The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-07-11
Lord Roberts Creates Sensation
iu House Of Lords
IS IMPtRFEcTLY TRAINED
Says as a Practical Soldier That Mill
tary Force Is Totally Unfit to
Uphold Great Britain as
First Class Power.

London, July 10.-Field Marshal Lord
Roberts created a sensation in the house
OF lords this evening when. in a lengthy
and well-considered speech, he deliberate
ly expressed his opinion as a practical
soldier that the military force of Great
britain was inadequate, imperfectly
trained, and totally unfit to uphold Great
Britain as first-class power
Lord Roberts did not blame the gov
ernment which he said was actuated nv
a national feeling, but he scathingly at
tackled the people of England who he said
showed no national feeling towards the
military until danger arose. Then. said
Lord Roberts, the soldier was the pet
or the people, but this was only an
evanescent enthusiasm which did not en-
tail seif-sacriiice, and passed away as
soon as the danger disappeared.
The speech was delivered in connection
with motion introduced by the Earl
OF Weymess and March (conservatiye)
traversing Premier Balfour's statement
regarding the impossibility of the in
vasion of Great Britain, and urging the
necessity OF keeping up sufficient land
forces to repel any possible invasion.
Recent Lessons Forgotten.
Lord Roberts said the lessons of the
South African war had been forgotten.
He had no hesitation In saying that the
armed forces of Great Britain. as a body.
were now as absolutely untitled and un-
prepared for war, as they were when the
south African trouble broke out He
declared emphatically that the choice
law bpfyypan
cal system of universal training and that
only by such means would 1t be possible
Tor Great Britain to possess armed force
organized and trained TO meet the de-
mands of the empire in the event Of
war.
Lord Roberts continuing. asserted that
any discussion of Great BritaIns mill
tary position within the limits of the
motion proposed by the Earl OF Weymess
and March would be entirely unavail-
ing. The country had to deal with a utes-
tion of infinitaly greater Importance, the
question of the life or death of the en-
pire-the issue Of which depended upon
Great Britain being ready to defend
her eastern possessions and at the same
time take part In any affair nearer home.
either of which necessitated the placing
in the field of an army as large and ef-
flcient as that of any European coun-
try. all of which might be regarded as
nations in arms. Every other European
country regarded its army as part of the
nation, while England considered her
army to be something quite outside Of
the national life, and no thought was
bestowed upon 1t by the civil population,
except as part Of political and parti-
san platform.
Appeals to the Country.
He appealed to the country to awake
to it's danger and take hold Of the army
as a great national issue. ON which the
existence Of Great Britain depended. He
said the whole empire must rise to the
occasion. and that every one must per-
sonally bear share in the defense or en-
able those to whom responsibility was
delegated to become In all respects ef-
ficient.
The government decided not to oppose
the motion of the Earl Of Weymess and
March which was passed without d.
vision.