A STRING OF SURPRISES

Timaru Herald, Volume CVII, Issue 16433, 3 January 1918, Page 6

A STRING OF SURPRISES

INVASION OF ENGLAND ± J OS6iBLE. "For all wo know tno next surprise may bo Wie invasion of this country,'' said Lord French m an address to a meeting of owners of comnierciar motor vehicles in London recently. He was referring to the role of the motor volunteers in case of national emergency, and he appealed to tho meeting to see in such an event as invasion that the Volunteers called to assist in the defence of the country were provideo! with ail the motor transport which our national resources could afford. 'There was an old soldier's maxim which said it' was always that which we did not expect which happened in war. It was most unfortunate that we should still find people willing to sneer at the Volunteers and to ignore ; t'hlcm, and there were still quarters in which 'they were discouraged. VI do not know quite how we inn \indertake the defence of the country now without the Volunteers," said Lord French. "I very much regret that there are still people who suoer and jeer at them and, say they' are playing at soldiers. I hope everyone wi'l do his \itmost to discourage these ricKculous and unpatriotic ideas." If any war had taught the lesson that it was the unexpected' that happened, it was the present one, which had been a string of from August, 1914, up to two or three days ago. "They have occurred to friend and foe alike," ho said—"to the Germans, the French, the Anstrians. and the English. The-latest one you know of. It is go : -rig on now, perhaps the greatest of all. It is what is going on in North Italy now. We may quite possibly have another surprise; it is invasion. I want you to realise that, it is ouito po?sihle, and the les?on wo b-ave learnt is that we must be prepared for everything."