The Washington herald., 1913-03-12

and Lambeth Bridges. When the plan
comes to be prepared. 1t Will probably
be found to include provision, for an
open belt of parkway, which would never
be built upon, with incirciing roads and
belt railway around London, beyond
| which still more suburban development
might begin. BY this circumferentiai
means all the existing radiating roads
and railways would be linked together.
This would probably do more to relieve
the congestion in the centers than any
expedient hitherto proposed.
When the southern embankment Is built
It may ultimately be possible again to
dam the river at London Bridge tas 1t
was in the days of Queen Elizabeth,
and maintain high water level In what
would become an inland lake. Swift
electric crafts upon this waterway
would give the cheapest and the most
pleasant means OF transit to large
numbers of the population. When In ad-
dition to the Victoria embankment. this
new parkway is completed. when its
| trees are well grown, fine buildings
erected and regularly spaced lamps fol-
low its sweeping lines. not only Lon
doners. but the whole world will begin
to realize how eminently fitted London
is to be the capital city OF a great en-
pire.
Lords Roberts speech thanking the
doners Of the present made to him on
his eightieth birthday was model of
| what such speeches should be-modest.
|appreciative. and short-but the gallant
field marshal unfortunately again ran of
the line before he sat down. by telling
his audience that since the Boer War
England has done nothing but waste
time and money" that IL has mo army"
ha ho
laughing stock Of the civilized world"
and that ''even friends are giving Britain
up in disgust"
Lord Roberts is a distinguished soldier
and his country owes much to him for
his services in the field. but when he
talks at random in this way he must
expect to be criticised. The facts of the
case. as stated by him, are all the other
way. II is unquestionable that during
the lost decade an immense amount of
useful work has been done by the Brit
ish army. both as regards organization
and training and so far from England
having no army, 1t has now what II
has never had before an expeditionary
force of six divisions which. according
to Field Marshal Sir John French. are
"all that they should be-" the units being
up 10 mark. and mobilization and embark
alton arrangements are complete. What
same number of troops, guns and horses
at very short notice for service in any
part of the world?
Then there is the British territorial
force, about which the veteran field mar
shall is so nervous. On January that
force mustered s.2s3 officers and 254,03o
noncommissioned officers and men. 1t Is
true that these numbers are below what
Asfa hn
the number was not fixed on any definite
calculation. but on the basis of prob
able strength forthcoming. Surely
quarter OF a million men should be
enough to repel any possible but gen.
orally improbable raid. II they are not
the committee Of the imperial Brit
ish defense long ago would have told
the nation so.
As to her friends giving England mp
In disguest. far from doing so, the
French and Russians cling to England
like leeches. and never was the entente
between three governments so firmly es-
tablished as II now is Whether this
strengthens or weakens British diploma
cy is neither here nor there. but that
the Triple Entente holds Is undeniable.
in spite of Lord Roberts statement. Per-
haps the entente does England not as
much good as had been anticipated and
fondiy hoped by the late King Edward.
who created IL In his anxiety to keep
his nephew, the German Emperor eden
nassweisen Wflhelm') and his unfettered
ambition for the ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF his
empire from reaching out too far, to
the detriment OF British prestige and
trade. But as England's diplomacy is
such that II never depends upon the help
OF her allies-rather the reverse-I.ord
Roberts need have no such pronounced
fears for the safety for his beloved conn
try. FLANEUR.