The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-11-26 00:00:00

kr
-

OUR WAR POLICY.

At the Sticial Science-rooms, in London, on Monday
evening. Mr. Frederick Hill read a paper "on tie
policy of this country in regard to war." The headsof hid
address were-- let, an adequate provision for our own
defence ; 2adly, our pchey in cameo of Continental
wars, civil or otherwise, which are not purely defen-
sive toll 7, our true policy in regard t any neigh-
bouring country which becomes the object of
an nnetarrantable invasion. The tint could only be
maintained by a powerful fleet with a great naval
reserve ever ready, and, in addition to a small standing
army, a large land force of militia and volunteers fully
organized and appointed, and supported by an adequate
iuiiply of artiliery. Oa the second 'stint he edema. eti
the existence of a standing International Court, which
should be a court of conciliation rather than of arid-
tration. As to the third head, Mr. Hill was of opi-
nion that if it were generally ft It that in any case of
national aggression the country eingleil out as
a victim would not be left to ti rht oh no,
in Europe at least aggressive warfare would cease. In
his remarks upon the present war, in which he etrongly
condemned France, the ',esker raid that a high mili-
tary authority had told him that the German advance
so far into France was ati unwise in a strategic point of
view as in other respects. Russia, which he (Ntr.
termed the aggressor of the East, as Francs had been
in the West, was, notwithstanding its territorial ex-
tent, weak. General Sir George Balfour said the
German system of short circles was as expensive as
any other, but their training was superior to that of
any other army. It would be a fatal mistake of this
country to rely upon its reserve forces.
The chairman (Sir Charles Trevelyan) saw no dis-
tinction between munitions of war and ships of war.
Wars arose generally from tile strong passions of
peophs If it, for instance, depended upon the
Emperor Alexander at pq sent there would lie no war,
but the linssian people had always been aggressive,
and wete now pushing forward their sovereign. lie
was very glad that Lord Granville had taken the tone
which characterised his late despatch. lie agreed
in Mr. Bill's opinion as to reserve forces, and
the great public concurrence upon the (titra-
tion made the establishnsent of his plan in-
evitable. Now that armies were numberid by bum
drtels of thousands, it was impossible to egoist them
from one centre. All our materiel was at Woolwich,
the most exposed portion of the country. The localis-
ing of armies and traterid had been going on in Prtisaia
from the time of Frederick 1., and the effects of their
system had been visible during the present year. While
this wa, one cause of Prussian success, another cause
was the superior public morality of Prussia, which was
above that of every other giuntry. There was 110 such
thing as "jobbing" in the Prussian, as in connection
with the English and American Governments.
A long discussion followed, and the eustoir ary thanks
were given to the author of the paper and the chair-
man.