The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-03-08
House of Lords Engages in Genp.
inc Debate ON Broderick's
Army Scheme.
IT'S FALLACY FULLY EXPOSED.
Government Would Be Glad to De-
Gently Bury the the Proposition
and Promote Its Author
By-Play in Commons.
BY HERBERT PAUL

SPECIAL BY CABLE TO THE NEW YORK.
HERALD AND THE ST. LOUIS REPUBLIC
London, March 7.-(Copyright, 1908. Both
the houses of Parliament discussed on
Thursday the subject of national defense.
and the Prime Minister received an import
ant deputation upon the supply of food In
time of war
In his reply to the deputation Mr.. Balfouf
showed himself at his best.
While he exposed in very sensible. prac-
teal speech the groundless alarms Of men
like Mr.. Chaplin, who are thinking of agri-
cultural protection when they are talking Of
maritime warfare, he wisely promised an
inquiry into a question of the utmost pos
sible Importance.
In the House Of Lords an attack upon Mr..
Broderick's army scheme was led without
much judgment or intelligence by Lord Car
rington. Lord Spencer and Lord Lansdowno
skirmished from opposite benches in the
most approved parliamentary style. but the
fight was sham one for Mr.. Brocerick1
scheme has been so generally condemned
opportunity for giving it decent burial and
promoting its aYthor = 70 -, higher sphere.
More significant than any of the speeches.
in the debate was the silence of Lord Rob-
erts.
the military policy of his CECILIA que. did. in
fact. abandon il. for he argued, sepStbly
enough, that the navy Is much the nrss
consideration ana that the FORCES TetdluoG
al home must be estimated on the footing
OF British supremacy at sea.
The fundamental mistake of Mr.. Broder.
lexis plan, apart from the discrepancy be-
tween the figures on paper and men in bar
racks, Is that 1t aims at the acquisition OF q
continental army on the French OF German
model
But IL the debate In the House Of Lordg
was unreal, the subject of the reform OF
the army was real enough In! In the s,,. Com.
VI GnadOwv
The House of Commons in the first month
Of the session, having nothing 70 do. and
not being ready. Mr. Balfour kindly pro-
vided occupation for vacant afternoon
by moving a vote of eoptidenee in his own
The only possible Committee Of National
Defense is the Cabinet, whose first duty It
Is to provide for the security .S OF the ma 4,
a matter for their own consideration; II
they neglect it. 1t Is for the House of Com
For some years there ha. been a nominal
committee ever which the Duke of Devon
shire is supposed to preside. Tor asking
Is to be a different sort Of committee. on
which soldiers and sailors. such as the
Commander-in-Chief. the Senior Sea Lord
intelligence departments, will sit with the
Premier and other members OF the Cab
met. This Is a private arrangement with
which the House OF Commons has nothing
to do.
HOLIIOWNESS EXPOSED.
Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman exposed
the utter hollowness of the whole thing by
mission that the responsibility Of Cabinet
will remain as 1t was before.
The Prime Minister was entertained on
Wednesday night by the body Of political
dissenters which calls itself the Noncou-
formist UnionIst Association. Mr.. Balfour.
bearing in mind that those whom he was
resist home rule, adroitly argued that that
was the only question upon which the LIB
eral party could ask for the support OF
their constituencies.
OF course. he knows.no one betterLthae
upon home rule Liberals are hope!essy d.
vided Not only so. but the Irish Natfon-
alists. who gave the Government inkewarm
the education bill, are now much more
friendly to the ''ns" than to the outs
because Of the irish land bill, which they
eagerly expect from the Chief Seer
It is quite possible that at the next gen
ain may be told to vote for the Conserve-
tive candidates.