COMPULSORY SERVICE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1642, 8 January 1913, Page 7

COMPULSORY SERVICE.

UNIVERSITY PLAN TO ENFORCE IT. Bt Tfl«ir»»h~Pran AMoolatlon-Coiurtehl '"■'"'...■.,.■.' London, January 6. ■ '■' The have commented favourably on the proposal 61, the professors of Cambridge University that only men who have served as 'Territorials should be allowed to graduate' at tho ' University, and also; that.-the principle should , be.. extended' to publio appointments.. V .POLITICIANS AND THE ISSUE. 1 ' i 'London, January 6. .. The "Evening Standard" Says that despite the fact thatfivo-sixths of the'-Union-ist party and ;many Liberals supported Field-Marshal Lord Roberts, the political ' leaders..are, afraid to advocate compulsory military service, believing that it would bo hopeless to do so till the working wen'allow.their sons to give,up six months of their, time in order to learn to defend their, homes; \ '•MAKE-BELIEVE ARMY." LORD ROBERTS ON THE TERRI- , ' '•■■.■■.■- TORIALS. ;■• Lord Roberts reaffirmed in. emphatic terms oh November 27 his conviction that "the Territorial force is a failure ;.in numbers, in discipline, in equipment, and energy." He was speaking at the annual dinner of the Kentish Men and Mea of Kent Territorial Association in London, and his mainipoints were:— When" I toll you that discipline is the backbone'?of an army, I ask you whether it is possible: for that. essential quality to be instilled into the ranksof the Territorial Force with tho amount of training which is now Biven ; P .' The Territorial,Force is still far shor.t of its establishment of 316,000 men. Is it possible to regard the Territorial Force as fitted in respect to numbers for ; the defence of the United Kingdom? The Territorial rifle is.inferior even to the present Regular Army rifle, in range, in trajectory, and in stopping power. Then tho gun in use with the Territorial artillery is a niero makeshift, distinctly inferior in power, range, and rapidity of ftro to-tho gun of any first-rate State. As regards mobilisation arrangements, supply, and transport services, ammunition columns, trains, horses, vehicles, harness, even boots for the men, in none of these essentials aro.the Territorials, as.a force,. .complete. By failure in energy I do not for a moment mean to imply that individual 'members of the Territorial .Force are wanting in energy. But even the firmest believers in tho force must, I think, admit that, under existing conditions, it is not practicable for it to attain that combined action, that_ alertness, that intensity and vitality which are essential to success in war. "In addition," added Lord Roberts, "there is ono defect in its conception whioh in itself proves its unfitness to defend these shores—the strange condition that tho forco must receive six months' training, after war breaks out, beforo it is even supposed to be cnpablo of dealing with an invading army. Wo have been given an object-lesson in tho Near East. On October 8 Montonegro declare?! war, and in four weeks tho Turks were beaten in all directions, and were making their last stand within a few miles of Con-, slantinople. My hope is Hint, when its grave condition is no longer concealed from our countrymen they will realise tho folly of trusting the defence of these, shores to a make-believe Army, that fliey will take to heart tho false position in which the patriotic members of the Force are placed, and that they will insist upon a law being passed by. which nil nble-budled men must bo prepared to .take thai; place in the Citizen Arm;."