Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-05-12
OTHER LANDS.
Lord Salisbury Makes a
Sensational Speech.
GEN. wOLSELEY MAY RESIGN
England's Armament Discussed
Continental Affairs - Dom
Pedro a Very Sick Man.
Associated Press dispatches to the HERALD.

lAssocldteu 1ress DlspatcneB 10 the HERALD.
LONDON, May lin the House OF
Lords to-day Viscount Harring asked
what truth there was in the reports
that England was in deienseless
condition, etc.
The Duke OF Cambridge denied that
the country was in immediate i'm
minent danger and said the Govern
ment was fully alive to the i'm portance
OF reforming and strengthening their
defensive forces.
Lord Salisbury protested against
the prevailing impression that because
the Government did not make showy
speeches their vigilance slept. The
Government must practice the ut
most reticence in such matters !:
nothing would be more insane than
to explain to all the world what Eng
lands strength was, and the nature Of
the precautions she was taking. The
fact was there had been considerable
increase in preparations in recent
years since 1884, both the army and
navy had been much strengthened.
The army had been increased from
181, ,217 men, on all arms, to PIP, ,4SO
men, while the expenditures for the
navy had risen from CA. .449, 900 to &C.,
6l1,030. He complained that the
high military authorities were making
statements against the Government at
public banquets where they could not
be answered. General Lord Wolseley,
he said, had recently declared the
reason the army and navy were not
as strong as they ought to be- was to
be found in the system OF government
conducted by party which was the
curse OF England, depriving English
statesmen of manly honesty. General
Wolseley ought to have made that
statement in Parliament, where he
could be answered.
In the Commons, Lord George
Hamilton, first Lord of the Admiralty,
was questioned regarding the report
that the strength OF the Russian
squadron in the Pacific was superior
to that of the English squadron in
those waters. In reply, he stated.the
Russian fleet consisted OF one iron
clad and four cruisers and was not
equal either in numbers or in strength
to the British force on the Chinese
station alone.
SENSATION OVER sALIsBURy's SPEECH.
Lord Salisbury's speech in the
Lords this evening has caused SEN
sation in political and military
circles. The attack upon General
Lord Wolseley was wholly unex-
pected. The general opinion is that
Lord Wolseley will resign after reply
ing to the Premier. The Liberals are
inclined to support Lord Wolseley's
position, which is approved by all
the military members of the Com
mons.
ON "A WAR FOOTING.
The Duke of Cam bridge, General
Lord Wolseley, General Sir Butler
and other officers held long private
discussion in the War Office to-day.
1t is reported that they decided to pro-
pose toParliament to Immediately place
the first and second army corps on
war footing and issue magazine rifles
to all the regular troops; that a special
committee be formed to attend to the
stores necessary for field service, and
that the volunteer artillery corps be
sent to Portsmouth to be drilled in the
use Of guns Of large caliber.
woLsELEY DEFENDED.
The Standard defends General Wol-
seley. 1t says: He may air his anxi-
cites and patriotic citizenship without
committing an extreme offense, but
to confront and impeach in Par
Lament, the Government he
serves would be an Ineligible
breach OF sound tradition. Lord
Salisbury's warmtfs was perhaps
excusable, although not quite fair to
General Wolseley or to the people,
who are sick OF eternal commonplaces
and official optimism.