The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-03-02
EARL ROBERTS
MILITARY Plan.
n. Scheme Of Compulsory Military
training Is Beginning to Receive
Serious Notice in Great
Britain.
[As BEEN CONSISTENT.
Eept at It for Many Years and Has
Seen National Service League
Grow From $50 to
100000.
By Ed. H. Keen. LONDON correspond
ent Of the United Press.


ent OF the United Press
LONDON, March England is
beginning to take serious notice Of
Earl Roberts scheme of compulsory
Military training. When the little
i've foot soldier retired as head of
he army eight years ago to devote
bis remaining years to this crusade,
his ideas were denounced as vision
III and impracticable. But he threw
himself into the fight with all the
zeal Of his early Indian campaigning,
ind now, despite his eighty years and
n the face of the bitterst kind of at
acks by politicians, and the personal
bntagonism of even his former friends,
be is still at it, harder than ever.
With the possible exception of
Lloyd-George, there is at present no
man in English public life who has
been more maligned and misrepre-
scented than old ''Bobs." Not long ago
Lord Chancellor Haldane, formerly
war minister, remarked that Roberts
wasn't even tactician, but just a
good fighting soldier who could be re-
lied upon to carry out the orders Of
the war Office, apparently forgetting
that he it was whom the country en-
trusted with the supreme command
of 100000 men in the South African
yeldt to retrieve the tactical blunders
81 Butler, Methuen, and Gatacre, and
save Great Britain from ignominious
defeat.
Roberts has, however, seen the ma
uona service league grow from a
membership of $50 to 100000. Also,
whereas there were in 1902 only three
supporters of his policy in parliament,
mere are now nearly 200. From be-
ing sneered at, the movement has as
samed the dignity of Il vital public
question, and abuse has given way to
argument. No matter how much one
may disagree with his views, it is i'm
posslble, II one knows the man, not to
Oe convinced of his sincerity and his
sosolutely disinterested patriotism.
he has been called lingo, and a
eohscrlptionist. He is neither. Nor
y ne German ophobe, as some of his
euehlies have designated him. But he
IS honestly convinced that England is
wac open to invasion, that Germany
aer most dangerous possible foe
ana that her only salvation in such
an event is trained citizen soidiery
nat all there is to it. He doesn't
anu 10 see England compelled tc
aAe even the one chance in a hundred
ana lose. He would not drag young
aeh from their hoes and force
Fnem TO give up two or three years
= lneir lives to- army service. But
= would have them, without interfer,
ns with their normal pursuits, give q
e''alh portion of their time to mill
ary training and discipline. Besides
i'as discharging duty to their coun
W the young man himself would
perhaps more than by al
enalng cricket matches, or playing
~ or billiards, or helping to sup
or' the corner saloonkeeper. Any
wv mats the way "Bobs. looks al
Much of the opposition to Roberts
.neme has come from the leaders Of
isahized labor. His answer is tina
merely wants the workingman te
aoie to defend his own home in the
0ur OF national peril.
me movement, is based on the
'ost democratic of all political prin
lpies,' he says, that every able
ouied citizen should give his quota o.
eisonal service to the defense of the
que Our present system is not onl.
.auequate, but anti-democratic. W.
~ certain number of men to fighr
US and keep us from danger, ane
ny on the self sacrifice OF certain
lners' Socialism, of all things, coult
s, Il II is morally defensible. allow
VI system. The anti-militar,
'osement, as advanced against ma
ma service, is illogical and an alb
lu.sy. u militarism is wrong, M
my should be maintained at all. If
Tue other hand, we must have al
which undoubtedly we must
Z" - follows that such an arm,