THE FOREIGN PRESS ON THE WAR QUESTION.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XIII, Issue 3097, 8 April 1878, Page 2

THE FOREIGN PRESS ON THE WAR QUESTION.

TiVrvm our files wo selfinfe f.fin following

extracts, as . showing the tone , of; the European press on the Eastern question :— v i EUSSIAN. ' ' The semi-official Journal de St, Petersburg of the the 10th February, commenton the despatch of the British fleet to Constantinople, says : — As £ai" as Russia is concerned, we think this measure oughjb not to make her deviate from the policy she has hitherto followed. Long before the last incidents which nc>w bring the English Fleet into the waters of Oon*stantinoplethat'eventuallity was foreseen and was made the subject of instructions to the Russian Commander-in-chief. . I£ we are well informed, these instructions directed ihat,in case the Ottoman capital should be occupied by the Imperial troops, and a British fleet should appear before the city, that fleet should be rer ceived with all the consideration due to a friendly power, and that if the necessity for protecting the lives and property of British subjects should cause troops to be landed there, they should be regarded as a welcome auxiliary for the maintenance of order as long as their activity was confined to that purpose. Now that the English fleet is approaching Constantino-i pie, and has given a rendezvous to the fleets of other great powers, we may assume that the courtesy will be maintained between the two naval and land forces of the different States, if they should meet on Turkish soil or waters. Sixteen months ago this measure was proposed by Russia and refused by the Cabinet of London. How much blood~ shed and suffering might have been| avoided by the acceptance of that proposition ?' • ' The St. Petersburg Skiya 1 Y^doraosti says : — We ought to remember that in war fortune of tea passes quickly from one sule to the other. . Providence gave us, an! unexpected victory which deafcrpyed the' plan of retreat pf the Turkish,cpmmander, and that victory has given us the means of quickly obtaining what we* wished and what the whole Russian "people ainie'd at—the liberation of the Slavonic nationalities from the ' Turkish yoke.' Evidently Turkey is inclined to l concede -what we i Remand. Surely we, do- not intend, for > the mere glory of , the thing, to go to Opn- < stantinople ? Wo know well that ipie , majority of the .Russian people would exchange the capital built by Peter the Great for tKe oapital indicated by ' Prince

Sviatpslaf; but we ought to remember 'hat the ways of nations and empires are ilways raaiked nut by. Providence. It is 1 mistake *o suppose that Constantinople would be, like St. Petersburg, " a window for looking into Europe." Let us give up all thought of Czargrad. Letusiul" fil faithfully the moral mission undertaken by all Russia. Turkey wi 1 demolish al\ her fortresses, arfd^we shall get her artillery, military ; stores, 'and monitors. Jjet utf> take 1 what we can in the way of w.ar-Jtodemnit;, and; then return home with the, consciousness that we have faithfully" ke"pt our promises. Shall vre not therebyf gajn^ enough of moral pi'estige \? In alliance with Germany and Austria, ■ we' Will cre-orsrani^ec re-orsrani^e # Bulgaria, Bosnia, and -Herzegovina, atfet* the Slavonic peoples will always remem- ' ber the service rendered them by while the European nations will trust our word. 'Our moral prestige, which was diminished by tho Treaty of Paris, will be greater than our military' prestige after the victories i which' 'overthrew "Napoleon, and, in the- event of another war in Europe, the voice of Russia will command as much respect as- that of Ger« many.- Not to speak to the inevitable losses and economic' exhaustion 1 which a prolongation 'of hostilities will entail, we fear chiefly to risk all the successes we have gained. In war there: are many accidents. If. is not long ago since we had our reversed before Ple.vna. The campaign has cost us, IQO,OOO in killed and wounded, and 500(imillions ; int money, and the eco^omip'-peindition of-,th'e Empire has been shaken in many_ respects. But all can still.,be remedied. -^e recent unexpected victoriea^give us tKe.p,o>sibil- ■ ity of proceeding at once to".the ,-.wi>rk of internal re-organization. Surely we will not fooHshiysacrifice all for tho simple satisfaction of haying been in Constantinople ?"• , / •. : , , ,;f On the 14th February, several St. Petersburg papers called attention to the statement made last .year' by !Bismai;cfc f that Germany would. uspiheV efforts in Eastern question for the 'maintenance of general peace. They ,sayj Germany is all the more entitled to assume the part pf arbitrator as, hy her military preponderance, and her disinterestedness j{in the Eastern Question, she is the..onlylpower' which could^ effectively discharge such a mission by dedlafing herself "against the power which shduld'fire the first cannon

„ . .AU3TBIAN. „r . A correspondent, writing from Vienna on the 14lh February, says. :—" While the Hungarian 1 : papers' ate 1 warlike, "the Austrian press demands 1 peaCei-'C^ount Andrassy's prolonged intemewTwith the Emperor yesterday j^tjdt.thpifeuiiden return, to. .Vienna of^Ar§hdukej.Albricht .have given , rise to' endings sj^inlses^s to the decisions pending. '" Count" An'dcasßy was closeted 'for 'kerer4t ; houM > ?Wi^h: the Minister of Fmaiice?'^ t The f fallowing appeared in Andrassy-'sJorgan'.of dJ^Feby. : I— V The : non-occupa'tioii i i^f ! iGohatan tinople M is ( tl^q fpremos^aiidmost weighty interest of Europe';' l and if Kussia understands' that by regaining her freedom of .•.action she has a right to hoist the Gear's flag of Victory in the Bosphorog, then it is time for the powers to atfcpdon.their different categories, of neutrality) and an end must" be put to the,policy of accomplished fact; The occupation of Bulgawaand the exaggerated extension it is pto^ posed 1 to give that;pro»ince)wilifn>^6r be tolerated -by Austria... ;AcJip^,4»)dj | ? ner " getic action atone, can nqw~s*aye EttPppe."

„ [$REispW. „j.{-/i : „.w ;(

The Repnblique Francaise, of ?thei4th February, counsels -JSnglajjd, tranquil. The , Journal flea,.Defyat3f.declai'es it to be too llate for England to. act. A majority of^the^ pap L e£s jf hold .similar language, arid' ftope'thaif'nf operation of; the powers will 1 "further complications. ' ,h-yAv h