AT THE SHAM FIGHT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 533, 14 June 1909, Page 7

AT THE SHAM FIGHT.

PRESS DELEGATES, THE POMP OF GLORIOUS WAR. AND THE SPEECHES, (OT TBLEfIBAPH—rBESa ASSOCIATION—COriEIOHT.) London, Juno 11. Tho delogates to the Imperial Press Conforonoe,' at the invitation of the Wnr Office, to-day visited Aldershot, and witnessed a sham fight and grand military review. On the arrival at Brookwood station, shortly after 10 o'clock, of the special train convoyiag the delegates, the closo contact stage of 'a battle was in full progress in tho surrounding country, about twenty thousand men being engaged. Tho delegatos were taken by motor-car ronnd-'the-battlefield; and watched tho operations from different f points of vantage, tho military situation being explained to thorn Iby officers told off for the purpose. Tho display concluded v with a grand march-past. General Sir J. D. French, InspectorGeneral of the Forces, and Mr. R. B. Haldan'o, Secrotary for War, entertained tho delegates at luncheon. Yesterday tho Right Hon. Sydney Burton, Postinaster-Goneral, received tho delogates to the Imperial Press Conference at tho Post Office, whoro thoy were shown the organisation and working of the various branches cf tho vast establishment.

1 ; Mr.> Donald Murray (formerly, of the staffs of ~ ; ;the : "New; 'Zealand: -Herald"/ and /the .''Sydney/Morning: Herald' , )./''showed ■■, the. working of the/Murray multiplex telegraph. invention.,■://■■.■ .. : : :' : ': : -: r - ■■-'' .../-/ ; ;.•.'.;• ;. Among •.other'machines exhibited .was the Gell. keyboard perforator, the invention of Mr.John Gell (a/native of. Wellington; and '.formerly officer-in-charge:at Cable Bay,' Nβ!-; son); ; ;;''/'■ : /./\;;: f /:./\j ; ?*;>■/. ;/■'.,. • ii, [Mr. John Gell, referred to in the above cable message, was attached to.tho Telegraph Department m Wellington for many years,'an3 is well .known here;' Latterly.he wasjilaced in charge of the Government staff at Wakapuaka, and while, there he worked but the details of his 'invention.:. He. resigned from .the service some years ..neo,'and-went;.to. En "land to.' bring, it linder the. notice of ..loading iauthbrities,'. ,whoj .promptly, recognised tho.ingenuity of ,tho:perforating recorder. When in Wollineton Mr. Gell was closely associated with the Taranaki Street Wesleyan Church.] i , . ARTILLERY DUEL. .INFANTRY AND CAVALRY CttiVRGES. (Rec. Juno 13, 4 p.m.) London, June 12. Mr. John Burns, the members of tho Army Council, , and the foreign officers who aro competing at the Olympia Horse Show, accompanied the delegates to Aldersliot. Thoy took up a position on n spur of Longmoor Hill, whence thoy watched 7000 men under Major-Goneral Gnerson defending Tunnel Hill against Major-General Stephensou's force of 10,000 man. An artillery duel, infantry rushos, cavalary charges, and fighting -in the rifle pits wero included in the display, i

A party of 400 lunched in a marquee on Emperor's Hill, No speeches wero made Captain Simth-Dorricii afterwards paraded a brigade of artillery at war strength with the viow of emphasising the necessity of large reserves of horses A special force reprosenting all branches of the sorvico marchod pasf. The delegates inspected the camp.

''Lord •Crowe.. (Secretary: for thoColonios) presided , at "_the :: Ministers'.''banquot 'at I +ho Grafjton'allenes.-Lord Alverstbno. (the' Chief' Justice)/ .Lord- Stratkcona,(High Commissioner for Canada), Lord Northcote,.the'Archbishop of Cariforburv, tho'Bishop of London; and many other leading-men wero present. : '■'' Mr'. Asquith, , in proposing thetoastof, "The' Guests," referred; to tWiduty of the 'press' in , promoting' in; the .highest forms and for the , : worthiest' purposes' the Spirit of Imperial unity; , i The •■prSss'. : .wae' the:only "aut'hcTitic iiirror of public opinion, and tho mostHnntworthy: auxiliary of': every'; good Government. Northing was more noteworthy regarding the speeches of.tihe last week than Wio fact that statesmen of all!parties ■ spoko' with identity of;sonßej and almost of expression, upon matters,, of .Imperial, conoero •■.'_-,:■'; .■■ f' , ; •,,■•..'.. i,Mr. Chinninffham .'(Melbourne) .'responded,' He thnnked..;the'. Ministers : for ; their■ magnificent entertainnientand many marks of consideration.- The, delegates claimed no credit for;'the, surprising, results of .tho conference at ,Homo and abroad.' These .were due to those : statesmen'who had proclaimed with united voice the aspirations of the Dominions of-the Empire.-This: was the moro-notioeablo because the; heads of. both political parties, agreed upon the-greatest, of Imperial ■problems.. : .Th'e time' had gone when thoi-people of.the overseas' Dominions were expected' to anjiounce.-thoir loyalty- to : Britain.:i. ; To-day: there was-reciprocal loyalty in ovary part of the -.'.'-.■ ■ : ' . -.-.;.„-■■.

! i -The'; development.. of the,; Imperial • idea must, proceed slowly, and ;in romoto < parts must, not ■■ be-: hastened;;■'• It would have to grow, , and was growing. The. wisest, stated men would guide the bark, to the' centre of the stream, andnot force it over the rapkle. ■■ Young"countries, like young men, thought not as",their elders. .They aeked that their spirit of.independeflce might bo.treated patiently. There was .still.a lingering feeling in' Australia that Britain. desired .'■to , control 'Australia's 'destinies'. It was , a legacy from stormy times, and was gradually disappearing. Lordvßosebery had. told the delegates in. one of. the .greatest" speeches they, had ever heard, that there, was a hush over Europe betokoning a possible cataclysm. .'Since then there had ;been the cry of a .united speoplo, uttering' the ■ one word "Empire:"' Mr.' Fenwick;;(Dunedin)-. ahio responded. He i said ho. ca'me to England- expecting that the .All-.lled 'cable principle, would be ,the subj'cct of their . deliberations/ but ■ this had given place-' to the'greater question of' the unity and defenco of. the 1 Empire. All the delegates 'wero' struck by..tho earnestness with which' that question was' being dealt with. It was being declared oh.the Continent'that , the conference , speeches were Savoured by panic. Could- anyone present imagine such a thing? Tho speeches were the logical outcome of the devotion of statesmen .who had been considering Imperial problems for years. Tho conference was aiiimqted, not, by panic of even alarm, but by quiet resoluteness: -Tho unity of the Empire was beyond'discussion. The Go'vo.-n----■melit, was in accord ■■ with thd l deporidehciosj and all: knew that there was 'no' chance of severance. ;' .: >, ,:-:■. • ~;; : ••■■■.. ,'\ A Fronch-Canadian delegate ' also responded. ; ; • : ■: .; ; ■•.'. - .';. CANADA AWAKE.' - REALISING THE GRAVITY. ' (Rec. Juno 13, 5.30 p.m.) ' ■'. London, Jnno 12. The Ottawa ■ correspondent of '.'"The Times" states that the Press Conference has converted a : section of the Cunu'uian press that was recently, disjroscd to make light'of war prospects., The speeches .of Lord Rosebory, -Sir, Edward Grey, nnd other leaders have, created a profound impresoiou. All the newspapers unite in .stating.that''Cnnariu must -realise her defence respvisiiii'itios.