The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 1885. THE PROSPECTS OF WAR.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1332, 25 April 1885, Page 2

The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 1885. THE PROSPECTS OF WAR.

Thk more recent news from Home leaves very little room to hope that the complications which have arisen between England and Russia will be amicably settled. It is evident that both sides are parlying for no other purpose than to gain time, so as to prepare for the terrible combat, and that neither of them never contemplated the possibility of the dispute being peaceably arranged. Russia knew very well the consequences of the steps she was taking, when she despatched an army to the frontier, and it was not to amuse herself that they adopted such aggressive measure?. They did not come so far to return as they came; their intention is too obvious—they raeaa to have war, and war they will have unless England is satibfied to eat very humbte pie. We do not believe that she will. We have read a good deal of nonsensical balderdash about the cowardice shown by the Gladstone Ministry for I he past few weeks. They were the " Peace at any Price" Party, they would fight on no account, and they had brought disgrace upon England ! In our opinion this is not the fact. The Gladstone Ministry have always been too ready to go to war ; in fact it has been almost incessant war during their term of office. In Zululand, in Egypt, in the feoudan, and in other places tUey have fought and won j they have not been slow to

attack a weak enemy, at any rate, and it is to be hoped that now they will have the courage to face a powerful one. We believe they will, and that all the parleying has been carried on only to gain time. That must be admitted to be a wise course, for it would lead to nothing but disaster were England to rush into the contest quite unprepared, just as she went into the Crimean campaign, where Bhe lost more men by cold, hunger and Fickness than by the powder and shot of the enemy. There can be no doubt, however, but that in going to war with Russia England is taking a very serious step, and the Ministry may well be pardoned for considering the responsibilities attached to it very eeriouslj before deciding on each a line of action. The Russia of to-day is not the Russia of the Crimea. Her army is as well drilled and as well equipped as any in the world ; she can pour her soldiers into the battlefield in hundreds of thousands, and, as she appears at present determined to extend her dominions, it is probable that she will muster to the Afghan frontier all her available forces. Thus it will be seen that to go to war with such a power is no child's play, and that it involves responsibilities of a serious nature. There are other grave considerations to be taken into account, but the principal one is the loyalty br disloyalty of the native population of India.- If the natives of India are loyal, Russia will pay severely for her aggressiveness ; if, on the other hand, a rebellion should break out in India it may lead to the defeat and humiliation of England and the dismemberment of the Empire. On equal terms, it appears to us that England would have just enough to do to repel the aggression of Russia. With her Egyptian troubles on her hands, her war in the Soudan ; and her unhappy relations with Ireland, it appears to us that should the Indians become rebellious the situation would become very critical. A great deal therefore depends on tbe loyalty of the Indians, and Indian loyalty is not so reliable that we can help doubting it. For the last two years we have frequently noticed that the Native newspapers have indulged in the fiercest denunciations of England ; in fact, they have gone so far that some of the papers were suppressed and their editors imprisoned. Also, the Marquis of Ripon had to leave India because the Europeans thought he favoured the natives too much, and the result was further irritation. A Bpecial correspondent's letter in the Lyttelton Times states that the Indians are in a state bordering on rebellion, and these symptoms, taken with tbe fact that they are a conquered people—and all conquered people are anxious to secure independence—seem to point out that the loyalty of India is doubtful. No doubt the English Ministry realise to the fullest extent the gravity of all these, and many other considerations dependent on them, and if they have hesitated and tried to ward off the the evil day they ought not to be blamed for it. Under the circumstances it is tbo duty of the colonies to do all they can to protect themselves, and also to lend as much assistance as is possible to the Mother Country.