The Waikato Times. THURSDAY MAY 9, 1878.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 917, 9 May 1878, Page 2

The Waikato Times.

THURSDAY MAY 9, 1878.

*Er{u'al*^d : fci¥ol^tw^ Of whatever state or persuasion, religious or p"olitidali,.>. ?.^r'.;/ ', ; * ..... .-* . .. * * * Here shall the Press tlie People's right maintain, Unawcd by influence and uiibribed bygain.

TELEGHii'inc communication to the 3rd insb. has been received since our last publication. The probabilities of a continuance of peace are gradually lessening. Active preparations for the coming, struggle .are being 1 "liuWiedly pressed on' by both England and Russia, and-.-every attempt to arrange questions! in dispute is paralysed by an apparently 1 foregone conclnsion to push matters to extremes. England now takes her stand on the Treaty of Paris, the Treaty of 1870, which is a modification of the treaty o± 18HG, and iii doing this takes up a position -which will force Russia into a cession of her demands, or reduce her to the extremity of resorting to arms to enforce them. Having taken this stand, Great Brik in" cannot retreat from the position*' and. it remains to be seen whether Russia- will yield or. fight. ; '.An interesting items of news to tho colonists is that of the active preparations already made by Russia for the establishment of a privateering force m he North Pacific seas. Six hundred officers aud men of the Russian Navy have beon landed at the port of Maine m New E lg'and for the manning of a privateer force. This number of men represents probably not the entire crews of two or three vessels; but a force which distributed m a .large number of armed steamers would organise a privateering fleet, manned by ten Limes as many hands. News flies swiftly, however, nowadays, and as the Government at home was piobabJy aware of their intended departure from the Baltic befoie even it" took place, means have m all likelihood been tak'bn to oppose this movement m the direction of Russian privateering. At any rate the news comes swiftly on the heels of the despatch, "of -the. Secretary of State for the Colonies recently published, arid Is another warning to the Government of the Colony to lose no time iv organising artillery corps m the: larger sen port towns for r-heir defence. The "guns it is 'possible may even yefc be here before the declaration of war, bat of what avail if we lack the men trained to use them !