THE BRITISH ARMY

Southland Times, Issue 20200, 10 June 1927, Page 7

THE BRITISH ARMY

RECORD OF THE WAR TRIBUTE FROM LORD HAIG ESSENTIAL FACTOR IN VICTORY (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Rec. 7.45 p.m.) London, June 8. “I doubt if it is yet fully realised in Britain the immensity of the British army’s contribution to the war,” said Lord Haig, presiding at the Service League Conference. Tremendous cheering broke out as Lord Haig proceeded to break the diplomatic post-war silence. He said, “The national tendency to belittle our achievements was often fostered by political considerations, and allowed us to ascribe the victory to various causes, as example, ‘the military genius of our Allies,’ ‘our enemies’ mistakes,’ and ‘the intervention of America,’ anything in fact but the true cause, namely the inherent fighting qualities of the British armies, the endurance, loyalty, and discipline of the British peoples throughout the world, but the American reserves did bring the war to what many politicians regarded as an unexpectedly sudden end. The British Empire during the last 18 months of war carried the burden victoriously almost solely on its own shoulders. It mobilised, equipped and trained the finest fighting force the world has ever seen in the greatest war of history.” The direction of that instrument mainly rested with himself. So far as he personally was concerned, he was prepared to leave that to the judgment of history. At present he was concerned in securing a fair measure of credit for all ranks composing the Empire’s armies. “It is of the utmost importance for the future that the people of Britain and the dominions accept the true version of the part they played in the Empire. The Service League will have justified itself if it keeps alive in the hearts of the members a just pride in their achievements in the war time.” Mr Leopold Amery in opening the conference paid a tribute to the League’s work in assisting the development of the overseas Empire. Some people seemed anxious regarding the effect of the Imperial Conference of 1926. They were mistaken. The Conference had not loosened a single bond; on the contrary it made it clear that unity depends on common interests and mutual co-operation. The conference passed a resolution urging the extension of the Overseas Settlement Act, granting special concessions to exservicemen. Mr Andrew Young, a Scottish schoolmaster declared that Australia was worse than Canada in excluding boy migrants because they had been convicted of youthful escapades. He hoped that delegates would persuade the Governments to modify the restrictions in such cases. Captain Simson, the secretary, expressed the opinion that the dominions’ restrictions did not discriminate between murder and youthful crimes. Thousands of youths would not bo accepted because they had been convicted of trifling offences at nine or ten years of age when they lacked parental control. The conference became uproarious when Mr I raser-East, of Brisbane, defending the Government, stated that some of the dominions formerly had not had the choice of declining to accept criminals. Mr Gyett declared that British laws should be amended, permitting boys convicted of trifling offences to migrate with clean records.—A. and N.Z.