The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, MARCH 7, 1885. THE PROSPECT OF WAR.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1312, 7 March 1885, Page 2

The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, MARCH 7, 1885. THE PROSPECT OF WAR.

The opposition which Sir Henry Parkes .has offered to volunteers being sent to the Soudan has puzzled most people. For the last few years Sir Henry has been looked upon as playing the flunkey to the Dukes and Earls of the British Empire. He has advocated the creation of an Australian nobility with scats in the House of Lords, and also colonial representation in the House of Commons. He has, in fact, laid himself open to thtJcharge of trying to ingratiate himself into the good opinion of high society in the Old Country, and consequently when he opposed so highly patriotic a movement as the sending of assistance to England in her hour of difficulty, people could not well understand it. We confess that we have no sympathy with sending troops to the Soudan, but our reasons for disapproving of the movement are based, we trust, on higher motives than those which actuate Sir Henry Parkes. From his published speech we gather that his objection consists in that it will cost the colony £300,000, and that this sum will be increased if many of the volunteers die, and the duty of supporting their families is thrown on the Stale, Thus with Sir Henry Parkes it is a matter of pounds, shillings, and pence ; patriotism plays no part in his calculations ; neither does he show any anxiety concerning the many lives that might be lost. Our objection is based on different grounds, In our opinion England has no right, and never had, to interfere in the affair at all. It is commonly held—and by people who ought to know better—that England’s interest in Egypt consists in keeping the Suez Canal open for traffic, This is altogether a mistake : whoever rules Egypt will always take care that the Suez Canal will be kept open, for it would be a suicidal policy on the part of Egypt to inter fere with its traffic. If Ara.bi Pasha had established a Government m Egypt, the Suez Canal would be just as free as it is at present, for he could not be such a fool as to turn trade and commerce away from his own door. England has only one interest in the Suez Canal, and that is to prevent any of the Continental powers from obtaining possession of it. The real.cause of England’s interference in the domestic quarrels of the Egyptians is that English money-lenders have advanced to Egypt since 1862 about £68,000,000 and if the present Khedive had bfen dethroned, and Arsbi Pasha had established a Go-, vernment of his own, the probabilities are that he would repudiate this debt.. It is in this England's interest in Egypt lies, in the pockets of her money-lenders—-wretched usurers who have neither souls consciences nor patriotism ; men who would lend to O’Donovan Roasa to blow up the Tower of London if they could make profit out of it—and it is because we feel disgusted at the, thought that the noblest and the best of England’s men—' men, who were an ornament to the human race, have spilled their blood and lost their lives in Egypt that we object to it. England ought to do one of two things : annex Egypt and establish an English colony there, or cease from interfering in her domestic quarrels,' It is on these grounds—on the ground that we hare no right to tack up the tyranny Egypt exercises over the Soudan,-—that

we object to colonists taking a p'artin tho Soudan war ; but at the same time wo must confess that we feel a pride in the spirit of patriotism which was evinced by the willingness with which colonists have offered their assistance. But this is only right after all. England at her own expense maintains a fleet of ships to guard our coasts, and if any othe'r Power interfered with us, thousands of her soldiers would come immediately to our assistance. It is therefore only right that wo should make her quarrel ours, and lend her a helping hand when she needs it. We are afraid that she will shortly need it, and that the day is not far distant when the services of colonists to fight for her will be readily accepted. France has lately developed a wonderful desire for acquiring colonies, and appears ready to dip her fingers in any pie that may offer. A few days ago we were informed that she was casting longing eyes on parts of the coast ot the Red . Sea, and also had some , idea of acquiring possessions in the South Seas. Her Recidiviste Bill is also a vexed question. Prince Bismarck also does not appear to bo in a very amiable mood. Besides his colonising fever, he seems to have been offended by the contents of the recentlypublished Blue Book. But these two Powers in all probability would settle their difficulty with England without bloodshed. Both have reached a degree of civilisation now that would make them hesitate before going to war. Russia is the real enemy we need fear. From times immemorial that country has had her eye upon extending her dominions in all directions, and she is evidently taking advantage of England’s difficulty in Egypt to push into Upper India. All this leads to the conclusion that we are in the beginning of very troublous times: when colonists will probably not only be accepted, but will find it necessary to defend their own homes. We have taken up England’s quarrel now, we have identified ourselves with her in her struggles, and that will give sufficient excuse to any Power she may engage in war with to regard the colonies as a part of the Empire, and make war upon us also. The time has arrived when we ought to begin preparing tor the worst.