South Canterbury Times. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 1889.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 5031, 12 June 1889, Page 2

South Canterbury Times. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 1889.

Does the “ uneasy feeling ” reported by cablegrams yesterday as existing in Vienna portend anything serious ? The season for a European war is now well advanced, and if the nations really mean to fly at each’s throats this year they must not he long “ coming to the scratch,” or winter will be on them again to spoil their abominable kreifjspiel. At the same time it is to be remembered that a European war just now, would in all probability be hot and strong and soon over. At all events there would be terrible havoc made in a couple of months, —ns much as would make desirable a winter’s pause for the application of the sponge and the military representative of beef steak poultices. And it would not take the likliest “ principals” very long to strip and “ toe the mark.” A New York journal, suming up the preparedness for war of the great Continental Powers, says :—“ In the event of war breaking out suddenly, or absolutely without any warning, Germany in seventy-two hours could have 230,000 men, fully equipped, on French soil; and at the end of seven days this number would be increased to 750,000. She could in three days put 120.000 men upon Russian soil, and in the same space of time she could plant 100.000 in Austria. In three days Austria could carry 00,000 troops into Russia, Russia is not so well prepared for rapid movement; but it is calculated that she could bring to the Austrian I frontier in three days 25,000 men, and I by the endofseveudaysllo,ooo, France I

is already well prepared for rapid movement ; and she is about to increase her railroad facilities in the direction of the north-east. Already she could, it is thought, carry 200,000 men to the frontier in three days and 700,000 men within a week. When the new arrangements shall have been completed, the calculation is that these figures will be increased to 260,000 and 850,000, respectively.”—“ Within a week,” if these reckonings are to be trusted, there may he “ battle, murder and sudden death” oh the very largest scale, occurring in Europe. That is, actually within a week from this day, for the “ uneasy feeling” is a smoke that implies some fire, and—well the aggressor in the next war will not give much notice before he “plants” his “ one, two, three.” Fortunately we must say “ there may be,” rather than “ there will be.”