BRITAIN'S DEFENCE INADEQUATE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1095, 6 April 1911, Page 5

BRITAIN'S DEFENCE INADEQUATE.

DEBATE IN THE LORDS. LORD ROBERTS ASKS A MILLION TRAINED MEN. REPLY BY LORD HALDANE. By Telegraph—Press Association-Copyrialit London, April -1. An important debate on national defence was inaugurated in the House of Lords to-day by Field-Marshal Lord Rob. erts, who moved "That, in view of tho altered strategical conditions on land and sea in Europe, this House views with grave and growing concern, Britain's inadequate naval and military arrangements." Speaking to the motion, Lord Roberts lauded the statesmanlike, manly speech made in the Reichstag by tho German Chancellor (Herr von Bethroann-Hollweg), especially his contention that the Empire's armed force must correspond with the Empire's resources. Disasters similar to those which had occurred during the South African War, if received at the hands of a stronger adversary, might mean the downfall of the British Empire. Britain, said his Lordship, required a million adequately-trained men in addition to the regulars, in order to give the Navy perfect freedom of action. He urged the appointment of a Royal Commission. Lord Haldane, Secretary of Stats for War, stated that apart from the impossibility of obtaining officers, Lord Roberts's army would cost .£40,000,000, thereby threatening national' bankruptcy. They could not get prosperity in peacetime if they crushed the people down with the weight of armaments only needed in war-time. If there camo a bolt from the blue, Britain would have 550.000 men ready to receivo the invaders. Under compulsory service it would be impossible to keep up an overseas army, and thus they would imperil India. The proposed arbitration treaty with America and Germany's assent to tho exchange of naval information indicated a world-wide desire to diminish the burden of armaments.. The command of the sea, added Lord Haldane, must be the first concern. He would gladly join with Lord Roberts in providing for the better physical and intellectual training of youths between tho ages of fourteen and seventeen years. Lord Milner, who followed, said ho considered Great Britain ought to have an expeditionary force which would not be a negligible quantity, in the event of necessity, in maintaining the balance of power in Europe. The debato was adjourned.

THE MOTION CARRIED. ._ MAJORITY OF FIFTY-NINE. (Rec. April 6, 0.55 a.m.) London, April 5. After Lord Midleton, Lord Lucas, Lord Derby, Lord Curzon, and the Duke of Bedford had taken part in the debate, Lord Roberts's motion was carried, the voting being:— For tho motion ; 99 Against tho motion 40 Majority for .;.. 59 THE HIGHER POLICY OF DEFENCE. . A SLASHING CRITIC. 11l February "The Times" military correspondent forwarded his journal a lengthy letter on British defence, which he stated he had received from his good tfriend "Colonel Donnerund Blitzen" (Colonel Thunder and Lightning) of the German army. In the course of a slashing criticism of British defence policv, the Colonel said:— "I have already shown that your naval strategy is based on a double misconception; first, that the present numerical -superiority of your Navy wiil be maintained, and, secondly, that your eneiriy will do all the stupidest things imaginable, and will leave undone' those things which sense and reason dictate. The history of tho wars which wo Germans have fought during tho last half-centurv scarcely authorises tho assumption that we shall bo cither stupid or inert. . . . But it is strange that none of vour seaman appreciate the difference between tho initiative and the want of it, and this notwithstanding Port Arthur and the obvious lessons from the surprise of the Russian Navy, which, liko yours, also declared invasion to be impossible, but found that its theory could not endure the test" of war. If tho initiative is ours, what then? Navies within eaev striking distance of the shores of all enemy are peculiarly vulnerable to surprise attacks, and the balance of naval power may be altered in a night. It is nine chances in ten that we shall have tho initiative in war with you. . . .

The Initiative in War, "You dare not assume the initiative against us at sea. Whv? Because any act of aggression committed against us automatically produces the. .'casus foederis' between us and our allies. You have no allies in Europe, and the initiative taken at your expense compels nobody else to march. This is your weakness, winch we shall certainly exploit. . . . Moreover, in no distant sea can your Aavy now intervene effectively without uncovering your home territory. You dare not uncover your islands because your people are not trained to arms. ii u a J£ taußht to take fr °™ fie S'ato an that they can get and to give it nothing. Consequently your Navy is a Home Coastguard and nothing more. It should figure in your Army List as part of tho Territorial iorce, for whose numerical inadequacy it endeavours to atone. You are good souls you English, but you must keep the story of your sea supremacy for your Marines.

The Land Forces. Turning to the question of land dci . '~JJ!% writer Proceeded :-"To defeat ,0,000 good foreign troops-the ' responsibility tor the figure rests solely VI\ y V! v Dcfc n<:« Committec-and to defeat them 'under all circumstances' means to defeat them when your Regulars aro abroad and your Special Reserve largely absorbed into them. This is made clear by Lord Crowe's speech above mentioned, in which it is «aid that, you had 'to assume that lhin<"i wore at their worst both in regard in the absence of tho Regular Army and in regard to matters of good fortune and good management.' J n other words you accepted the duty of defeating 70 001) -a o nn n n o f TcmtOn - a > If * dediiet only < 0,000 for recruits, sick, absentee-' a nil emigrants, I am certainly generous. Islands liable to attack require large garrisons and preliminary dispersion, be. cause you do not know where, • nor in how many places, the enemy will land You require nearly ,100,000 men for obligatory garrisons and local mobile defence, including Ireland. Ton need besides over 200,000 for a Central Funv ( () defeat the 70,000 invaders on the assumption, which may be right or wrong, Hint three Territorials equal one trained tidier. This means 500,000 Terrilorials, and to provide this number of effectives' your establishment should bo 000,000, and tho strength to correspond. You have been (old times out of mind bv everybody in your country who knows anything of war that, you need an establishment of 000,000 Territorials. Why, so you do, even to carry out the opti' mistic policy of your Defence Committee. Do you care? Aro you going lo do anything 'i Not you!"