards as the charmed barrier of England's safety, loSfes its power with the advances of science. It took the, Spanish Armada days to move over a* space that now could be traversed m a few hours. When Napoleon pro-? posed to descend upon England's coasts from Boulogne lie needed twelve or fifteen hours for the work. He would not need more than two hours now. Even with all Napoleon's difficulties m crossing the Channelf the absence of steam, and the appli- j ances of modern science, even with the transcendent genius of Nelson at the* head of English fleets, ,the, military student ' sees- that but -for the indecision of Villeneuve and his disregard of orders, Napoleon would have crossed the Channel, thrown his army into Kent, and taken London. Great as was Napoleon, and ' even greater as was his army, Europe has to-day a greater military power m the -German Empire. Let us suppose such an alliance between. Q-er-many and Russia as existed against Napoleon, and where is the power of Great 'Britain? She welcomed the destruction . of the military power of the French Empire, and now she has no one to take her subsidy and figlit her battles. Is it Austria ? If Austria went into the field against Germany she would lose every province m a campaign, and ■ become a second-class Power. England has no~ allies to do her. work on bbc "continent. If, m obedience to the blind public opinion which now andthen finds expression m Parliament ; she' resolved to assail, could she protect her own island ? England is not a sacred land. Berlin, Vienna, and Paris have felt the invader's heel within this century, and why not London? ■ Where is the power to save London ? ' Is it the navy? We question if all the navies *of the world could protect the < Channel and the seas around England from an invading force, simply because no navy is omnipotent and omnipresent. Ts it the army ? England has no army compared to that of Germany, or even France. She has a myriad of tender-footed,volun-teers,, who parade- over the downs and through, .the parks m Easter week. But they have never had the training. Englaud with her wealth, her endless resources, with her 'patriotic spirit, with, as gallant and chivalrous a people as exists on ttie globe, has been governed by a false policy so far as • the maintenance of her Empire is- concerned.