ENGLAND'S POSITION.

Press, Volume XLI, Issue 6058, 14 February 1885, Page 3

ENGLAND'S POSITION.

TO THB EDITOE OF THB PBESS. Sib, —You say,"The summary*of the German White Book on New Guinea . . • cannot be said to be pleasant reading for colonists." Colonists, I fear, at least those who (like myself) still feel some interest in England's greatness and honour, may find a great deal of unpleasant reading just now. As this:—

Admiral of the Fleet, Sir T. Symonds, shows from infcrmation from official sources which cannot be contradicted, that at the end of this year the French ironclads wUI number fifty-nine, the English fifty-nine!! That the French guns are breech loaders, and heavier than ours, which moreover are muzzle loaders. That the French ships are armoured from end to end along and above the water line, while nineteen of our newest are only armoured along one-third of the waterline. These ships, I believe, have an invulnerable citadel amidships to protect guns and engines, so that if the (exceedingly) vulnerable ends are water-logged the " citadel" would stUl float. (I may be wrong, but it strikes mc that an " invulnerable citadel," under those conditions, would greatly resemble Mr Sim Tappertit, when his wife removed, as she sometimes did, his wooden legs.) Or this:— The Agamemnon, new ironclad, was unable, on her voyage to Malta, to steer without help from her screws when steaming more than nine knots. Sir T. Brassey hoped her crew would do better when more accustomed to her; if not, the matter could be set right for -5300. Or this :— Improved guns are so urgently required for the Navy that Krupp was asked to supply them. He refused to execute any order under .61,000,000, so Government determined to construct the plant necessary to forge the steel ingots required at Woolwich. But the "trades" intimated that this might possibly influence certain elections adversely to the Government, so this idea had, of course, to he given up. Meantime, as it seems that the " trade" cannot supply steel ingots of the required Bize, Government ia negotiating with Schneider at Creuzet for them and armour piercing shot. "The bursting of so many guns lately is said to be directly due to the inferior steel furnished by the English makers." Or this:—

The English Government is obtaining its supplies of gunpowder from Germany J Yes; lam afraid that with mismanagement in all departments at home, disgrace in South Africa, dangers in India, and the muddle in Egypt and the Soudan, colonists and others may expect some unpleasant reading for some time to come. How is it? Has what Tennyson feared come upon us ? " We sailed wherever ship could sail, We founded many a mighty state t Pray Heaven our greatness may not fail Through craven fear of being peat.". I fear our present" unpleasant reading " is due to "the craven fear of being great-" My Lord Derby certainly has "the craven fear" uponhim very badly. Yours, &c., LOOK2B-02".