THE NEW ZEALAND TIMES (PUBLISHED DAILY.) SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1899. PREPARING FOR ARMAGEDDON.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXIX, Issue 3674, 25 February 1899, Page 4

THE NEW ZEALAND TIMES (PUBLISHED DAILY.)

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1899. PREPARING FOR ARMAGEDDON.

With which is Incoepohated the Welt.iugtoh Independent, Established 1845.

Every act of Russia towards her neighbours since the announcement of the Oia.r’s advocacy of the disarmament of Europe and the brotherhood of nations has been either one of aggressiveness, preparation for war or actual conflict. Count Tolstoi, living in the. Czar’s dominions and having regard to what he sees going on around him, was right when he exclaimed in the intensity of his nature that the proposal of a Peace Conference was a huge exhibition of hypocrisy. Years ago Lord Macaulay declared that the desire for peace on the part- of Russia was only expressed in order to make greater preparations for war. We have seen that, on the eve of the Czar’s Peace Conference, he has actually -violated the Chinese. rights of sovereignty by the imposition of taxation upon the Chinese in the neighbourhood of Talienwan Bay, and that the resistance of the Chinese has led the Czar’s representatives to massacre a hundred or more Chinamen. We are heartily desirous of seeing the peace, of Europe and of the world maintained, hut wo have no faith whatever in Russia.

Every event, and every testimony of those capable of judging, go to show that Russia lias no intention of keeping the peace longer than it suits her. Within his borders, the Czar makes no attempt to give practical effect to the disarmament idea. The Loudon “Times” correspondent at Sebastopol tells of how the dockyards of that city and of Nikolaieff were never busier than at present. There is feverish haste to complete the ten or twelve armed cruisers which have to be launched in the coming spring.

The Minister of War and the Minister of Marine —the trusted servants of the Czar—have both made special visits of inspection to all the more important naval and military stations diming the past two months ; and thesfe Ministers, wo are told, have taken every opportunity to urge their subordinate officials to accelerate to the utmost the naval and military works now in progress. Russian Ministers are silent concerning the peace proposals, and the Russian press has not one word to say about the Czar’s Peace Conference one way or the other. On the other hand, the number of men called out by conscription and enrolled for the army and navy during the past three months exceeds that of the same period of any previous year. The same authority, who is on the spot, and observes all that is being done, says that reinforcements are leaving European Russia for the Far East as fast as means can be found to convey them.’ Port Arthur and Vladivostock aro being fortified. Annod men and cruisers are leaving for the Far East every week. Then it is officially announced that the Central Asian Railway has been finished as far as Knshk—-ninety-five miles from Herat, the key to India, and only six miles from the nearest Afghan outpost. Meanwhile this very railway is being used for tho mobilisation of a largo force along the banks of the Knshk. All this time the British statesman is taking the Czar at his word and fs saying that there is peace with Russia, whoso aggressiveness towards Great Britain ‘has ceased. There ■are-fine words about the world’s peace* in the Czar’s mouth, hut in his heart there is apparently a desire for war. The strongholds along the Caucasus are having their garrisons doubled, and numerous lilies of purely military railways are being extended into the Russian territory beyond.

Either the Czar is a master of the art of hypocrisy, or his autocracy is a myth and he is a well-meaning young man in the relentless grip of a bureaucratic and military party that really rules Russia. We incline to the latter view, and believe that the “ power behind the throne ” is steadily pursuing the traditional and settled policy of Russia, which has always been to absorb territory peacefully if possible, but territory must bo acquired and the Russian borders extended even at the cost of war. The practical annexation of Chinese territory, the taxation and slaughter of the inhabitants, and the ; intriguing that goes on with the Chinese Government against Britain - are proofs positive that Russia 'is still pursuing her wellknown methods of self-aggrandisement. There is, therefore, every reason why Britain should, keep alert and prepared. Some enthusiastic English optimists have hai}ed, the,. Czar’s, peace proposals as :. sign’of the dawn of the millennium. The Ru ssians, with ~ perhaps a more literjii faith in prophecy, recognise that before tile reign of peace on earth is established, , there must ■ -come thes fearful holocaust of Armageddon.