The St. Johns herald., 1890-07-17
Will England Fight!

been sent to the British naval squad ron in the Pacific is a matter of well authenticated report, but the nature of the instructions cannot definite ly be ascertained.
 It is understood that the flagship Warspite has been ordered to the Pacific coast of British America, and that a formidable array of men, of-war is to be gathered there to de- fend the vessels sailing under the English flag against American at tacks. How far the English may be prepared to go is not stated, but the American cruisers conveying prizes to an American port will be very likely to encounter the English ships of war on the voyage and probably be asked for explanations
 It is stated that the American naval force on the Pacific is insig- nificant compared with the British squadron and that the English will have no difficulty in asserting Eng lands rights, as they are called, in those waters.
 A hostile encounter between the British and American warships would not of necessity involve war, but would certainly tend to provoke 1t. In this connection Lieutenant- General Brackenbury, of the British army, director of the Military h. telligence and brother of the late eminent Major-General Bracken- bury, is quoted as commenting on the recent assertion of some Amer ican Senators that Canada would fall ready prey in the event of a war between the United States and Great Britain.
 "It took the Northern States" General Brackenbury says, -four years 10 conquer the States of the South, and that with every advan- tage in the way of climate and knowledge of the country invaded as we'll as a great and unusual ad- vantage of the presence of several millions of slave population in sym pathy with the invaders and from whom many valuable recruits were obtained for the Northern army.
 "The United States would find the invasion and the conquest of Canada even more formidable task. Winter campaigning, which was far from difficult in the war of the Confederacy, would be impossi- ble there, and an army caught in winter snows would either be hem med with imminent risk of destruc- ton by an energetic and tireless enemy, or would have to retreat un- der circumstances not dissimilar as to weather from Napoleon's disas- trous retreat mid the snow and piercing gales of the Russian win ter
 Besides the ports of Canada would not be blockaded as were the ports of the South during the war and the supply of men and mate rial would be abundant. Americans of British and Irish stock are un- doubtedly, with proper discipline, soldiers equal to any in the world, but it Is to be remembered of emi- grants from the continent of Flu rope, very large proportion are fugitives from military service"
 The General added that Q war between Great Britain and the Uni ted States was a calamity not to be contemplated without the most se rious provocation, but that in the event of such a war, an invasion of Canada would be no holiday cam paign.
 The aggressive action in regard to the Behring sea is somewhat complicatedin in popular opinion here with a rising indignation on the subject of the American tariff Thousands of skilled English work ingmen will be thrown out of em-
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