The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) MONDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1877.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5228, 24 December 1877, Page 2

The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) MONDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1877.

The cable news published on Saturday is perhaps the most' important that has reached these shores., The intelligence that the .Russians are advancing in every direction is of trivial import compared to the announcement that England has arranged for the purchase of the Turkish fleet. This shows that the statesmen of England are not asleep, as alleged on the continent of Europe, but that they recognise that the time has come when Britain may be called upon to act at any moment. Should the announcement of the purchase turn, out to be true, it will have the effect of hastening a declaration of policy on the part of the groat neutral Powers of Europe. At present the most acute observers profess themselves in the dark as to the real aims of the several nations who are interested in the Eastern question, and anything which would hasten an avowal of their intentions will tend to put the subject upon a negotiable footing for settlement. England has hitherto shown herself very undecided, and a loss of prestige has been the result. But England was not the only Power undecided ; for a remarkable feature in connection with this war has been the evasiveness which has boon displayed by the various nations when any attempt was made to open up negotiations. Still, such a strong measure of precaution as

the purchase of the Turkish fleet, will show to the nations of Europe that the ‘ ‘ Lion of the sea ” is girding up his loins, and is determined that that voice which was once .so potent shall be again heard with power in the councils of Europe. As Earl Beaconsfield said at the commencement of the struggle, should England be forced to’-go'to war, it will take more than one campaign to test her resources. As for the benevolent motives which were supposed to have induced Russia to commence the present war, the great disasters which have befallen the Turkish army, and the fact of the Porte soliciting peace, should bring out the policy of the Muscovite in its true light. But people may well be afraid that Russian philanthropy means Russian territorial aggrandisement. But assuming that Russia will be thoroughly successful in the present war, and that the dismemberment of Turkey becomes an accomplished fact, it by no means follows that she will be allowed a large accession of territory. It is true that during the present struggle she has so far received the moral support of Germany as represented by the Emperor William and Prince Bismarck ; but it would not be wise for Russia to rely much upon their professions. Some time back the Daily Telegraph said regarding Prince Bismarck : —“ The world has never wronged him by imputing any transcendents! nwality as his motive in statesmanship. Still, Germany is a great, honorable, and conscientious nation, and it is a question for the people as well as for their Minister to answer whether the Turk could find much moral teaching in' the course which has been imposed upon German policy. What the world has seen was this—that whenever there was a chance of peace the impetus which started the scale against any amicable arrangement seemed to come from Berlin; and what the world has gathered was that German influence has been cast all along against the Porte, not from any feeble 'sentimentalism about the Bulgarians, but because the more ruin and bankruptcy the better it would be for the combinations of Prince Bismarck.” If such are the sentiments of the great German Chancellor, exhausted Russia at the close of the war may find a strong curb put upon her ambition by Germany, despite the opinions of the Conservative Press of England to the contrary. It is hard to see how English and German interests could conflict in the settlement of the Eastern question. Should England succeed in purchasing the Turkish fleet she will immensely increase her naval strength. From “ The Statemau’s Year Book” we learn that shortly before the commencement of the war the Turkish fleet consisted of twenty ironclads and seventy other steamers. The greater number of the ironclads were built in Great Britain. The two largest have each a displacement of 9000 tons, and are armed with twelve 18-tou guns, and various other pieces of lighter calibre. They are recognised as two of the most powerful warships in the world. That the Turkish navy is of considerable magnitude will be gleaned from the fact that it is manned by 30,000 seamen and 4000 marines.