Wairarapa Standard Published Tri-weekly, Price 1d. MONDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1886. France Making Mischief.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 2004, 13 December 1886, Page 2

Wairarapa Standard Published Tri-weekly, Price Id. MONDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1886. France Making Mischief.

Fbanoe appears to be getting into hot water all round. Last month M. de Preycinet, the French Premier, spoke in the Legislature of the necessity of the British withdrawing the troops from Egypt, and of inducing the Powers to take measures for placing the Suez Canal under European control. He said that France could not allow any foreign power to be mistress of Egypt, but the fact is Britain is already the mistress, and is intent upon (protecting that'bighway of the world, the Suez Canal. France made a great mistake when she shirked the responsibility of a joint control of Egypt with Great Britain, and she knows it, and now it is not likely that Britain will listen to the utterances of the French Premier. If France wants to turn Britain out of Egypt let her fight for it. It is said also that France is thinking of fitting out a second and considerable ezpedi. tion to be despatched to Madagascar, to conquer it, and, if possible, to reduce it into a French colony. The French people are poor colonists, and if it is the intention to make the Hovas colonists at the point of the bayonet there will be some warm work for them. M. de Freycinet must carry at least 10.000 men through 150 miles of swampy forest, full of Malaria, and then begin the attack on the plateau, 7000 ft high, which is the Hovas’ stronghold. He can conquer the iniapil, if he likes, of course, and if the Chamber will consent; but it will cost him 10,000 men. for £8,000,000, and a garrison of 10.000 men for twenty years. France is not often so persevering, and the Hovas can, if threatened in their independence, make no compromise. France has also been making trouble for herself in China, and though we have all laughed at the military tactics of the Celestials in years gone by, they have within the last few years shown that they must not be held too cheap. If France is not careful of what she is doing she may have serious trouble in Tonquin which may cost no end of money. But the bitter hatred of France is against Germany, and recent events point to war between these two powers. Never since her defeats in 1870-71 has France forgiven Germany, and after paying the enormous idemnity levied upon her by that Power she increased her army to such an extent that Germany lhad to keep pace with her. Germany has a peace army of 430,000 men, and France is said to have one of 650,000, and in time of war the former is supposed to command 3,360,000, and the latter nearer 4,000,000. The possession of such enormous fighting power constitutes in itself a great temptation to nee it. It was only the other day that the French Legislature voted a million of money to put the navy upon a bettor footing. That old veteran Moltke spoke very plainly a week since upon the advisability of increasing the German army, owing to the warlike preparations of France, and a little spark may at any moment cause a terrible conflagration between these powers. A contemporary remarks " Looking at the terrible picture presented by those two Great Powers having constantly to increase their already huge armies—waiting every opportunity to fly at each other's throats- surely any calm observer must acknowledge the wisdom of the policy of Mr James Service in trying to keep foreign nations from gaining a firm footing in the South Pacific. The value of the New Hebrides, or of Samoa, from a mere territorial point of view, is not worth a moment’s consideration. But let ns consider for a moment what the saving would be in the cost of defence to Australasia, if she were to isolate herself from foreign nations! Take the example of the United States. Her isolated position has saved her tens of millions of money, to say nothing of the savings that she has been able te make by devoting her young men to industrial pursuits, instead of having them engaged in preparing to fight an enemy. Had the Service policy been pursued, the French might easily have been bought out of New Caledonia, the Germans would never have obtained a tooting in New Guinea, and the Anglo-Saxon race would have been isolated in the South Pacific as they are at present in North America.