A FOREIGN RAID ON THE COLONIES.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 4012, 10 April 1882, Page 2

A FOREIGN RAID ON THE COLONIES.

[FROM THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD.] The alarm raised respecting the intentions of the Bassian Squadron should have at least one good effect. It ought to impress upon Australians the tremendous sacrifices they would have to make if their capitals were at the mercy of a foreign conqueror, and ths obligation their very wealth and prosperity lay upon them to put themselves in a condition of efficient self-defence. The contributions the pseudo-Eussian agent represents Admiral Aslanbegoff as meaning to levy upon the several capitals do not exceed the resources of those great emporiums of trade. According to the averages of coin and bullion held by the Banks during last December quarter a triumphant invader would find the following sums ready to his hand in the coffers of the banks in the several colonies : New South Wales, .03,406,810 ; Victoria, £8,008,490 ; South Australia, £1,051,492; Queensland, £1,041,277; Tasmania, £516,514 ; "Western Australia, £118,814 ; New Zealand, £1,986,865. Total, £11,140,270. A haul like that would be exceedingly welcomo to any country having an impoverished exchequer like Russia, and any country at war with England would certainly try to get it if she could. Nor would the tender mercies of a victor necessarily stop there. The commerce of the seven colonies is worth now about ninety millions sterling per annum. That means an enormous value of produce constantly lying in the warehouses and stores of the principal ports on which an enemy would certainly levy as heavy a contribution as he could. Then there is the value of municipal property, which may be taken at a total of not less than twenty millions for tho city of Sidney alone, and at not less than a hundred millions for tho several capitals and their suburbs. But enough has been said to indicate the enormous war indemnity Australasia could be made to pay if thoroughly subdued by a relentless conqueror,

who wanted plunder and not the annexation of territory. That she ever will be subdued ought to be an impossibility ; but she must not leave herself at the mercy of European complications. War between England and Russia, if not between England and some other Powers, may happen at no distant day, and then the attack upon the British Empire will be made at the points where she is thought weakest, and where the heaviest blows can be struck. It will be our own fault if Australia be found the most vulnerable. Our defences should be proportionate with our resources and the immense issues at stake. Large standing armies are not needed ; but our ports should be made impregnable, anil our able-bodied citizens trained to arms, so as to be prepared to give a good account of any force of any hostile Power in the world that would be likely to attempt a landing on these shores.