The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-07-11
LORD ROBERTS CAUSES
 SENSATION IN LORDS
DELLBERATELE DECLARES MIL ITARY FORGE OF BRITAIN
 INADEQUATE

As Practical Soldier He Condemns It
 as Totally Unfit and Inadequate to
 Uphold the Empire as First Class
 Power-seathingIy Attacks the Pco-
 pie of England Who, He Says, show
 No National Feeling Towards the
 Military Until Danger Arises.
 London, July 10-Fleld Marshal Lord Roberts created a sensation in the house of lords this evening when in a lengthy and well considered speech he deliberately expressed his opinion as a practical soldier, that the military force of Great Britain was inadequats, im- perfectly trained and totally unfit to uphold Great Britain as first class power. Lord Roberts did not blame the government, which he said was actuat- ed by a national feeling, but he scath- ingly attacked the people of England who, he said, showed no national feel- ing towards the military until danger arose. Then, said Lord Roberts, the soldier was the pet of the people, but i this was only an evanesant enthusiasm which did not entail self-sacrifice and passed away as soon as the danger dis appeared.
 The speech was delivered in connec- ton with a motion introduced by the Earl of Wemyss and March, conserva~ tive, traversing Premier Balfours statement regarding the iInpossibilitY of the invasion of Great Britain and urging the necessity of keeping lip suf- ficient land forces to repel any possible invasion Lord Roberts said the les- sons of the South African war had been forgotten. He had no hesitation in say- ing that the armed forces of Great Britain as a body were absolutely unfit and unprepared for war as they were when the South African trouble broke out.
 He declared enphatically that the choice lay between conscription or some practical system of universal training, and that only by such means would 1t be possible for Great Britain to pos- sess an armed force organized and trained to meet the demands of the elr pire in event of war.
 His lordship said that any disposition of Great Britain's military position NAllllilt tlklG lll1lilC QIOUOSSQ by the Earl of Wemyss would be en- tirely nnayailing sEAsa cnllss tssx. aa { e deal with a question of infinitely great CT importance the question of the life or the death of the empire the issue of which depended upon Great Britain being ready to defend her eastern pos sessions 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 efficient as that of any of the European coun- tries. all of which might be regarded as nations in arms. Every other European country regarded its army as a part of the nation while England considerd her army to be something quite outside the national life and no thought was be- slowed upon 1t by the civil population except as part of a political and partf- san platform.
 Lord Roberts appealed to the coun- try to awake to it's danger and to 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 andy that every one must personally bear a share in the defense or enable to whom responsibility was delegated to become in all respects efficient.
 The discussion of the motion contin- ued for some time the speakers compli- menting Lord Roberts for the stand he had taken.
 Lord Lansdowne, the foreign minister defended Premier Balfour He said that MT. Balfour had never maintained that the defence of the country de- pended solely on the navy The corn~ mittee on defense had taken every pos- sible phase into consideration and would, he hoped. be able to work out the problem to the satisfaction of every one. The government decided not to oppose the motion of the Earl of Wern- yss and March, which was passed witha out division.