RUSSIAN INVASION OF PORTSMOUTH.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2558, 19 March 1877, Page 2

RUSSIAN INVASION OF PORTSMOUTH.

For years past*complaints hare beta , made of the universal philanthropy of successive Uritisn Governhients£<wbo not ~ only, publish-their costly ..experiments.in ships, armour plates, guns, small arms, a*nd- ottie'r "'©fle"nsive ;i-and T'-deleniiveT &B4 pliances for the benefit '"of: Hie are. specially, careful ta_post. up_foieign military and naval experts in all such par* iicularaaa w&uld btherfWstf remain ;ifec<ret, and this even while the knowledgeTso communicated di reported: feiiltvxjtjtejen ' withheld.;from-ourfown offiotrst the naval departments'ro£ tnet Gtfeaf Sowers, especially Russia] PiHn»s*a,>ind tbfef«Mfftd States, there arechartS^afid Bp«*ii«i<ibns containing description W-of ■ bWttefrdMMf, showing the tbick'ness 1 of;tbe'iw^urplating oh'Varibus^'pafts -of !ihetf*!)nll&,. and the armaments they cari^:lifS*in% calibre and power'of their gutftr^ltris not necessary for Russia and^ other r "friendly' 1 Powers to have spies in this' country to fin^pat^ar military and naval strength, for"bur generous^ Government is ready ,% forestall .their invejtiwtioiis. But's6mM6w^or otlior^tpitslJbgj&i— they seem to be in ' possession of information f Which/:6;qr d*# pepplt kck. A curious illustration of this, which would be amusing- if it wejpi not so very serious a matter,* is reported to c: hare "6ccurred>lat Boi!ta|q(HCtKt9tl|^y or two ago. It appears, according to the account, th«,a]hunilliEjcC>>fCßoasian , officers of high rank have been busily engaged at Portsmouth in famifonsing themselves with the work going on in the doCkyaVd, -and wfLfii'tfie systtfegflf $fK. nery instruction pursuddlitlEastnejLiid on board the Excellent. They were generally? pleastck wW'Srhlt- KbtyTHW. They have clearly »ade good use of their opporH£nftie«^H«n<3 taken more than, a casual survey of what was going" on:;: - the. Boadicea, and before leaving her re* quMed' to J be" shown' the "new^totpeilb '" carriage.. The attendant was not aware ' that" the" carfiage^Kadt at 1 tW tSael'Bero . fitted on board, and, .expressed .his doubt on the subject; Hut "th fe lt RlissiW- offi^eVs assured him that a^carriage had been provided, and at once led the way to where*, it was found. A company of Russian officers know it seems, more &bout the details and arrangement of one of our vessels than an Englishman- employed upon it. Russia happen* to be the only Power, in whose relations with ourselves there ia what diplomatists call a decided " tension." But wqre it Prussia, or France, or America, that were preparing for war with jify there is little doubt that naval an<|?'milij»rjvexpertii from -those Powers would-«i«Jon^nßint|aiJe themselves into places likV Portsmouth and Woolwich, and find out/ftll our strength and our weakness.—Morning Advertiser.