The Continental papers are still extremely hostile, even the graver
Liberal journals exulting over British difficulties, but there is a perceptible alteration in the direction of their thoughts. They are less confident as they perceive the reso- lution of the " brutal islanders" that the Boers will win, and are discomposed by the evidence that this country intends to increase her military strength. "That," says the De'iats, which is decidedly unfriendly, "will herald difficult times for Europe." It will herald nothing of the kind, for we want nothing except to be let alone, but the dawn- ing alarm is noteworthy as proof that the European journalists have at last seized a nearly self-evident truth. For years they have been snubbing us and sneering at us for raising an Army by pay and have quite forgotten that compulsory and universal service on the Continental plan would mean for us an Army in the barracks and in the Reserves of two and a-half millions of men. They would find a Britain armed in that style even more " in the path" than the present one, and would shortly be complaining of " theimmense and useless forces kept up by the perfidious aristocracy of Great Britain," which nevertheless, they would add, fights its battles with gold ballets. They have not accused us yet of buying Kruger, but they will.
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