The Washington herald., 1912-02-01
LORD ROBERTS UTTERS
WARNING TO ENGLAND

marshal. whose opinion after his long
and successful career should be entitled
TO every consideration, once more has
raised his voice in solemn vorning. The
veteran soldier, who Is perfectly right
when he says that he knows something
about war" reiterates his belief that In
some vital respects Great Britain Is
''perilously unprepared for the great war
into which that country may be forced
at any time, and which. in his opinion,
England had but narrowly escaped last
fall" The force OF his words betray his
anxiety at what he sees before the ma
tion.
Lord Roberts has said all this and much
more before. Again he sounds the note
of apprehension that the British regular
army Is unready for war" that his native
country Is "culpably'' behind other ma
tions IN the important matter OF aviation;
that the territorial force (Engiand's ma
tional guard. is "hopelessly inadequate
and inefficient" as now constituted, for
home defenses and that this sham
army"-pretty strong words for an Eng
lishman TO use about anything English
must have the exceedingly disastrous ef-
feet in time OF war OF thwarting and
| even Gripping the British navy. by keep
ing 1t hampered by constant anxiety
about the safety Of the British shores.
| But Lord Roberts does not only talk" !"
He gives ample reasons In support OF
| each contention. They should NIL every
thinking Briton with apprehension,
coming from such a source. The ques-
ton is Are the majority Of English
men thinking of that vital subject at
| all. which, IL true, concerns England's s
/ very existence as a nation and an en-
/ pire that rules the oceans? Again, IL
| true, what Lord Roberts predicts and
fears touches the personal security OF
I every inhabitant Of the British Isles.
To Judge from appearances and the
disregard in which Lord Roberts warn
ing is held. there is very little evil
dence that the Significance of his words
is being realized. II It had been, there
would be such an agitation throughout
| that country as speedily would sweep
aside Lord HaIdane's unsupported de-
malls and insure the placing of Eng
lands defenses upon a sound and ade-
quate basis. Perhaps the British war
secretary does not wish to see; or,
seeing. hides what he sees.
The kernel OF the whole situation is
the imperative need Of a compulsory
service like that in France or Ger
many. This. in Lord Roberts words, is
essential to the future greatness and
stability Of the British empire" And he
is convinced that not until that fact is
accepted and put into action shall Eng
land be free from the eVer-present
peril of a successful invasion. Invasion
by whom? Answer, OF course, Ger
manyi
1t Is true that. in his speech at Brad
ford the other day. Lord Haldane gave
what was purported TO be a complete an
swer to Lord Roberts demand for
compulsory service home defense
army" but toward the end Of his re-
marks he rather wabbled away from his
basic principle" when he referred to
the territorial force as a second line of
defense that would deal with the enc
my's 1000 men, II they landed on the
British coast. CThis was the number of
invaders quoted by Lord Roberts) Now,
England has it on the authority OF
its committee OF imperial defense that an
invasion OF 7o,90O men is a practical i'm
possibility as long as the present basis
Of the British naval strength is main
tained. Therefore, to recognize such
contingency, even alphabetically, as pos
sible is concession to Lord Roberts
alarming contention. which assumes as
possible the very thing which Lord Hal
dane tries to combat.
The railways of Great Britain. unlike
those OF continental European countries,
were not built with an eye to possible
military needs, yet. in cases Of the last
fall so-much-discussed Invasion" their
network would be made to be Of great
service to the war ofice in Whitehall,
owing to the formation OF an Engineer
and Railway Volunteer Stan Corps, con-
sisting Of the most eminent experts IN
railway transportation. unique in its way
in military history. II has no prlvates
and is composed entirely OF officers taken
from the general managers, engineers,
and superIntendents Of leading British
railway companies. They are commits
stoned as colonies, lieutenant-colonels,
and majors, and meet at stated intervals
to discuss military transportation prob
lens.
In case of invasion or war emergencies,
under the British national defense law, all
the railways Of that country for the time
being are taken over by the government
and this corps is intrusted to carry out
the orders OF the war office. It has been
calculated that. with the aid OF the rail-
ways for strategical purposes, IL would
be possible to concentrate an army of
almost 10000 men at a given central
point within two day time. CWhere are
the 10000 men to come from. considering
the present British volunteer army estab-
lishmeht? How could they be sparedO
Facilities are also given by the railway
companies to officers and non-commis-
stoned officers OF the Royal Engineers to
undergo a course Of training in the loco
motive works and railway stations, as
well as in the signal, engineering, and
traffic departments of railways. Others
attend the signaling schools OF some of
the larger companies. and thus acquire a
practical knowledge OF the working of !
railways. But II is not only in preparing
for possible war-like emergencies that
British railways assist the military au-
thorities, as the conveyance of the large
through a course of training on Sails |
bury Plain. at Aldershot, and elsewhere
taxes to the full the resources OF the |
railway companies concerned. In the case |
Of the Territorlals National Guard the |
period Of training usually comedies with !
the heaviest part OF the hliday season, |
and. troop specials."s which convey the |
thousands of men to the various camps |
are sandwiched IN between a large num-
Der OF excursion and ordinary trains.
These specials will sometimes total |
over 1O0 and hundreds of horses and |
guns, camp equipment. as well as the |
provisions necessary TO feed such large |
bodies of men and animals. are also con- |
veyed. Therefore, 1t will be realized that |
their transport Is no light task. Special |
trains may also be requisitioned during |
the maneuvers for night attacks or for |
the massing Of troops at some particular |
point at a given time