ENGLAND'S ISOLATION.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 10042, 21 May 1898, Page 5

ENGLAND'S ISOLATION.

TO THE EDITOR OP THE PRESS. Sir, —In the not remote prospect of a great and terrible struggle with Russia, in all probability with France as well, England's present isolation is a matter of grave concern, and yet it appears that unless Japan is willing to become our ally we shall indeed be left to fight single-handed. No doubt America's sentiment will be towards those who are her kindred in blood and tongue, but it is extremely unlikely that the States will risk the expenditure of hundreds of millions sterling in interfering in a war of which the theatre of operations will be many thousands of miles from her seaboard.. Moreover, she is quite unable to give us any help. With a very small navy, and with practically no army, she finds all her work cut out to get the better of a weak State like Spain. Beyond destroying a fleet of old and obsolete ships at Manila she has done nothing, in fact her own condition is so defenceless that, to quote the words of one of the highest military authorities in New Zealand, whose name I must not mention, 50,000 European troops could amuse»themselves by marching backwards and forwards between the Rockies and the Alleghannies. No, America cannot help us, even if she wished to do so. She has no army. It may be said that in the Civil War she raised large forces, who fought bravely and well. Quite true; but the raw levies she threw into the field had only in their turn raw levies to contend against. Quite a different thing to fighting trained troops. A {rained soldier is the product of time, of years. Two hours a week in a carpenter's shop won't make, a man a carpenter, or two hours a week behind a counter won't turn out a banker or an accountant; and only those who have never had to do with the real article will imagine that two hours elementary drill a week will turn a civilian into a soldier. The writer's father, an officer of some experience, never thougnt a man of less than five years' service was worth his salt, at least he could not be absolutely relied on. With regard to New Zealand, I don't fancy there is much danger of Russia sending ships out here. She knows there is a large British squadron in these waters, and, moreover, she will want all her ships elsewhere. Our only danger is in the result of war going adversei to thej British arms, which, God forbid. In that case one of the conditions of peace might be the cession of New Zealand. We should not be asked anything about it, nor could we in any way, whilst sanity was left us, do other than reluctantly haul down our flag. "HorribUe dictu," but for all that true.—Yours, &c, Sabretache.