LORD ROBERTS' WAR SCARE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10066, 6 February 1909, Page 4 (Supplement)

LORD ROBERTS' WAR SCARE.

Consternation reigned in the -House'of Peers recently when Lord Roberts rose to his feet and declared'that Great .Urifain at this moment is in dire peril'of' being invaded, beean.se of the weakness of hoiland forces, (iennany.has every facility, he remarked-) for landing 150.000 men on English shores, and it would require at least a million citizen soldiers to handle such a bodv of highly trained fighters. Of the English-boast that such an invasion would be preventable by interposition of the flee! Lord .Roberts said :—"lt .is our firm conviction that it is perfectly possible for oiir iieets to be effectually misled and evaded, and that this country might be invaded before having the opportunity of lu-itiiring her tremendous sea power into, play." " The London Times speaks approvingly of. Lord Roberts' notion in "issuing to his countrymen a grave and reasoned warning of" the perils they incur liy uupreparedness to resist invasion." and regrets the "shilly-shallying" of the Government, who, it hopes, will provide an army at least strong enough to; meet an invading force of 70,000. Why did not Lord Roberts put the national defences on a better footing when he was commander-in-chief of the army, asks The Saturday Review (London). At the present moment

bis. warning is inopportune in the opinion of many. The nerves of Kurope are somewhat unstrung at present, aiid it is said that some pressure was brought .to bear on the ex-conimander-iu-'chief to induce him to abandon his resolution. But ' unless men in. his position undertake the responsibility of speaking their minds, the nation at large can not know how it stands. In any case, whether his statement was opportune or not, his action does credit io his courage and independence. If tlie Government of the (lay is'not kept up to the mark, where "great nationalklefence ' problems are concerned, the fallacious ideals of the- fanatics of economy invariably prevail. ' • •■' ■ He is, however, backed by the best opinion of the country, says The Evening Standard, in which we read: —'"He lias studied the question minutely,: and his conclusion is that such a raid is perfectly feasible however powerful may be our navy. 'lf we may assume the correctness . of his conclusion, the rest follows •inevit-': ably. The Territorial Army becomes ridiculous, and the-necessity for some form of national service, which is; the inevitable . outcome, • is at once .established'. Eo.r the. moment-all that'-Lord Roberts demands is a new statement of government .policy, framed in accordance with 'the new facts which—it is not denied—have -changed the the . whole situation since the last pronouncement was made by .the Committee of Imperial Defence,; It is immediately urged that these ticklish times are unfavorable to such a pronouncement. And if, on the other hand, Europe were absolutely undisturbed, we should, no doubt, be told that, such a pronouncement was obviously superfluous. Lord Roberts, who saved the country. eight years ago amid the plaudits of the. populace, now, occupies his old age-in the patriotic and thank-", less duty of trying ■ to .rouse his country- ■ men; to 6ome sense of civic duty and re- I sponsibility. And there are few plauditsleft for-him. : But he has the support ofthe best, opinion in the country ■ for his . campaign- of enlightenment. We need not accept all'his 'conclusions. But he has established the need for closer inquiry, and we may reasonably demand some new light and leading from those who ought to be. in a.position to give.it." The Westminster Gazette (London), thinks .that" Lord Roberts ; has mistaken i the situation, ;for the landing- of such a force of Germans as he specifies is "a ■ naval ratheT .than a military problem," and England has no need to fear so long '. as she can rely on her naval strength. To i quote the words of this paper:—"Lord ,

Roberts is of opinion that there lies in front of ns one of the strangest spectacles that have ever been witnessed in the i world. 'Across the narrow seas, opposite -our shores; within a few- hours' steaming of our coasts, there is a people numbering over sixty millions, our-most active rivals in commerce, and- the - greatest military Power-in the world, no-longer-depending upon her supremacy in one-arm, but adding to-an overwhelming military strength a naval force which she'-is resolutely and ■ rapidly increasing': while we, on our side, are not attempting to Jake_ any military 'precautions in response.' Why is it that with this spectacle in front of them the .people of this country continue to-sleep at nights and remain calm? The answer is. that one important feature has been omitted 'from this picture. Across the. -narrow_ seas no doubt there lies this great nation' with this immense army, but on the narrow seas there lies.an immense naval force which, so far as human foresight can de- : termine matter, makes the passage of this immense army-an impossibility." The Daily. Chronicle endorses this opinion and quotes the speech of Sir. Cyprian Bridge, -who complains that "the sailors were not. heard in the 'invasion ' debate in the House of Lords." The French press have shown much interest in Lord Roberts' remark, and the Radical (Paris), which stands for the reduction of the world's armament, while shocked by the British general's, "sugges.tive pessimism," thinks that Germany has no more intention of invading England than France had a few years'ago when a French invasion was discussed .in the British Parliament. "What is' likely to be'the result-of Lord -Roberts' speech?" anxiously asks the Aurore (Paris), the organ! of. Mr Clemenceau before he entered the Ministry. "How-is it possible to think iof reducing, armaments while all around us, friends and foes, are speculating on the prospect-of a warV" The . Correspondent (Paris) declares that the plans, of Lord Roberts to give England a new'army to preclude . the possibility of invasion, can only.be realised by-instituting the

. conscription, or else England ''will be re- ' duecd to trying again her old game ..of getting, others to'fight for ker, or- at aerate ' threatening her foes with the -inter-- ■ vention of her allies.'' The. speech of-Lord Roberts arouses a good deal of attention; in Germany and, -Austria. All .the newspapers declare that - the idea of'an invasion of England-is per- . fectly chimerical. The- Koemisehe Zeitung, in an. inspired communique, remarks : "We can . not see why- public opinion ~on the Continent, ; and especially in' Germany, should be thrown into a state of excitement if England.'decided ; to increase her army as Lord Roberts suggests, as it is improbable such an : army would be strong .enough to invade. Germany." The debate in the Hquse "of-; Lords was in- .' opportune, thinks the. Liberal Vossisehe ' Zeitu'ng (Berlin),.- but. it points - to the .existence of'a condition of mind in England which will not be changed until'Ger- ' many'has completed herriayal programme. England can never raise an .effective :militia of'a million.men. thinks the Berliner Tageblatt, and the calling, up of this "bogey," '.this idea of invasion, ;by an old soldier like Lord Roberts, will not compel • her to' make the attempt. ■ In ' Vienna the ; invasion, debate, in the House oft Lords has caused-unprecedented excitement.. The Austrian papers- generally .attribute to British' -intrigues the' hostile, attitude' of Ser'via toward Austria, and even the boycott of Austrian .imports . in' Turkey. This. opinion lis broached in the'semi-official Wiener Allgemeine Zeitnng. The. Liberal Neue. Ereie Presse (Vienna) declares that "Lord Roberts' speech plainly" shows England's distrust .of Germany and the extremely ticklish. condition of the Anglo-European relationship. This condition controls the whole present European crisis."