The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-07-11
SENSATION IN
HOUSE OF LORDS
Field Marshal Roberts Gave His
Opinion on British Army.
SOLDIERS TOTALLY UNFIT
LESSON OF SOUTH AFRICAN WAR
LOST.

I ONDON, July 1O.-Field Marshal
Lord Roberts created a sensation
in the house of lords this evening
when, i'm a lengthy and well considered
speech. he deliberately expressed his
opinion as a practical soldier that the
military force of Great Britain was in
adequate, imperfectly trained and total
ly unfit to uphold Great Britain as a
hrst-class power. Lord Roberts did
not blame the government, which he
san was actuated by a national feeling.
Out ne scathingly attacked the people
OF England who, he said. showed no
national feeling toward the military
until danger arose. Then, said Lord
Roberts, the soldier was the pet Of the
enthusiasm which did not entail self
Sacrince and passed away as soon as
the danger disappeared.
The speech was delivered in COnnec-
ton with motion introduced by the
Earl of WemySS and March (COnSerVa-
IfVe) traversing Premier Balfour' s
statement regarding the impossibility
of the invasion of Great Britain. and
urging the necessity of keeping up suf-
ncient land forces to repel any possible
invasion.
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 We're when
the South African trouble broke out.
he declared emphatically that the
choice lay between CONSUMPTION or some
PRACTICAL system of universal training
and that only by such means would it
De possible Tor Great Britain to possess
armed forces organized and trained to
meet the demands of the empire in the
event of war
Lord Roberts, continuing asserted
that any discussion of Great Britain's
military position within the limits of
the motion proposed by the Earl of
Memyss and March would be entirely
unavailing. The country had to deal
with a question of infinitely great i'm
portanCe the question Of the life or
death of the empire, 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 ne
cesSitated the placing in the field OF an
army as large and efficient as that of
any of the European countries. all of
which might be regarded as nations in
arms.
Appeal to the Country.
Every other European country re-
garded its army as part Of the nation
while England considered her army to
be something quite outside the national
life and no thought was bestowed upon
It by the civil population except as part
of a political and partisan platform.
He appealed to the country 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 de-
pended. He said the whole empire must
rise to the occasion and that every one
must personally bear a share in the de-
Tense or enable those to whom respOn-
sibility was delegated to become in all
respects efficient.
The discussion of the motion con-
tinUed for some time. the speakers COM
plimenting Lord Roberts for the stand
ne had taken
Lord LanSdowne, the foreign minister,
defended Premier BalfoUr. He said
that Mr.. Balfour had never maintained
that the defense of the country de
pended solely on the navy. The com
mittee on defense had taken every
possible 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
Wemyss and March, which was passed
without "A division.