The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 1885.

Thames Star, Volume XVI, Issue 5042, 11 March 1885, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 1885.

It must be a source of pleasure to those entrusted with the guidance of affairs in England to reflect on the attachment to Great.Britain and her interests, shown by colonists in the time of trouble which now appears to have come, upon her; yet it must not be forgotten that it would in» deed be ungrateful on the part of her colonial children, were they not to shew some solicitude for one who has been a good and careful mother. In the present case the tender of what assistance lies in the power of a distant offspring is—although due-praiseworthy,and will not only meet with full appreciation at the hands of the British Government, but will certainly arouse feelings of warm enthusiasm in the hearts of all Britons whose lore of country prompts a desire to maintain England's well-earned and hardly won prestige amongst nations. They whole of her colonies almost have shown a strong and healthy feeling of the loyalty which animates them; they hare, with a spontaneity which must have been almost surprising* even in the mother home, rushed to proffer what aid they could in sustaining the honor of their national parent; and although the offers made—small though they at first appeared to be—were not perhaps appreciated as they might have been, reason reigned supreme, and they have been gratefully and graciously accepted. We have previously adverted to these, patriotic effulgences, and while—not in any deprecatory way— giving them notice, have tried tourge that they should have been looked upon in a purely practical light, as the matter ; involved was a solid one, and not at all likely to be assisted by the introduction of superfluous sentiment, if any material benefit is to be given in the direction which wo believe genuine patriots would desire. The offer of men from various colonies for service in the Soudan has be"en made and accepted, but it is very much open' to question whether more wisdom would not have been displayed had the sums which will necessarily be expended in • sending these men away— that is supposing each colony's offer is availed of—been subscribed aud ] udiciously expended by the Homo authorities in pursuance of the Government's Egyptian policy. One of the leading Australian journals very sensibly points out that it would be more' desirable to send money than troops in the present emergency, more particularly as the colonies would require all the forces they possess in case of any unpleasant results arising, from the present disagreement with Russia. The colonies generally may be in a position to spare the money necessary to carry the troopa away from their pboree, but it is eery questionable if they

can spare the men. If the matter were duly considered, we.are inclined to the belief that the conclusion more than likely »to be arrived at is, they canwotf. It is far from our thoughts that only selfish motives should guide the actions of colonists in this if sue) but the old proverb to the effect those who help themselves are most likely to meet with divine assistance, must recur to a careful and well-regulated mind. It is not only the loss of defensive power that the colonies are likely to suffer, but by the exodus from them of several thousands of men, a vacuum is caused, the injurious results of which it is impossible to.estimate. The bone and sinew'lost ia not inI considerable, end the wives and families left I behind by several of those departing are not at all likely to tako the industrial places, in the various communities losing them, o" the bread-winners. In looking at the subject from a purely matter of fact point of view, there can be little doubt that although the desires prompting many of those who are apparently eager to serve the Mother Country, and distinguish themselves in the Soudan, may be of a most praiseworthy and patriotic nature, in most cases they are.more likely to help themselves, those belonging to them, if any, and the country they live in, by stay* ing where they are; and if—as we certainly believe to be the case—a genuine desire to aid the Mother Country causes a throb of patriotism in colonial hearts, let any assistance given assume a thoroughly practical shape, and the thought remain that while aid is being given to our bountiful parent, we are not unreasonably impoverishing ourselves.