THE CONGRESS AND THE EMPLOYMENT OF INDIAN TROOPS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 724, 5 August 1878, Page 2

THE CONGRESS AND THE EMPLOYMENT OF INDIAN TROOPS.

A London special says that Count Shouvaloff brought up at the Congress the questions of employing Indian troops in Europe in warfare and of selling arms to Asiatic people, especially to Chinese. He wished, he said, to invite the Congress to look upon the subject without passion, and regard it as affecting the interests and the very existence of European civilisation. He cited the opinion of eminent savants who had lately pointed out that had the ancient Greeks possessed even the rudest of our modern arms they could have rolled back the barbarian hordes who swept them away, but the experience of the late campaign had shown that war was no longer a contest in which superior physical strength and moral purpose would win the victory. Turkey, armed with the rifles made in the United States, and entrenched in positions chosen and fortified by military skill, had been able to held a'.- buy tY>r weeks the flower of the and the best the bravest, and the u.ost ardent of her soldiers. If the countless hordes of China and India were to be permitted to arm themselves with modern weapons, and acquire a practical knowledge of the art of modern warfare, there would be nothing to prevent them from rolling forth into Europe and crushing Christian civilisation out of existence. Especially were the Mongolians to be studied from this point of view, and lie invited Congress to take the matter into serious consideration and deliberate upon the practicability of a league of the European Powers, binding them to abstain from employing Asiatic' troops in Europe, and to prevent, as far as possible, the importation of arms of precision into Asia. Lord Beaconslield is said to have made rather a light reply to this appeal. He said that, at all events, the subject was not at all german to the objects of > the Congress, and slould not now be discussed ; but Schouvaloff's remarks made a strong impression upon Prince Bismarck and Mr. Waddiugton, and subsequently in private conversation ho suggested that the subject was worthy of consideration by a Congress called expressly for that purpose.