THE FIST-DAY.
Bayswater, 20th April.
Sui—The 26th of April has been fixed on for beseeching the Almighty Ged to afford assistance to British arms in the war upon which we have en- tered. I am indeed grieved at being constrained to confess that I cannot concur with any of my fellow countrymen in the offering up of such a prayer on that day. And this from no irreverence towards the Creator or Giver of all good, but because of my deliberate conviction that England is sending out troops not to help Turkey against her oppressor, but to join with that op- pressor in "dismembering" the Ottoman empire. And Turkey will not be the only sufferer. Out of the dismemberment will assuredly arise a fearful war between England and France about Egypt or Constantinople; and when ruin falls on one or both of the dismemberers, Russia will stride in, and knout law be extended over ignorant fatuous Europe. I trust, Sir, that you will suffer me to put this emphatic protest on record in Saturday's Spectator. I send it to you because I do not believe that any other paper in London would have the courage to publish it. Let me add, that reading some weekseince in the Times a letter from the Re- verend G. R. Gleig, Chaplain-General, declaring that each soldier in the British expeditionary force had been furnished with a copy of the New Testament, I wrote immediately to the reverend gentleman, stating that war being either the holiest of duties or the most monstrcua of crimes, and holding as I did that England had again and again waged unjust wars, I was most anxious to ascertain if the Church had set any limit to the soldier's obedience to orders when sent upon expeditions of such a character. I expected to have had my doubts solved and my conscience enlivened ; but, alas ! his Reverence the Chaplain-General has not deigned to return a word of reply to my earnest and respectfully submitted inquiries. I remain, Sir, yours sincerely, OLIVER BRADSHAW.
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