LORD ROSEBERY & DEMOCRATIC DEFENCE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLIII, 1 February 1909, Page 1

LORD ROSEBERY & DEMOCRATIC DEFENCE.

Lord Eosebery, as President of the County Territorial Association, speaking in uniform at a prize distribution in j Kdinburgh, discussed the possibility of an invasion, and argued in favour of the Swiss military system. "I quite admit that the development of the German fleet is disquieting lo 11?, who have so long enjoyed undisputed predominance on the sea. But it is admitted that now and for some lime to come, we have still ari nndis--1 puted pre-eminence even over the' German fleet, and of course it is> obviously cur duty, it is. so plainly the ffnty of any British Government, td.,; whatever party they may belong* to keep up and maintain that predominance thalf \**e cannot suppose that" ahy"'GoS*er3ment' would possibly neglect it. " ' ' ? A QUESTION. OF LIFE & BBAJH. "I regret the development of the German fleet because, first, it produces ?reat disquietude in this country; -and, secondly, because, it lays an enormous and rapidly becoming: "inferablei'bur--1 den both oh the peopjo*'o^7' Germany, , who have to maintain an army ofi four million men, and aluo on the people of this country, who have to maintain a fleet which is twice as pow«rfuf. I say I regret it, but we know, and every man and woman and child 'in ithis hall Knows, that the. question of ■ our fleet is not a question for' discussion'at alt It is a question -of life' "or 'deaths It" is a question of existence j it is 'a question on behalf of which every man here should be prepared to lay down his life and his last shilling rather than to nave doubt- cast on its predominance. SWISS ARMY SYSTEM. "I myself am a believer, in the Swise system, by which every able-bodied man is compelled to train for a short time so that, at any rate, he may be capable, at pinch of beinjj produced as art efficient soldier. I believe that is a really democratic system of defence. Switzerland is the purest democracy existent in Europe, and would not endure any but a democratic system of defence. I believe that it is an honourable system of defence under which every' man would be able to lcok'dovrn on"his neighbour who was not sharing the work, and irom which no man couid escape except by some subterfuge cr /*ome just and ipEttimats plea " 1 believe that yon will never he quit? fafe from 6uch apprehensions a*: ar,-. indulged in at thimoment until the nation makes r.p its mind that it raii.it pay ths debt that is due to its countiy." But in the meantime — for s>*ch a chanpe could not he introduced hy any Government, however powerful; it could not hi pass- i ed even by the omnipotent House of Commons or ths less omnipotent House ' of Lords — such a change; involving n ] vast transformation of all?, our habits : and recent fractions, wotild|.re<iui«'e to 1 come not from the Minist*VJl*eaifrom i Parliament, but frpm the datj^pj|ejfc 4 APPEAL FOR RECRUITS. '•"'*' 1 "If Mr Haldane's Territorial scheme, \ which is said to Ke by experts^-I-F-am* not competent to form an opinidfc-'njtan. ; it myself— «o well framed, so well concerted, and so practical, should- :Bre|k down from any want of men, then you will inevitably, whether you like it or ■ not, have to fall back on some Tdea ! ] as that I have suggested, and I do ask this assembly, in which I see so many fine young mdi%aid^ifibla', me-f"*ilving on the coast v3hifchTi& '^sto be ftfireatened by a possißle*lahSiig from 4. foreign enemy, to consider whether they will any longer abstain from the ranks and whether the|y"%'itt not pay their debt as citizen-3 and as subjects of the Crown."-