The Malborough Express. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. Thursday, December 8, 1898. TREACHEROUS RUSSIA.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXIII, Issue 286, 8 December 1898, Page 2

The Malborough Express. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. Thursday, December 8, 1898. TREACHEROUS RUSSIA.

Confirmation of our views, expressed m a recent arfciole, as to the hollowness of Russia's desire for peace, is afforded by the cable news now published with regard to her enormous expenditure 'on her artillery reorganisation scheme. Over nineteen millions sterling is the sum to be devoted to remodelling the Russian artillery on French methods, and yet m spite of this huge expenditure we are asked to believe that the great Northern Power is desirous of universal peace. The truth now is that, as we have already pointed out, Russia would like Great Britain and other powers to cease their naval and military preparations whilst all the time the Colossus of the North is steadily increasing his own armament. Whether the Czar himself is m favor of peace is quite immaterial for Russia is m reality not governed by that amiable and colourless young man, but by a select circle of military officials who make no secret of theirambition to increase Russia's territory m Asia. The completion of the Trans-Asiatic railway is being pushed on with feverish speed ; Fort Arthur is being transformed into a Pacific Malta; Russian officials at Pekin are openly brutally anti-British, and there is, it is rumored, a renewal of Russian intrigues m Persia and Afghanistan. All this aotivity m military and diplomatic circles is undoubtedly directed against Great Britain, between whom and Russia there are signs — many and most portentous — that there will be a severe struggle before the end of the century is reached. When Lord Charles Bereaford returns to London from his mission to China Le will be able, no doubt, to open British eyes ■ to the true significance of Russia's policy m the Far East, a policy which it is now plain and palpable means the exclusion of British commerce from China, and Lord Salisbury will then be obliged to exhibit greater firmness than he has shown m the past m insisting upon the " Open Door" theory being put into practice. Great Britain's commercial supremacy, nay, her very commercial existence, depends upon freedom of entry for her goods into China and the Far East, and once it is shown to the British nation that Russian aotion m the East is m the direction of closing rather than opening the door to British trade there will be one great overwhelming ory, " Better fight for our trade than lose it without an effort." We hardly imagine that outside the silly faddists of the Peace at any Price party there will be any disinclination on the part of Great Britain to proceed to extremities with Russia, if it once be conclusively proved, as we believe it can be proved, that- the northern power intends to close China to British trade.