ON THE BRINK OF WAR

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 6, 7 June 1913, Page 10

ON THE BRINK OF WAR

SIR EDWARD GREY'S "COUP." BRITISH FLEET YVAITING TO STRIKE FIRST BLOW. (By the Sydney Sunday Times Correspondent). London, May 3. For weeks Britain has been on the brink of a great European war, and the public have scarcely been interested let alone perturbed. Every effort has been made to minimise in the Press and in Parliament the gravity of the crisis through which the country has been ingFor instance, every officer of the British Navy for over two months has been on 48 hours' notice; that is to say, he has not been permitted to go anywhere or do anything,that would prevent him rejoining his naval station within 48 hours of a telegram being sent him from the Admiralty. All the regular Easter, and what is known as "refitting," leave has been stopped. Day and night the huge British Navy has been kept constantly ready to strike the first blow in what threatened to be the long-dreaded Armageddon of Europe. Yet the public prosaically carried on its everyday affairs, and slept peacefully in its bed, blissfully ignorant of the ominous preparations for immediate war. Had the full significance of the situation become generally known it is probable that apprehension and agitation might have pre cipated the cataclysm which Sir Edward Grey worked so desperately to stave off. It was no mere "war scare." Every effective ship in the British Navy had steam up during all the 24 hours. Aboard of each of them were not only full crews, but complete ammunition outfits and stores sufficient for a six months' war. The men, the shells, and the provisions are still on board. Not until the European cauldron ceases to bubble will the menacing outfits be disembarked. The high state of efficiency of the British Navy, and Sir Edward Grey's calculated admission to the German and Austrian Ambassadors that the fleet was on a war footing, are mainly responsible for averting a conflict between Germany and Austria on the one side and France and Russia on the other. Into this, as into a Vortex, England would almost certainly have been dragged. I have reason to believe that on a day when war between the Great Powers seemed the only possible solution of the Albanian and other questions, the British Government took pains to let information be conveyed to Berlin and Vienna as to the extent of her naval preparations. Sir Edward Grey was under pledge to Parliament that no threat of British aggression should be made in connection with the Balkan difficulty without the frank assent of the House of Commons. He observed his pledge to "the letter," but in spirit he said to Ger- - many and Austria: — "Go to war with France and Russia if you like. But please cast your eye at this fleet that is concentrated on a war footing in English waters. It is not there for purposes of defence. How it will be used in the event of a war against two members of the Triple Entente I cannot possibly say. Parliament will decide that. But there is the fleet—and look out!"

The threat was more effective than pages of diplomatic protest. Germany and Austria, with Italy either neutral or helpful, were quite prepared to meet the Russian and French armies, even though Bulgaria, Greece, and Montenegro sided with the Triple Entente. But neither Germany nor Austria relished the idea of having to fight the British Fleet. They know that the prevailing sentiment in this country was and is against being embroiled in a European war, but they could not take chances on that sentiment being strong enough to prevent the British Government siding with France if Sir Edward Grey recommended such a course of action.

With the spirit of danger and unrest still permeating the affairs of Europe, it is too early to attempt to gauge on broad lines the results of Sir Edward Grey's "coup." One thing seems to be quite clear. It has accentuated the hatred of the anti-English partv in Germany. The Neueste Nachrichten declares that in any attempt at Colonial expansion Germany has to "struggle with the same England and the same France which are deadly enemies of German hegemony in Europe. What we have to reckon with is the certainty that so soon as we stretch out our hand to grasp tropical fruits the European noose round our neck will be drawn tight. Our first task must be to loosen this."

Russia, points out this organ of the

war party, "is drunk with victorious Slavism, we must reckon on being compelled to defend ourselves by force of arms against this colossus before very long."

Tn the light of the recent crisis and the successful interposition of Great Britain, the Nachrichten onlv sees hope for Germany in an alliance with the yellow races—especially with the Chinese, "who are naturally opposed to the oppression of Russia." It would be a curious paradox if the flefeat of the Turkish Mohammedans bv the Christian Allies was indirectly responsible for creating an alliance amongst the philosophic races of Occident and Orient—namely, Germany, China, and Japan.