LORD ROBERTS' WARNING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 16 July 1907, Page 3

LORD ROBERTS' WARNING.

Lord Roberts' latest pronouncement on the subject of national service is made iiy way of introduction to a collection of hi speeches and letters on the subject just issued by John Murrav. "In publishing in a book form." savs'lhe field marshal!, •■(ln- several speeches I liave been impelled |o make during the past 18 mniilhs on the unpropiiredncss of the country for war. il ~eoms desirable to I endeavor to clear up the doubts that have 1 n expressed to to "the. objects of Ihe National Service League, and to the pecise interpretation or the words | 'National Service' and 'Conscription.'" I Then comes this solemn earning:—"ln the face of the great competition for the j world power we should indeed be improvident to rely solely for national security on the traditions of our naval superiority, and to defer all attempt to perfect , our lighting machine until the linger of fate points irrevocably to the penalty of di-iister that awaits a people who, in time of case and prosperity, refuse to be warned to take (he utmost ordinary precautions." If bis warning is. disregarded Lord Roberts promises no unceritain doom:—''lf we persist in taking no count of our wider responsibilities, and in ignoring the growing naval and military development of nations which lie strategically across our line of eonimnnicalion. or whose borders are practically cotcrtlie falhu-y that anl altenitp to reorganniinnus with our own; and if we hold to the fallacy thai any attempt to reorganise our tnililary system is to encourage 'militarism,' [ think we should be hardly surprised if we were brought not only to (he verge of war itself, but to war, and

war with disastrous results." In conclusion, l.'ird Roberts explains what lie means by an army "raised by free and uncontrolled act" of the entire nation. ''lt is the army." he says, "not of a despot, but of the nation: and. as a nation in arms, ias very nature is a warranty of pease whenever peace is consistent with national honor and the sacred dutv of protecting the fatherland."