Page 255 - clra62_0019-(GIPE)

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THE STANDARi),OF St1\~~OR OUR A 247
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additional temptation, hardly presentM \b.r.f>~hu fan
expedition to the United Kingdom itself, that ihe"i ~_
may be able to get away safely after performing its
work of destruction. The ambition of foreign Powers'~
may fly at even higher game. If an expeditionary
force, notwithstanding our preponderant Navy, may
effect a landing by surprise in Ireland or even in Great
!3rita;in itself, a similar force apparently might be landed
tnEgypt or South Afrita, or some other vulnerable
part of our wide Empire, by a Power like France or
Germany. The threat of a number of attempts may
withdraw the fleet and ships we could oppose from the
quarter where the real surprise may be tried. Curiously
enough, history itself supplies the record of a landing
by surprise on the part of the French in Egypt at a
, time when the English fleet was preponderant in the
Mediterranean A.nd when Nelson was on the look-out
for the French expedition. What has happened before
may happen again, and the change made since Nelson's
time by the substitution of steamers for sailing ships
appears all in favour of the possibility of surprise. A
foreign surprise of this sort may appear even more
tempting to an enemy than a raid upon Ireland or Great
Britain. The temporary possession of Egypt by an
enemy would upset all our arrangements for Imperial
defence generally, and the calculation would be that
much might happen before we were in a position to send
another expedition to Egypt to restore our power. It
was nearly two years after the French landed in Egypt
in 1799 before we were able to land a force to disposs~ss
them.. But whether in Egypt or elsewhere, our widely
scattered Empire is clearly liable to surprise at some
point, and the surprise may be serious if we have not
at all necessary points suitable and adequate garrisons.
The provision of such garrisons, then, is one of the
main duties of an English army in time of peace.
I have spoken only of the possibility of raids by sea,
as that is the main matter, having regard to the posi-
tion of the great military Powers who may be our