The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo. FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 1898. THE COLONY'S DEFENCES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 23, 28 January 1898, Page 4

The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 1898. THE COLONY'S DEFENCES.

For tho causo that lacks-assistance, Por tho -wrong that needs. resistance, For the future in tho distance, And tho good that wo can do.

Only a few days ago a war between Great. Britain and Russia might, have been classed among- the more terrible probabilities of the hour. Now we

are happy to say such an event seems 1o have receded once more into the region of the merely possible, but the temporary scare is calculated to shake the apathy with which the public in general are accustomed to regard the question of the defences of the colony. Whether there is really any good foundation for the statement recently made'by the Sydney 'Sunday Times, to the effect that on two occasions in recent years Russia was on the point of descending on Australia we cannot say, but there are increasing grounds for the conviction: that nn invasion of these colonies by that Power is one of the things we must put ourselves in a position to meet. Just how we might fare under such an attack is a favourite subject of speculation at this time among our armchair strategists; but amateur opinions on such matters are worthless as a rule. Even our military authorities would find it hard, except in a very general way, to prophecy how a foe might act in the case of his attacking Auckland or any other of the. large cieutres of thp, colony. At best, the motions of an attacking enemy must be a matter of conjecture to us until he has actually made them. But while ihis is the case there is no question as to the absolute necessity of our putting what defences we have in a. state of preparedness, and of making good anj r deficiencies that may- -exist. • In Colonel Pole-PentOn we believe we have a soldier who thoroughly understands our needs and is enthusiastically -devoted to his duties. Doubtless, if his recommendations could be acted . on, and the. public moved to take, as he hays urged, a. more, active interest in defence mat-, ter-s, we. should be in a much safer position as regards the risk of invasion tiiaja we now are. Let us hope that the present, chances of our being attacked which the : complications in the East have certainly not lessened, but rather increased, will strengthen the Colonel's hands in carrying out those reforms Which he deems most urgent. It is reassuring to notice that he has been giving special attention to the Auckland defences,. and in. connection therewith has ordered certain changes to be immediately effected on Mount "Victoria. v

j The'old signal station and flagstaff | .are to' be removed from their present sites to make room for a new gun which, we understand, is to be mount-ed-so as to command any advance'on the forts from the landward as-well as any attempt to enter the channel on the seaward side. The necessity •for a gun on this commanding eminence to give some approach to com- I !pleteness in the line of defence has commended itself to other authorities, I and the work should have beer, done j long ago. The proposal to provide j the look-out there with a powerful j telescope by which be would be able I to''descry a man-of-war at a distance of thirty miles should also be carried out. It is, in fact, a wonder that the place has been unprovided with such an indispensable instrument tip to the present. These improvements are of < themselves small, but the fact that they are likely, to be undertaken at once indicates that the aspect of affairs in the Host has stirred up our authorities to action. In regard to the removal of the flagstaff, we are not aware in what position it is intended to re-erect it, but we tuke it for granted that it will be placed so that it can be as easily seen from the city and suburbs as at present. We have all been so long accustomed lo consult, the signal station, and it would be a very serious deprivation to hundreds of us if it were placed on a less pro"niinent site than it now occupies. It has been suggested to us that in arranging- for the fortification of Victoria Mountain it would be an advisable thing to remove the pines now growing- on it. Though doubtless a picturesque object in the landscape, they are hardly in place there if the hill is to be fortified. An attacking party of the enemy, supposing it landed along the coast and got so far on its way to Auckland, might find that shelter very convenient.