THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. MONDAY, JANUARY 22, 1877.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2510, 22 January 1877, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. MONDAY, JANUARY 22, 1877.

Will there be war in Europe, is a question asked by many people now. Though so far remote from what, if there is war, will be the scene of operations the question does not fail to create great interest in the minds of England's colonies in the Southern Hemisphere. Just as when the long trains laden with men long absent from their country departed from Charing Cross amidst cheers to fight for their Fatherland when the Franco-Prussian War broke out, so now, probably, would many a man return home were the mother country invaded, and, like John of Gettysburg, after having helped to beat the enemy, return to his old pursuits again. It may be that the saying "it is sweet and. glorious to die for one's country" is not true, as far as the sweet part of the business is concerned, but there are many who, if danger seriously threatened England, would exclaim with Blount in Marmion —

By Heaven and all its saints I swear I will not see it ta'en.

But it is not likely that this will have to be the case. Still, speaking for ourselves, we must say that war appears to be imminent, and when once commenced no one'ean say what results it may lead to. The Grand Council of Turkey have resolved not to discuss the proposals of the Conference further, but they may, like the Emperor Nicholas, reconsider the question, and, after sending in their ultimatum, like him send in another proposal, which was called in derision his uHimatissimum. England, as we have before pointed out, has, to our thinking, been too lenient all along, but is now, as it seems, prepared to occupy not only Constantinople, but also the neck of land which stretches from the Sea of Marmora to the Black fiea.. We hope peace may. be maintained if ii*he not at the expense of our national honor, yet at the same time we confess we are glad to see that England is making pi'eparations for war.

We do not blame the Press Agency so much for the shortcomings which have in many instances taxed the patience of subscribers to the agency as we do their local representatives. These seem to tax their brains to send either incomplete telegrams or uninteresting one 3. For instance, we had in one of our issues more than a column of telegraphic news respecting the Nelson Begatta,~the pith of which might have been easily given in about twenty lines; and though it was considered needful by them to telegraph to us part of the .particulars of the cricket match between Otago and* Canterbury, yet the result, which is the chief thing wanted, was not sent at all. The scores were sent by the Press Agency to the New Zealand Herald and Daily Southern Cross, and the remarks sent with theax are very curious. Thus, we read that one man turned to drive a ball to leg, and again, that a bowler missed a ball and lost his middle stump I Surely he was not bowling and batting at the same time. If incompetent people are employed, to represent the Press Agency, it would be better if they would confine themselves to stating facts than write of things they evidently know nothing about.