The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-28
He Says the Greatest Question Is the
Defense Of the Empires Large
Indian Frontier.
KITCHENER IN RIGHT PLACE
NEEDED AT THE HEAD OF THE
ARMY IN THE HIMALAYAS,
Ready to Defend India Against Posi-
BILE Encroachment by Russia
Big Home Army Unnecessary.

LONDON, Nov. 27-Premier Balfour,
presiding at the annual banquet of the
United Service Club, tonight delivered a
speech which was devoted entirely to the
reforms Instituted by the War Office, and
which avoided the fiscaI question. He said
he hoped that the War Office advisory COM
mittee would quickly evolve a satisfactory
result from its Investigations Mr.. Balfour
defended the secretary of state for war,
who, he said. had to face a more complex
problem than that now before the war min
lister Of any other nation, account of the
vast scope Of British territory. He blamed
the Liberal predecessors of the present gov
eminent for their deliberate policy of starv-
ing the army. which policy had resulted in
the difficulties experienced in the South
African war, notwithstanding the efforts Of
the present government, which did its ut
most to bring the army up to an efficient
standard. He contended that the army as
framed by the Unionist government, oper-
ating through Lord Lansdowne and Lord
Wolseley, had performed feat in South
Africa that no nation had ever attempted,
or had ever carried out, but, he said, no
enthusiastic gratitude had been displayed
to those who were responsible for this
result. II the army, in the condition in
which 1t had been left by Lord Rosebery's
administration, said the premier had to go
through the South African campaign it
would have met with illimitable disasters.
Mr.. Balfour said 1T was not his intention
to apologize because he did not consider
that an apology was necessary, but when
he found Sir Henry. Campbell Zimmerman
and Lord Roscbery denouncing the present
governments military policy and thought
of their own conduct of military affairs,
he felt his gorge rise. He thought that for
very shame the members of the Rosebery
government would have preserved a dis
Greet silence. He did not wish to minimize
the magnitude of the miscalculation which
had been made in South Africa, but it was
a miscalculation Of which the whole British
military profession was alike guilty, II
the maladministration of the War Office.
In regard to the future Premier Balfour
asserted that he did not believe a large
great military problem was the defense OF
the large Indian frontier against the great
and. he was glad to think, friendly empire
of Russia For that reason he emphatic
ally replied to those who wanted Lord
Kitchener In London at the head of the
army, in the Himalayas was where the
general ought to be.
In conclusion, tee premier maintained
that CONSUMPTION never had been and never
could be used to defend outlying posses
sions. In the ultimate resort Great Britain
must depend upon the free will of a free
people. There was needed an elastic or
ganization able to utilize the enthusiasm OF
the whole empire. He did not believe that
the empire would shrink from the making
of necessary sacrifices or be inadequate
for the greatest strain it's patriotism might
endure, IL only ell the component parts OF
the empire could be tremendously united
for some scheme Of defense, not dependent
upon the War Office alone, but drawing Its
strength from all the great self-governins
colonies.