58 



The Review of Reviews. 



THE PERIL OF AUSTRALIA. 



!n the Niiiilt't'iit/i Century — mid A iter, Mr. |. A. 

 Hofiue; late .Minister in New South \\'ales, presents the 

 outlook from .Vustralia in a very instruetive paper. 

 I'hc temptation offered by his well-nigh empty island 

 continent to the yellow races has, he thinks, been 

 immensely increased by the prospect of China, under 

 possibly Japanese leadership, setting out to assert her 

 enormous power. He sums up the whole position by 

 .saving : — 



It is Ihe piL'vailiiij; opinion in AusUalia that a war lietween 

 Great Britain and Germany would i,'ive Japan lier opening for 

 a decisive move on the .South Pacific ; that if Australia is to 

 remain part of the British Kmpire and in occupation of the 

 Anglo-Saxon race, she must in the first place attract wliite 

 immigrants from oversea in numbers at least equal to what 

 Canada is securing ; further, that she must be prepared to offer 

 thom a jjrospect of^ e.asy acquisition of suitable land. In the 

 nc.\t ]ilace, site should understand that her local fleet, to he of 

 any use at all, must be a unit of the Imperial navy, and under 

 the absolute control of the British .Vdmiralty. Beyond all this, 

 the belief is general that the keeping of this most important 

 outpost in possession of the white rice should be not merely the 

 concern of Great and Greater Britain, but of the United .States 

 of .Vmerica and the whole of the European Powers. These 

 should all with one voice raise the warning cry to the Asiatic, 

 "Hands oil .\iistralia ! " This consideration alone, even if 

 there were no other weighty reasons, ought to keep Germany 

 from pickmg a quarrel with Great Britain, and Great Britain 

 from being a parly to thwarting tJermany's policy of expansion 

 in Africa. 



THE TURCO-ITALIAN WAR. 



In the C.oiilciii[)orary Reineiv Dr. Dillon affirms that 

 the war is coming to an end for want of money. He 

 does not e.xpect that internal disturbances in either 

 belligerent cotintry will stop it. It is insolvency that 

 will check either country. Dr. Dillon suggests that 

 Italy's action in the /Egean and elsewhere is for the 

 purpose of catising the Turk to incur as much expense 

 as possible, and thus hasten her day of insolvency, 

 which will lie her day of doom. The Turks feel that 

 Russia is playing Italy's game. Italy, in her turn, is 

 fee'.ing the financial pinch. Already, by the end of 

 May, the war had cost 253 million lire, there is great 

 economic depression, hirge numbers are unemployed. 

 But, disquieting as is Italy'.s financial outlook, 'I'urkey's 

 actual plight is worse. 'J'he precautionary military 

 operations caused by alarms of Ittilitin descents are not 

 merely costing the tretisury much directly, but arc 

 interfering with agriculture and making the peasants 

 aggressive. Dr. Dillon concludes that mediation by the 

 Powers is a necessity. Russia's pet idea is to summon 

 a European Conference. JJut Austro-Hungary would, 

 Dr. Dillon tliinks, refti'^c. 



Amonc. ..,e centenary articles relating to Browning 

 must be mentioned that of the Cones poiidanl of 

 .\pril 25, in which Nelly Melin tells once more the love- 

 story of drowning and Klizabelh I'.arrett from their 

 Letters, 18J.5-6. 



THE MEDITERRANEAN FLEET. 



In the OxL/rd and Cainhrid'^e Rcvic:ti for |ulv 

 " Malta " points out the serious effect produced on 

 the industry and prosperity of Malta by the steady 

 diminution of the Mediterranean fleet. Yet he regards 

 the upkeep of Malta as the most important factor of 

 British power in the Mediterranean. Of the recent 

 conference at Malta between the I'rime Minister, First 

 Lord, and Lord Kitchener he thinks it probable — 

 that the whole question of the British forces in the Medi- 

 terranean, more especially the question of the garrisons at 

 Malta and Egypt, was gone into with Lonl Kitchener. The 

 state of Malta was pointed out to the First Lord by those 

 responsible in the island, and the necessity for the upkeep of the 

 island was probably clearly brought home to him. Hence his 

 official announcement before leaving, which promises that the 

 strength of the Establishment shall be maintained — effect to 

 which has been given by the order as to certain ships of the 

 Home Fleet refitting at Malta. The Battle Fleet can be with- 

 drawn from the Mediterranean without any loss of dignity to 

 Great Britain ; and, provided that its place is taken by an 

 efficient cruiser squadron, all the work necessary can be done. 

 At the same time it is certainly questionable whether a fleet of 

 lour first-class cruisers is sufficiently large for this purpose, and 

 therelore it would seem desirable somewhat to strengthen the 

 cruiser squadron as soon as a sufficient increase in the pcnoniwl 

 shall nuake this possible. 



In the National Review Lord Charles Beresford 

 declares that the shipbuilding programme laid down 

 in 1909 would have obviated the present ditTiculty. 

 The country must now decide either to maintain naval 

 supremacy or to resign it. The Government has taken 

 the latter course. 



Mr. H. W. Wilson points out that the French fleet 

 at present is greatly handicapped by the fact that 

 came to light during the fearful disaster in the Liberie, 

 that none of the powder in existence in 191 1 could be 

 regarded as safe. He urges the acceleration of our 

 1 91 1 programme of five Dreadnoughts, the com- 

 mencement of the 1912 programme in ]u\y. 191 2, 

 instead of January, 1913, a supplementary programme 

 of at least two Dreadnoughts to provide for the 

 Mediterranean in the future, and of twenty destroyers 

 to replace the five ancient craft now marooned at Malta, 

 and the addition of 6,000 officers and men, to be 

 followed by a similar addition next year. 



Plea for an Egvptian Navy. 



The editor of the World's Work, in his July number, 

 mentions that several years ago the Khedive had just 



The British Surplus and envious Dog^s. 



