BRITISH DEFENCES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1354, 14 January 1905, Page 2

BRITISH DEFENCES.

PRIME MINISTER’S SPEECH.

By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyrigh

Received 10.46 p m., Jan 13.

London Jan 18. Mr Balfour, in a speech at the Scottish Unionist banquet in Glasgow, said tho Government wore entitled to gratitude for strengthening tho defences. Thoy had done much to executing completely Lord Esher’s commission sohetne. Tho roal problom of tho British army was at the point where alone thoro was a possibility of oontlict with a great military ompiro. The army’s problom ,vas the problom of Afghanistan's defence. Military reorganisation in India would almost double the effioionoy without material addition to the forces. Regarding new guuß, rearmament was costly, and requiring deliberation. No continental nation was able to bear the cost of its ourront expenditure. The army would bo rearmed by March of 1907. Long before then wo would bo in advance of most nations. Our guns would bo better than those of any foreign country. Ho empbasisod tho magnitude and importance of the Admiralty’s rearrangement of the fleet, augmenting its fighting power in the first 24 hours of hostilities, not onoo or twice, but threefold. This was tho biggest reform'sinoo tho time of Nelson.