The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 1880.

Temuka Leader, Issue 241, 11 March 1880, Page 2

The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 1880.

Some weeks ago we gave it as our opinion that there would be no war between Russia and England, unless Riis , : a managed in some way to cause a quarrel between England and some of her present allies. This, no doubt, is Russia’s pol;cy,and it is more than possibie that she may t»ucceei. Knot, ue repeat that {here will he no war between England aud Russia. When the t’eciric flash the cdber clay wired that war with Russia was imminent, we did not believe it, because we saw no semblance even of a quarrel between England and any of tlie.great powers. There is no denying that the great preparations for war everywhn e being uiaerod upon points unmistakably to that scourge being almost certain to •overtake us. England is pursuing a bold but very dangerous policy. Under no former Government lias the spirit of conquest shown itself so strong as in that of Lord Beaconsfield’s, and although up till .now France, Germany, and Austria have ;given a tacit consent to her measures, the least act that may in any way b* interpreted as aslight ordishonor toany of these powers would, fanned by the insinuations of Russia’s emissaries, soon burst into a flame. What then ? War might ho de. dared by any of these powers ; very likely by Italy ; Russia would rush to her assistance. Therefore, we say war may bo a reality before many mouths have passed What then 1 The reports from the Untied Sfc les tell us gf what we have seen going ou all along : that Russia is making gigan. tic preparations for striking a blow at the maritime power of England. Is It imnosRibia to cripple England in this arm ? We fear not It must bo patent to everyone the advantage that Russia has over her foe n this instance. Fully equipped as her privateers undoubtedly are both in amis and speed through the water, it would be as easy for her to make reprisa’s as it would be for a bush army to cripple an unprotected army on the plains From nny point that could be imagined, Russia is in a position to rush out upon our mercantile shipping in a way that leaves no alternati.e but .o surrender at discretion. Souw may talk of couvoysl How many convoys would it take to protect a tilin' of our shipping ? Little less than a whole fleet would be required to defeud the a * tacks of half a dozen swift, well-armed steamers, emerging from their lading places ,n vaiiu.is dir* cturns. « Russia is proverbially secret and full of low, unprincipled cunning, and just as one distrusts an iudividu 1 who inherit? this principle, as a man not. to bo trusted, as although he 1.1 ght fawn in your face, he is m iking preparations totenfc your throat. So will Russia'do. al she canto throw En<d r>-i off her guard, and will strike a blow whan and here it is leu.-d < xp f, oi.ed.

AH we repeal. d-peuus upon me uauy bt» avee i Engl aid r,n lot nr powers. America and Russia hare been good t fiends ; it is moreover to h-v i derest to keep friendly wi h itossi >, lien e ihe Hfticulty of drawing out the Araeii"aii diplomatist as to what is the veil slate of atfai>.-s? When we hear of torpedoes and torpedo boats of an imoroved Jet ua not think wehive g.a into her s C' - et This is only like a small l eak in a ca»k ;it only indicales what is within, but t ikes a long time to empty the vesse*, and wnich calls for immediate attention ; so with Russia : these little leaks only draw the attention of her Government to the ue. cessitv for greater seeveti venesa. When we recollect i bat it was Hess a that first invented, or at leas!, brought,into working on er, the first infernal machine that made onr fleet stagger and reel in ihe Baltic, at the commencement of Ihe C mean w« •, sorely it would be nowise on Eag--1 in I’s part to pooh pooh the idea that sin may have made further discoveries in the same direction, such as may startle the world by tbeir results. Aie we, then, not in danger of a war b r erk’T>g out at any moment? It is quite true that Russia-has enough to do at Home ; her whole empire conviPsod, and like a s'eeping volcano,only gatherings.renjth to give a death’s blow to despotism ; yet, nevertheless, Russia is a great newer that caonot he confined in her operaiions to a few of her la ge ti ies. Even. although shouhi mbePioa h; >ak out and require h**r immediate e.-eiiioo, this would not check her progress in her schemes against England. Now, let us See what would be the consequence to us if war should be pioclaimed, Immediaielylhe rale off'e’ght to and Torn England would be doubled, Insurance would 'be more th -u doubled. Lnpo/ • .s w* ll •» ap- r > fiom a'l the British to o',ties wou d idniusi emse. rnd nuh-ss in EigVrul and Russia s. pgn.-d-jn In rude an.l comme-ce would he We resin .

To nnr grain growers we *ake the libc Ly •of peiming out these contingencies as a maUer ihrt may not have escap d the observrtion of gram buyers. The woo) shipments are cear’y orer, and the chance of the vessels re?ch : ng their des.'inaiions without molestation is almost a cer-aVy It is not so however with grain shipmemj: they me only just beginning, and will not be i t full awing for some weeks yet Do not buyers calculate the chances of war as amongst things possible? and do Dot they know the ruinous consequences that would follow any largo epoculat’ous ia gram which may not be ready for delivery for months yet 1 Is it not possible that buyers, seeing these risks, buy v. ith caution, and at prces that will leave a margin tomcat the woisc? The home markets will not in our doj recede ; on the contrary, we think prices will keep up, possibly ndvancf, till the end of the ncit English harvest. If, therefore, wo were farmers, and coida hold on, wo womd rather do so than sell; that ia if wo be lieved there would be no war.