FROM THE Otago Daily Times. "Inveniam viam aut faciam." THURSDAY, JULY 7, 1864.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19218, 8 July 1924, Page 8

FROM THE Otago Daily Times. "Inveniam viam aut faciam." THURSDAY, JULY 7, 1864.

. . . Supposing tho conflicting interests which would be created by a European war f'hould lead to a rupture with Russia on tho part of England or if—which, however improbable, is yet possible—England and franco should quarrel; or that the often threatened war with the Federal Government of America should break out, how are tho various parts of New Zealand prepared for defence '! Just now it would bo a grim joke indeed to receive instructions to prevent the armed vessels of an enemy entering any of tho New Zealand Forts, unless a British man-owar was stationed in each. Auckland is a slight exception, for it docs boast a sort of fort armed with obsolete ordnance, which would probably shako down at the first discharge of the guns. But every other pert is utterly unprovided with tho slightest means of defence, ' although ready all possess great natural advantages for that purpose. . . . Let us for a moment suppose that the good folks of Fort Chalmers were to be suddenly startled out of their sleep by the boom of .a gun and tho alarm raised that an enemy’s cruiser was steaming up tho harbour. Tho first sensation would be that of panic, but peirha.ps this would soon pass and they would then hastily adopt each protective measures a.s they had in their power. Fossibly half-a-dozen policemen and a score or two “naval volunteers would stumble over cno another down to the beach or jetty to receive the enemy’s boats. A telegraphic message would be flashed to Dunedin, and the citizens would speedily bo in as great a state of alarm as their Port Chalmers neighbours. There would bo loud cries for the rusty old cannonade that does duty on state occasions and Mr Commissioner Brauigan would muster his men. In tho meantime tho enemy would quietly lay off Port Chalmers, send a cautionary shell oyer the heads oi the townspeople, and. seizing the person of the Resident Magistrate or other functionary as a “material guarantee,’’ proceed leisurely up the harbour to Dunedin, where tho process would be repeated, and the enemy would bo able to dictate his own terms. Surely this is not the position in which an important port and city should remain. . . .

SIXTY YEARS AGO.