IS AN ATTACK ON THE COLONIES PROBABLE?

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 10614, 14 May 1896, Page 2

IS AN ATTACK ON THE COLONIES PROBABLE?

AN EXPERT'S OPINION.

Majok General French, the new Commandant of the New South Wales forces, who arrived in Sydney at the end o£ April, was interviewed by a representative of the Sydney Morning Herald. In reply to a question whether he thinks there ia much probability of an attack ever being made on these colonies, he replied, " Candidly, I do not, though of course I not wish to be thought an advocate for neglecting our defences when I saythat. On the contrary, it is only by keeping the defence thoroughly efficient that we can prevent a possibility becoming a probability. That almost goes without saying. At the same time, and at the present moment I do not quite see how a large fores is to be landed 'on the Australian coast. Certainly, there does not seem much probability of an attacking force breaking through our first line of naval defence. You see, the modern battleship is totally unfit for the transport of troops. The old three-decker could disembark 1100 men at a given point, but I should doubt very much if the biggest line-of -battle ship afloat could land 200. After you deduct the noncombatants in the stokeholes und engineering rooms and the crew, you will find that thera is very little room over for troops. " So that to bring a force of, say, 3000* men here would take a large fleet, would it not ?'' — " Yes ; and what conntry is there that could spare such a fleet ? Besides which, as I have said, wo have our strong fleet to intercept them, going and coming. No ; supposing aa attack were intended, it is much more probable that the enenry would come in the fastest mail steamers it could lay its bands on, and, convoyed by some fast cruisers, attempta dash through our lines." " And, of course, there are one or twofast mail steamers flying the British flag: in existence ?"— " Precisely, and at that sort of tactics we could much more tham hold our own with anyone ; and for these reasons I do not consider we stand in much fear of a raid."