| Show I IN THE EAST I 1 That there is to be war between England Eng-land and Russia seems a certainty far 1 removed from the realms of doubt butt but-t who can tell when the tocsin shall be J sounded and the cry to arms to arms raised Perhaps none that the r I tocsin shall be sounded and the cry f k raised few will deny but where are they f who are to tell of the magnitude of the I struggle its extent and its termination I England having ruled the world is hated of the world and they who have most t feared her most hate her So long the directing if not dictating power of Europe she finds that those whom she was wont to lead are loath to follow her English I gold and silver streak gave her a supremacy I in times that she premacy gone by so now i fain would keep what no longer can be i kept Her hereditary foe is Russia her diplomatic enemy is Germany and she knows that Bismarck is not Frederick and that Prussia now is not Silesia It I might almost be said of England today as Anthony said of Cresar But yesterday the word of Cesar might Have stood against the world nobs lies he there And none so poor to do him reverence Full well Russia knows that England brooding is far from England beaten and will remember the warning spoken by jMajorGeneral Sir Henry C Rawlinson in 1879 and which but echoed the nations na-tions sentiments that she must be made t to understand while there is yet time for her to modify her aggressive preparations prepara-tions that she will not be permitted unopposed un-opposed to establish herself in strength upon the Afghan frontier either at Merv or at Serakhs or even at Abiverd nor to I recommence intrigues against the British power in India Long before this Mr Gladstone must have againsent this same I warning but it seems not to have been heeded The Liberal government has inherited all the troubles and complications of a fantastic foreign and colonial policy bequeathed be-queathed by the late Conservative government I f ernment and national sins like human i Hins go down even unto the third and fourth generation and no one life can outlive i out-live them Mr Gladstone himself will leave to posterity some sins but many I blessings and at last seems determined to be as vigorous in the prosecution prose-cution of a foreign war as he has been in his home reforms while if he is as successful in his new and untried t task as he has been in his past labors N he will go down to history as one of the greatest of the great In the great struggle which from all 5 appearances must ensue English valor will meet a valor and a discipline she wots not of That the Russian army is I I better officered than the English there is but little doubt while the field and staff I I officers rank along with the Germans tJ I and are far superior to the English If I J the war does come all England will I flock Jo the standard and every effort will be made to again justify and glorify i Agincourt Cressy Waterloo and Inker mann But if the prestige of these famous fields is not upheld where will be the greatness of Britain Will it wane as has the greatness of other nations waned in I I olden times when new stars arose Vague arc the rumors which call such questions forth and vague must be the answers returned to them The questions arc conjectures the answers are speculations specula-tions and the life of nations like the life of man is a medley composed of many chances many failures many hopes and longings some few favors some little fleeting fortune all wending their way to and ending in certain death It is not an inviting picture but it is a true one |
