A RUSSIAN VIEW OF ENGLAND'S DAGGER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2325, 22 September 1898, Page 63

A RUSSIAN VIEW OF ENGLAND'S DAGGER.

A PLEA FOR INTERNATIONAL AMITY. There is a remarkable article in the " Nineteenth Century " for July, by one Mr Nicola Bhishkoff, dated from Limbirsk, as a reply to Mr Greenwood's article on " England at War." Mr SLiislikoff admires Mr Greenwood's controversial style, and deplores that so few English writers possess a broad and impartial view of international affairs, the absence of which has been the greatest obstacle to the sincere and sympathetic interchange of ideas between England and other nations. No other nation but England has ever flaunted before the world that inherent sense of separatism, of self-assurance, and of superiority to all others which for centuries has been niost characteristic of the British race. SCOKNFXJT, ALOOFNESS — HOW TO CURE IT. Mr Shishkoff thinks that. England's isolation lias primarily been brought about by the fact that for BO years hatred of thp monarchies of Europe has been instilled into the minds of the English people. By way of amending matters, Mr Shishkoff says : — " The true way out of the trouble is to gel thai hatred forgotten, and to promote the opposite idea — of esteem and confidence. That does not seem to me so very impossible. In the first place, though it is true that all nations have their faults — England as well as the others — it is also just as true that all of them have quite as many qualities that are thoroughly worth esteem ; and I believe there 19 not a people on Ciirth who would not requito sincere friendliness with friendliness and tnwL with trust. But they must not bo treatctl with contemptuous condescension." Secondly, ho says, we must be careful not to confound Use people with their Governments, and still more careful not to confound the newspapers either with the people or the Governments. Thirdly, every effort should bo taken to promote' a good understanding between the nations by each other, and school histonoo should eDd'cavour to set forth tha

best points of every nation to the scholar, instead of puffing him up with an exaggerated importance of his own country: — "I think, moreover, that from the very beginning an agitation in favour of international amity and confidence may become a clear and steady light to lead the public thought out of tho majes of conflicting interests into a far safer channel than the periodical shouts and war cries of the present day." A SINISTER SUGGESTION ON THE OTHER SIDE. All this is very good and excellent, but then Mr Shishkoff goes on to let fall a sinister remark in confirmation of the justice of Mr Greenwood's alarms, which it is feared will to some extent run counter to the apparent purpose of the rest of tho article: — " What wonder, indeed, if the European Powers have at last become awake to tho fact that one of their numbor — namely, England — has for more than a century virtually monopolised the world's commerce, obtained a complete command over the seas, acquired enormous territories in the best parts of the globe — territories out of all proportion to her own original extont — and accumulated a stupendotis mass of wealth that she readily converts into battleships which become a standing menace to all the other countries? Would it be co very strange, then, if they really agreed to drop their own differences for a lirao and settle the conditions that would make England ' contonled with her share of tho world's goods,' as Mr Greenwood puts it? Once thoeo conditions should be determined, the question of England's adopting them would be only a question of time — and a very short, time 100, for amongst her many other virtues '< she decidedly possesses the practical ons of common sense. I am alraid that if the balance of power had been reversed, and lingland had the means to drive all or any of her competitors out of the market, she would not havo hesitated a moment ; at least, there id no evidence of her e-\er having done so. Thore must be weighty reasons for the hesitation of the Continental Powers. It cannot be the fear of war, for war is possible only if one or two Powers were to attack England ; there can be no war if all the great States coalesce against her." However this may be, everyone must wiah Mr Shishkoff is #ight in his conviction when ho says: — "I am perfectly convinced that it would not take half the trouble to bring the great nations of Europe into close and friendly communication with each other that it has taken to make them enemies.

— Moderti warships do not carry sail of any description, but they are generally fitted with duplicate engines and prqpellei'3 ; indeed., they sometimes have them in triplicate. They are, however, entirely dependent on their machinery, and should this become en lirely disabled, they would be rendered in capable of moving five yards, unless towed by another ship. — In Ely Place, Holborn, the old custom of " crying the hours of the night by Charley " still exists. Charley, better known nowadays as the night watchman, has to call the hours in this spot from 11 p.m. till 5 a.m. Wet or fine, he must not neglect his duty. — The royal palace at Madrid is one of the most beautiful structures in the world, being built by an Italian architecc in the early part of the last century at a cost of close upon £1,000,000, and intended to be a rival to the I'rench Palace at Versailles. The material is white marble. Tfc is 470 ft each way, with a court 240 ft square, roofed with glass. — The actual amount of money spent on wages in the Devonport Dockyard for the year ending March 31 last was £413,920. As only £409,330 had been voted, a supplementa.rv sjrant had to be authorised to meet the additional expenditure. Portsmouth. Dock yard spends much more than this in wages yearly.