TERRITORIAL FORCE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 422, 3 February 1909, Page 4

TERRITORIAL FORCE.

;MR;"HiLDANE'S STRAIGHTvTALE'TO'W'~ ;: •/ .". ■ The; Secretary of State' for' War : '.v.'.-. the: prizesyto the 6th Battalion of'tha Lau- 1 ■'■- ■'■' cashrre Fusiliers at.the Town' Hall, Rochdale; 'S" : - 1 - on December 12. '— /"/;-■.// :? ---??? ; --' V.Mr. Haldahe,:in'the course of his.address, • said he wanted to have a straight talk with'''"''•'■'■ some-of •those l \whoV:had "not.\yet-'made up ■:<«•. '■ -' their mmds .'toi.oome.-.forwa'rd, and. join'' the:.':« ? -■remtoTtal ..Force./ .The,new-;force":was'?: a/;';-,* force,with tests? than the old-;Vblirn- •■•. / ; - 'teers.; v- : lt;was only/the•-strenuous' souls who':'.',.? came .forward, tbeoaiise-very 1 , serioussponsible';dtttiea them; ;• That■?/ .• .others .would.comeforward;he.did notdoubt:"/.'. '■'.'-. ' (Cheers.)/.-But..-it;\ took .time,-.before rjeople; ".'*' ; ' ■ woke up to asensa.of ;wbat the.nation called•- ??: for. from 'them,.;..We h'ad,,;h.G continued', more-:i a■ formidable surroundings ; .'to .'cope with ; -thaa ''>' ?' ,we once had,".; -Don't; let:them'; mistake •. -him:' ?? ';•' "- He believed- that, foreign.nations -had .as-.gobd -.' ■ intentions^a's. ; .we viad ;ourselves.j'"He : vgave .v? them credit .for..not-wishing, to.be aggressive ;.': and,np't iNone:.bfv?.ns..desired-*-«; ■ war..: But :when;we had ~b. great'humber^'of "'riX-''--nations, arined,;;to'the,tteeth,'; ahd/unfortu-•.'■'. '/'■:■ .nafely.aTmamehtsiwereigrfeatly ?'' :; wo i knew (-gust/of , toighto $ come;."and : ,tstir,•' : and "then 'woo"betide the.:. cMnfryithali-iwaa:;.:'.-notpreparcd. : History had; shown that when. '■- nations-had; ;heen.slack]' had :been' ; -cafdessi'. > ?:? ; ' had. obligations,;of'home:-,de-•■' forice.yNe'mesis h'ad'oyortakeiV'(them'.'v;,^owiti' ?? . was ..to tho'oitizenj v b'f : -thfs.,cou'ntr.y''thji't'ho;; ;?■?- . appealed •?to?f6rm;?a' v citizeh.. army,/not if 0r?..?, aggression/ not:'for :goih'g "over'seavbut t»- ; ':,•'?■.' secure our.own-.hearth's- arid '.homes'.' (Cheers.)? ; : ?., : If:;:'we? could ..accomplish'-, th6?.h'ome'.defence?/". ' of ithis lahd'mtbbut;resgrtuig.td'-compulsioa : ? ■?■ W6".had : 'Vbry:mufih*'better?do'-it.-?.':(Cheers.).,;?:: '-? Could -we?db"''so? v He''thought'we'could?'; It?':' was from'the,S7..'millionß of Peoploin England ?v ' . and Scotland they : were see"king' to raise the ■-"'' Territorial Force'. - ' That was ?' . 812,000 : :menj-'and that?was;'a?very sm'all.pcr-/: Centa'ge.indeedito'get .out "j&i .B7'.millions-'of a;.: ' , population. ?-We'couldihot'-'resisf';an : invading I .' : - army-'unless out-org'anisatidliwasvas.'.teal as i~- :..??•" that of -the invaders; ; "andj': therefore; v.he..ap-.• -' ' "■■: pealed-tb the maiihood'-of"t"ho?cdufitry-.,t0 jbiri . the'-Territorial Force ''arid '"raake'?it what' it J'?',- : . should--be.-'- (Cheers.) ■*■■:--■;-■■'.[ ':"?.* ;?/W J ;- •?'■■? :