BRITISH ARMY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 548, 1 July 1909, Page 5

BRITISH ARMY.

"HIGHLY EFFICIENT: WELL PREPARED,' CbNERAL FRENCH'S REPORT. INCREASE OF. SINCE 1905. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.—Oonyrishi.) - (Roc. Juno 30, ] 1.20 p.m.) > . London ; ' Juno 30. Gonoral Sir John French, ~ InspcctorGonoral of the Forces, in a report,, states that the Army is highly officiant, and is well propa'ml to talco tho field at the shortest notice. . The tables- show that sinco' 1905 thero has been an increase of, 110,000 in the number of officers and men liable for servico abroad, LORD ROBERTS ON OUR "SHAM ARMY." ■■"Your Army-is a sham I"" >' •'-\ , • lit a voice warm , with the intensity of his ; fooling, . Lord Roberts in tho, Houeo" of Lords,' i on Moy 18, appealed for an adequate Army to defend tho country.!. "The- sreat^soldier (say 6 ono "report)' was' the central figure in an' impressive bccgc, ! Tlw House; was silent and' deeply ' attentive when tho slight figure of the cx-Commandcr-in-Chief rose from the cross benches.*-- Pcerossos-looked down from/-the. galleries. ; Mr. Haldane, the War Minister, leaned forward over' 'the rail in front of tho throno, so as . to: miss ; no word. Liberal Poors and Unionist Pocrs on. each side of, the , House ■ were all. lookihs towards tho short, bronzjd man 'inifrock' ooat, the hero of :a score of figiite. Never has Lord ltobcrts spoken with mote obvious feeling. "We aro told," he said,' "that the Army of 315,000 men will suffice.' Will l it miflico to. prevont.a foreign army, from invading this country ? I'do not know what'f.ho Tprrifnn'al -Vpuy is, intended for. There is no test but one, and that is war. Aro you going to wait until war comes?.- ■, ; v ,'i "Wo .liavo no Army. Wo havo neither 1 an Army to send abroad nor. to defend our country at. home. While we are sitting, hero end taking it 60 comfortably, danger is- looming near us every: day. You : will soon, regret your action .. It is > to me. a ; perfect marvel .how. anybody can seo what is going on and know that our Army would bo perfectly uselcss if European, forceswere' to ' attempt to send an expeditionary force 1 ,. . '--''.i: .. .. . r .:V;'', - : ! "The day, I was talking to a member of this House; and he said, 'Oh, wo are gettiiij so; near . tho 315,000' men that we; are going to double it.' -. Men in numbers are weakness ,if you do not havo them trained. No : country in i the world ■ would attempt to defend itself with the paucity of men 1 that wo haveVand they 'so, little'trained. "Men ate liiarcliiug before the. Lord > Mayor of London; but that will'.not make an/Army. War" is riot a 1 sham, but your' Army is a sham. : You', never will-have 'an Army until you'.make up jour minds to tako the'nation into vour confidence. If -the nation: canic forward' there . would jl)e no difficulty in' the world in getting: the Army, Vu>V- ..,\ P .', .. "I .implore'; you' -not' 'to bb.l satisfied:, with what-you aro doing. I ask you to. take tlie matter to heart; and to tell-"trio, nation what is before them. They will'respond." i.' •!