WHAT RUSSIA WOULD HAVE TO PACE IN CASE OF WAR.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 3774, 13 May 1885, Page 2

WHAT RUSSIA WOULD HAVE TO PACE IN CASE OF WAR.

The sacrifice which war would entail upon England would be very great, but it would (says the “Broad Arrow”) bo tenfold greater in the case of Russia. It seems to have escaped the attention of philo-Bussians,in discussing the elements of this crisis, that such a campaign would not be confined to the bills of Afghanistan. Whilst Russia was on*

gaged in concentrating her troops be. fore tho Kobnt Pass, it would become her duty to provide for a counter British naval demonstration in Europe. What would that demonstration moan ? ft would mean the blockading of the Baltic ports, the possible seizure of Batoum and other Russian ports in the Black Sea, and the concurrent and consequent poralyising of the maritime commerce of Russia. Has Russia weighed these contingencies p Doubtless she has not allowed them to wholly escape notice. But can she presume for a moment to look upon them with the equanimity of conscious superiority to the dangers which they entail ? What is Russia's position upon tho seas? She has no position. Her ironclad fleet is poor, and could be disposed of by three or four of our ironclads. She certainly could not hope to give us battle successfully. It is true that she possesses a few cruisers which might harass our commerce, but here again wo possess in our mercantile fleet the elements of an easily convertible squadron of cargo and passenger carrying ships into ships of war. The Russian cruisers would be swept fes easily from the seas as we should secure the complete investment of every'port which Russia possesses. It is not easy, therefore, to see what. Russia would gain from war, but it is easy to see what she would lose by it. As far as we are concerned in the European share of the struggle, we should be masters of the sUuation.