THE COMING CRASS IN EUROPE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5629, 1 December 1879, Page 6

THE COMING CRASS IN EUROPE.

TO THE EDITOR. Sip,—l recently sent you two letters on coming European events. One you took no notica of, the othar you Btated in your paper was not strictly correspondence, and therefore, you did not publish it. Since writing those letters I have received my papers, and I find that the views I then gave you are endorsed by English, Irish, Frunch, German, .Russian and Italian papers, extracts from which I will now give you, premising, first of all, that the conclusions arrived at by these independent witnesses, are derived from a totally different source to mine. In the first place, 1 will give you an extract from a letter of my own, published in the Wellington Times, of 6th April, 1678, more than eighteen months ago : "England

will not ally herself, for aggressive purposes, with any Power ; she ia strong enough to hold her own, and protect her own interests against any Power, or combination of Powers. She will, vtry shortly, take peaceable possession of Constantinople a»d the Holy Land, itid a-sume the protectorate of Meantime Russia and Austria join in mortal combat, and eventually all the European Continental Powers are drawn into one of the most feirful wars that have ever devastated thi* globe. Russia and her allies will be victorious, and then she will turn her attention to wiping out the British Empire, in which attempt she will be frustrated." This was written before the Russians retired from before Constantinople, and before the annexation of Cyprus by the British, when England undertook to supervise the affairs of Syria, which includes Palestine. The Berlin correspondent of the Standard writes: 41 The rations between Uerma »y and Russia have indi ed assumed a strained character. The height to which Russian ire h&s risen may L-e measured from the latest utterances of the inspired Press. The St. Petersburg Vedomosli, a paper em ployed for the ftarting of ideas too advanced for the Journal de St. Petersburg, the recoenised and subsidised orgin of tbe Foreign Office, in unmistakeable language, predicts an impending alliance between Russia, Italy, and France in case the alleged Ausfcro-German League is not immediately dissolved. By means of the threatened alliance, Russia, we are given to understand, would be enabled to chase Austria from the Balkan Peninsula, while France would seize the opportunity of conquering the Rhine, and Italy would pounce upon Italia Irredenta and its environs." The Dublin Tinas says : — 44 The coming war is expected to have Russia and Germany for chief an* tagonists. But these will be the principal, not the only belligerents. The mighty opposites have been grouped inti Germany, Austria, and p>ssibly, but improbably .England, on the one side ; Russia, France, aud Italy on the other. YVe have no hesitation ia striking England out of the calculation. In an Kuropcati war of this magnitude, or in a duel with any other first-class Power, Russia would have her hauds too full to think of molesting ns, and we, on the o;her hand, would serve our own interests quite sufficiently by standing by while our natural enemy was beini» drubbed, or was exhaust- / in** herself iu administering a drubbing, if we leave England peacefully at home, and

suppose tho rest of the precast to come true, it will be a gigantic complication iudeed. But while Kaiser William lives there is little fear of war between the two empires. If tlie old man died tomorrow, in a week there would be marked estrangement between them. It seems to us that the situation is resolviDg itself into ' rapprochement' of Russia and France. Bismarck sees tbi3 ; the question is cm he trust Austria ?' The London Standard, commenting on its foreign telegrams, writes:—"Our London correspondents at Paris and Bsrlin both send telegrams which show that the relations between Germany and Russia have assumed a strained character. Russia has been doubly disappointed by Germany, first in not being; allowed to leave any troops south of the Danube, and again in seeing Austria permitted to advance to Novi-Bazar. The inspired PrtßS of St. Petersburg is beginning to talk of an alliance between Russia, France, and Italy, with a view to reprisals on Germany and Austria The Germans in Paris entertain a strong conviction that a rupture betweeu the two great Empires of the North is inevitable, though as long a3 the Emperor William is alive an open breach miy be avoided." Austria, through Colonel Hayinerle, lias told the Italians that she will fight every inch of Trieste and tba Trentine Yalley rather than surrender them. Tho Liberia then informs Austria that the question is not on the order of the day, but that Italy does not admit Austria's right to (Italia Irredenta) " unredeemed Italy." "Let it be understood" the Liberia says, "when we want the provinces of Italia Irredenta we will go and take them by force." The Bristol Times and Mirror remarks on.this : "The question, we fear, is only postponed, just as the quarrel betweeu Russia aud Germany is postponed, and the war of revenge between France and the conqueror of Sedan. When that evil time comes, it does not need a prophetic eyo to see at least livo Powers of Europe drawn up into two main lines—Germany and Russia contesting for the Baltic provinces, Austria aiding Germany in return for favours received, France helping Russia by trying to get back Alsaca and Lorraine, and Italy striking in on Austria to get Italia Irredenta." 7he St. Peters burgh Times says : " With the Austrian occupation of JNoviJßazar, thanks to the blunders of the Berlin Cougress, the Eastern question is about to enter upon a ne wphase. Whether tho freedom of the Slavs is to be sacrificed to the German Junkers,{allied this time with the Austrian Court, is, of course, a question of the utmost importance, both as regards the future tranquility of all Europe and the civilisation of the emancipated Europe must give these matters its serious consideration, and make its choice between two courses; either the policy of the iron Chancellor must be frustrated, or there must be a war, which will surpass in horror all those that have taken place during the present century." Thu Strassburger Zeilung, in au an article presumably inspired by Bismarck hiimelf, says the only security for the peace of Europe is 11 the difficulty which Russia experiences in finding allies to help her against Germany and Austria combined." In conclusion, allow me to state again that Europe is just on the eve of a most fearful war, in which Russia will be victorious, and in which Great Britain will take no active part whatever. -I am, &c., Empire.