Sir Henry Havelock on Thursday week gave his constituents in
Sunderland an account of his visit to the theatre of war, and the conclusions at which he had arrived. He was satisfied that no British interests were involved in the war between Russia and Turkey, for the Russians were perfectly will- ing to protect the one solid British interest,—the freedom of her route to India. The Russians were not asking for one bank of the Dardanelles, and if they asked for the freedom of the Straits, England would be the preponderating Power in the Black Sea. In the event of Russia inducing Turkey to close the Dardanelles against us in war-time, we could take possession of Mitylone, and so meet the enemy, as it were, at the end of a defile. He thought the occupation of Egypt unneces- sary and absurd, though that project might find favour with the "theatrically-minded man who was at present in possession of power." He ridiculed the notion of Armenia being essential to India, and was entirely opposed to any renewal of the Crimean war for the benefit of a decaying and exhausted Power. He would not occupy Gallipoli, for although that position might be made impregnable, nobody would go within 100 miles of it, and the Russians would finish their undertaking without taking the slightest notice of it. He gave a warm approval to the Russian soldiers, whom he had found always docile, orderly, and humane, even when out in small parties and almost beyond control.
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