BRITISH ARMY TOO SMALL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 7 November 1925, Page 8

BRITISH ARMY TOO SMALL.

WARNING FROM EARL HAIG. LACK OF VISION. Field-Marshal Earl Haig, presented at Bath recently with the Freedom of the City, uttered two important warnings: We have too small an army.

We have by lack of vision gone far to discourage the best elements among us and to give opportunities to detractors at home and abroad to stimulate sedition overseas and discord in our midst

The welcome he had been given, said Lord Haig, had demonstrated that the old days were not forgotten, and that the glorious achievements of the British Army still woke feelings of pride and gratitude. A great part of our .Army to-day was represented by men workless ano broken by peace, whom war could neither break nor bend. That was a hard thing to say. He oid not wish to forget either the measure of provision which had been made for ex-service men. and their dependants by successive Governments nor vet the generous and patriotic action of private firms. But the liqrd fact remained that in the ranks of the great army of unemployed which was so serious a feature of our industrial life today were to he found a wholly disproportionate number of men who served their country so loyally and so well in the Great War.

“It is to my mind significant,” said Earl Haig, “that- with the break up of the old Army of the war and the failure to make national provision for the men thereby set free for civil employment the evil forces which to-day aim frankly and avowedly at the breakdown of law and order and the disruption of the Constitution and the destruction of the Empire itself first began openly to raise their heads. “But the influence for good which the Army spirit of comradeship might have had upon the spirit of the nation as a whole, had it been fostered and encouraged when the war ended, was from the first largely neglected or misunderstood. To-day misery and wretchedness, which spring from years of unemployment, have gone far to destroy its power and to turn many men who fought honourably a-nd bravely for their King and country into potential agents of discontent. “That the spirit of the old Army still lives with its influence'for good is due to the efforts of sound-niincied, open-hearted, patriotic men up and down the country, who, by hard work,, and assisted by their own and other people’s generosity, have kept touch with their old comrades.”

Earl Haig appealed for help lor the British Legion to keep their -old spirit alive and to- combat the feelings ol distrust and discontent which had their origin in national indifference, ingratitude, and neglect. He asked ex-officers to get in touch with their old comrades.

“I appeal to my countrymen today,” he continued, “not to leave them workless and disillusioned, to become the tools of misguided or unscrupulous men who are working for the .violent overthrow of the Empire which the young manhood of this great country saved by their self-sacrifice. Help the ex-Service men, and they once more will help you. 4 (live them hack their faith. Show them that after all their sacrifices were not- in vain.”

We had by lack of vision gone far to discourage the best elements among us and to give opportunities to our detractors at home and abroad to stimulate sedition overseas and discord in our midst. We had acted a.s though' the' moment of victory had found us doubtful of our cause and fearful of our destiny. “Are we to say that our work for civilisation is done, that the will to strive has gone from us, and that the heart of the nation is -already cankered P I do not believe it. I cannot believe it while the memory of the war remains to me and' the knowledge that my old war comrades are still among us asking only for a, friendly hand.” (Cheers.) v Earl Haig, speaking subsequently at a lqncheon, said he had been asked how the present lads who were engaged in the Army manoeuvres compared with the gallant fellows he had the privilege of commanding in France. “I find there are spiendid young fellows joining the Army now,” lie replied, “aud that the actual instrument tor war that I saw operating in the country round Andover compares most favourably with the instrument we had in the, past. Indeed, in many respects it is superior. There are many more mechanical appliances than we had, and they are learning to use them, I believe, very well indeed. “I have admired the spirit of the men during these wet days, and they have been very wet days, and I am sure that if necessity ever arose they would carry us through to victory again. “The only thing is there is not enough of them. I hone the necessity will never arise, but when one looks at the smallness of our Army to-day—-the paucity of the guns, the reduction in the number of infantry and cavalry regiments, in fact, the reductions all round—one cannot help hoping that we are not buying relief from taxation too dearly. • \ ‘T do not think a few more pennies spent on the Army would affect us very much. It might in years to come make a very , great difference to the comfort and peace of mind of succeeding generations. “>So when a leading general asks ior mv opinion, I say wc have got too small an army, Imt what wc have is verv good, and I have every confidence in the higher leaders. It'is iip to our statesmen to provide them with the means.”