Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-07-14
BRITISH ARMY
IS WORTHLESS
SPEECH By FIELD MARSHAL LORD
ROBERTS CREATES A SEN.
SATION.

London, July 13.-Field Marshal
Lord Roberts created a sensation in |
the house of lords this evening when.
in lengthy and we'll considered
speech, he deliberately expressed his
opinion as practical soldier that the
military force of Great Britain was in.
adequate and imperfectly trained, and
totally unfit to uphold Great Britain
as first-class power. Lord Roberts
did not blame the government, which
he said was actuated by national
feeling, but he scathingly attacked the
people of England. who, he said. show
ed no national feeling toward the mil
itary as years ago.
Just after the Boer war, said Lord
Roberts, the soldier was the pet of
the people, but this was only an
evanescent enthusiasm which did not
entail sacrifice and passed away as
soon as the danger disappeared.
The speech was delivered in con
nection with motion introduced by
the earl of Wemyss and March (Con
servative) traversing Premier Bal
tours statement regarding the impos-
sibility of the invasion Of Great Brit
ain, and urging the necessity of keep
ing up sufficient land forces to repel
any possible invasion.
Lord Roberts said the lessons of the
South African war had not been for
gotten. He had no hesitation in say
ing that the armed forces of Great
Britain las body, were now as alb
solutely untitled for war as when the
South African trouble broke out. He
declared emphatically that the choice
lay between conscription or some
practical system of universal training
and that only by such means would
it be possible for Great Britain to pos
sess armed forces. organized and train
ed to meet the demands of the EN-
: pire in the event of war.
Must Rise to the Occasion.
| Lord Roberts. continuing, asserted
, that any discussion of Great Britain's
= military position within the limits OF
: the motion proposed by the earl OF
2 Wemyss and March would be entirely
+ unavailing. The country had to dea
with question of infinitely greater
i Importance, the question of the life
V or death of the empire, the issue OF
e which depended upon Great Britain
t being ready to defend her eastern pos
e sessions, and. at the same time. take
h part in any affair nearer home, either
: of which necessitated there being plac
/. ed in the field an army as large ant
f as efficient as that of any European
d country all of which might be regard
Y ed as nations in arms. Every othel
e European country regarded its arm,
/, as part of the nation, while England
:. considered her army to be somethin:
l. quite outside the national life, and NJ
e thought was bestowed upon it by thu
e British civil population except as par
= of a political and partisan platform
S He appealed to the country to awake
J. to its danger and to take hold of the
r army as great national issue OF
/ which the existence of Great Britain
depended. He said the whole empire
S must rise to the occasion, and tina
b everyone must personally bear shar'
S in the defense, or enable those t,
h whom responsibility was delegated t
t become in all respects efficient.
S The discussion of the motion con
e tinued for some time, the speaker
). complimenting Lord Roberts FOR tn
stand he had taken.
J. The government decided not to or
|, pose the motion of the earl of Wemys
= and March, which was passed wlthou
a division