THE DEFENCES OF OUR NEIGHBORS AND ITS BESSONS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5372, 15 June 1878, Page 3

THE DEFENCES OF OUR NEIGHBORS AND ITS BESSONS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEW ZEALAND TIMES. Slit, —I hear from a friend, of mine iu Sydney that “wo have been preparing for the Russians in a small way, having mounted six 18-ton, six 12-ton guns, and : fifteen 80poundors ; and we have three lines of torpedoes ready to bo fired from the batteries ready to be laid.” ~

I have no doubt that the whole of this information, and detailed plans of the whole, are now on their way to the Russian captain at Sail Francisco. I won’t say that iu the event of war every gun mounted at Sydney and Melbourne is a nail in our coffins at Wellington and Auckland, hut it certainly adds to the chance of two or three hundred thousand going out of the pockets of respected citizens of these towns. Fancy Auckland and Wellington sisters in affliction ! But there are no large commercial ports iu the Australasian colonies easier of access at any time of late, war or no wav, than these two ; and even if Sydney and Melbourne had not a gun mounted, it is probable that they might prefer to levy a contribution on these ports before they tried elsewhere. Some people have an idea that towns like this would not be touched. They are very much mistaken. Take the mpst civilised war of late years : The Russians levied largo amounts of money and material at the different towns they passed through, in addition to heavy fines for a very small provocation. There is no difference between a ship coming into a defenceless port and a regiment marching through a 1 defenceless town ; and the# will find that if either stand in need they will take what they want. I grant that where no resistance whatever was made to these requisitions they were made comparatively light. But Englishmen have not dining the last century been iu the habit of buying security from their declared enemies, and I trust wc or our descendants will never degenerate to that point, but will ever be ready to do our duty to the homes of our own making, and by so doing add to our glory in being Britons and part of the British Empire. At present we have resolved to chauce war, aud if this Conference comes to nothing, iu about six weeks after we shall probably have the satisfaction of seeing in your paper (it will bo rather too startling an event for the shipping column) —“ A steamer with Russian colors flying arrived in port at daylight this morning as we go to press. She is lying with her broadside to the town. The harbor authorities have tried to board her, but were told in very good English that they were to remain in their boat, and given a letter for the Governor. The volunteers and armed constabulary are assembling at Mount Cook, &c. Rumor says that they want £1,000,000.” But leaving imaginary troubles alone, it is our duty to ourselves that we should not ho crippling the resources of the mother country by our weakness. What.claim have we, in our independent position, of 'which wo are so proud aud sensitive, on the protection of England. Do we pay a farthing towards her armaments ? Any one who considers the duties of the English fleets iu time of war will see that if there were 500 men-of-wav iu commission, not ono ought to be detained for the protection of any particular port ; but on the contrary, each port should be a point d'appui for the squadron cruising near it, where they could come iu and refit without fear. I don’t suppose I am over-estimating the trade of Great Britain and the colonies at £1,000,000,000 a-year. Butting the average length of voyage at ton days, we may say that at any one time there are £30,000,000 worth of property afloat belonging to England and her colonies. 'This is a nice flock of sheep to let loose those old Yankee, Russianized steamers amongst, and colonists will allow that a very considerable portion of that belongs to themselves, aud they don’t pay a penuy for its protection. I should like some of those gentlemen who think England ought to do everything for us, to make arrangements for the protection of that trade and our colonies at the same time. Of course, if the majority prefer the gambler’s risk, it must be done. The prudent man insures his house against fire, and thinks money well spent in buying a good door and lock, and pistol if necessary, to keep robbers out,—l am, &c., G. R. N.