INDIA'S IMPORTANT POSITION. 23 



portion of our land frontiers with the most splendid 

 natural defences in the world, yet the situation must 

 become more, and not less, anxious as rival or hostile 

 influences creep up to these ramparts, and as the 

 ground outside them becomes the arena of new com- 

 binations, and the field of unforeseen ambitions." 



Is the true significance of the situation, thus set 

 forth, realised by the English public ? Is the vital 

 importance of preserving India from attack even dimly 

 felt by the people of Great Britain ? And still more, 

 is the importance of her position on the line of these 

 communications, which are the binding links not only 

 between Great Britain and her vast commercial 

 interests in the Far East, but also between Great 

 Britain and her colonies of Australia and New Zealand, 

 adequately appreciated ? There are Powers who would 

 give much to occupy positions of advantage on the 

 flank of these same lines of communication, these 

 throbbing nerves of empire. 



I have ventured to express the opinion — an opinion 

 based upon personal investigation on the scene of 

 action itself, as well as upon the writings of others 

 competent to pronounce upon such questions — that an 

 undefined and vacillating policy in Asia is detrimental 

 to our position throughout the world, and inconsonant 

 with our high place in the councils of the nations ; 

 and if the hope which I entertain, that a perusal of 

 these pages may, in however small a degree, incite the 

 reader to an increased interest in the problems which 

 confront our country in the East, and may help, how- 

 ever imperfectly, to expose the fatuity of the policy of 

 those who are perpetually belittling the consequences 

 of a precipitate flight before the aggressive advance of 

 other nations, and who, with no doubt the best inten- 

 tions, would have us give way at all costs before the 



