The Hastings Standard Published Daily. SATURDAY, SEPT. 26, 1896. THE WAR CLOUDS.

Hastings Standard, Issue 131, 26 September 1896, Page 2

The Hastings Standard Published Daily.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 26, 1896. THE WAR CLOUDS.

For the cause that lacks assistance, For the wrongs that need resistance, For the future in the distance, And the good that we can do.

The clouds that portend the coming storm are gathering thickly, and the everl astingE astern question seems near its solution. The Sultan, backed up by the Russians, appears in no hurry to fulfil promises or carry out reforms. The situation is critical from whatever point it is looked at, and the only hope that presents itself just now is that the young Tsar, who has just been received and welcomed right loyally by th« Queen and people of Great Britain, may unbend to the pleadings of the masses and the arguments of British statesmen. It is a slender hope; the singleness and continuity of Russian policy knows no deflection, no intermission. Her onward march has been steady, and the cables of the week have given another proof of her success. Japan went to war with China over Corea, yet it is Russia that secures the benefits. Oorea t« to be placed under the Joint control of Japan and Russia. Presently there will be a disagreement as to the extent of the control and the mode of it, and the Japanese will be sent out of Corea bag and baggage, leaving to Russia the

entire control of the country. It is the Russian policy.

The interest of the outside world is just now centered in the abominable Turk and his relations with Russia. Obviously the Sultan is the mere puppet of the Tzar, and what that young man will do becomes a matter of extreme importance. The chances of war are great, and we in this far off country are as much in the presence of danger as are those in the Mediterranean. Are we prepared ? Just picture the hurry and flurry there will be throughout Australasia if the cable tells us that the British Mediterranean Squadron has been ordered to force the passage of the Dardanelles, and that Russia had made a counter move. The fighting spirit of the nation is not dead, but slumbering, and "at the first cannon shot fired an enemy will see " the nation of shopkeepers leap over the counters and prepare for battle. We know what happened early in the year when the Venezuela incident and the raid in the Transvaal threatened to involve the Empire in a war. Even we were stirred into activity, and that scare gave to Wellington another big .gun, while the cadets in the Civil Service received instructions to join the Volunteers. We shall probably see more extensive preparations as soon as the war clouds gather more thickly. We have altogether neglected our defences, and the day will come when we will very much regret our neglect. Unfortunately the vagaries of Parliament, together with the approaching general election, are claiming the attention of our leading men, or otherwise something would be done to prepare for contingencies. Furthermore, the expected arrival of the new Commandant affords a good excuse for deferring action. But there is, however, another matter that need not and should not be deferred. Should it be necessary, we have no hesitation in saying that the young and able-bodied men of the colony will respond to the call of arms with alacrity, but good men with obsolete weapons become useless. We do not think there are sufficient Martini rifles to supply another hundred men. The present inadequate volunteer force is armed with this rifle, but there are none to spare, and any additions to the volunteer force will mean that our men must be armed with the Snider rifle. We are deficient in arms, and we have no need to wait for anyone to rectify this mistake ; it will be too late to think of it when war is declared. The present storm may blow over, we hope it may; but the situation is such that we cannot beguile ourselves with hope. The peace of the world hangs on a slender thread, and it is madness to shut our eyes, and refuse to see the fact.