Kitchener's Speech

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 82, 1 September 1914, Page 4

Kitchener's Speech

THB EMPUBiffS TASK. JimL TJOo: .Of? A MOTAHLE

lesltorday. The full text of tne speech delivored in the of Lords by Karl jutchencr last Tuesday—to first speech an the Upper Bcust — : has been cabled out to tvew /j&ihjsd. The nw Secretary of State for War and' of tine British Army on that very notable occasion said: —■ "As this is the first time I have had the honor of auaressing your Lordships, X must ask for the indulgence of 'tow: House, in the first place,. 1, desWe to. iaaKe .a 'peibOKil stautemewti iNodii; Lords on both sides of Ithe House doubtless know that while associating myßcJin the fullest degree for tlhe pnoseoution of the war witlh my colleagues in nia Majesty's Government my position on this bqnc'h does not dn any way ini- ■ ply thiiit 1 belong to any pou local .pantty, for as a soldier I have no politics. Another point is that my oocupurtAoii of tine post of iSeoretary for Wain is a temporary lone. llh« terma of my service are the same oh those under whidh some of tihe finest portions of «»r manhood now so Wi.Jingly stepping forward to join the colors wrp engaging; that is to say, for tihie war, or if it lasts longer than uirefc yearns, then ror three years It flias 'been asked why the latter limit lias been fixed, it is because should this disastrous, war bo prolonged, and no one can foretell with, any certainty its duration, tfaai after ttoeo years' war there will be others mesh and fully jwiepaired to take ouirt places, and see this matter through. aojNis of our mmma.

The very serious conflict va wnich we are now engaged .on the Continent has been none of our seeking. It W|M undoubtahly strain the iresoiurees of our Kmpire, and enitaJi considerable eacri'fices on our people. Theae will be willingly iborne tor our honor and *lhe pateservatioa of our position in tQie wild, and will he shared by our Dominions beyond the seas, now sending conttdngents and assistance of every kind! to help the Mother Oourifcry. in tibia struggle. If 1 ami unable, owing to miliary consideration for the best interests [of the Allied afflmies in the field, Ito | speak with much detail on the present i situation of our Army .on the Continent, I assure your Lordships will pardon me for the necessary restraint which ie imposed upon me. The JWpediltionflirji- Force has taken the field on the French moofth-weirt. frontier, ana advanced to She neighborhood ol Mons. a Belgium. Our tlnoops thare alreadv been for thirty-six hour s in contact witih a superior fdrce of German invad cis. During tlha.t time tthey have maintained the traditions of British soldiers, and have behaved with the utmost gallantry. The movements which, they have been catted upon to execute lhave been those which demand! tflio greatest steadiness in the soldiers and the greatest skill jn their conKnmnders; Sir John Franch tclegraptad to me alt nrid-night as follows: "In spite of (hard muirdhang and fighting, the British force is in the best of spirits," and I replied: "Ocmgratulalte troops on their splendid work, and we are all proud of thami" As you ane awaie, IXropeani fighting causes, greater casualties than the eampaiga<i in which we tore generally engaged din other parts of the world. The naltion will, I am sure, be fully prepared to meet whatever losses: and saciiflccs wo may have to malke in .this war. Sir John -■-each, without Slaving been able to verify the -numbers, estimates the loss at rather more than 2000 men hors de combat. PREPARATIONS AT HOME. As to the womk ef the last few weeks, I ihave to rannirk tihait when war waa declared' mobilisation took place without any hitcth whatever, and our iixpeditionary Farce proved itself wholly efficient, thoroughly well' equipped and immediately ready to take the field. j The Press and the public have in their I respective spheres lent invaluable aid to the Government in preserving a dieerect silence which, the exigencies of ■the situation obviously dcmandled, amd I gladly take this opportunity of bearing testimony to tihe value of their co-operation. The hands of the miliary authorities were also strengthened by the readiness with wihidh the civilian community placed and accepted unc novel situation- created by the issue of requisitions for horses, ttfransporta, supplies, and ibillets. 'Pile ravlway companies in the all-important matter of the transport facilities lhave nuore than justified like complete confidence Teposed in them by the Wiw Office, all grades of the railway services having labored with untiring energy and patience. And it is well to repeat that the conveyance of our troops across the Channel, thanks to the cordial co-operation of the Admiralty, was catnrted out with perfect smoottlhness and' witlhout any untoward incident whatever. We Qanow how deeply t/lie French, people appreciate tlie value of the prompt assistance we ibave been able to nrtard ttan at the very outset of tlie war, amd it is obvious tHaat not only the moral but the material support our troops are now Tendering must prove to be a iaetor «f high military significance in restaicting, the sphere and detiermining the duration of hostilities. Had the conditions of strategy permitted!, everyone in this country would have rejoiced to gee us ranged alongside tihe gallant Belgian army in that superb struggle against desperate odds which has just been witnessed. But although rJiis privilege was perforce denied to us, jjelgium knows of our sympathy n nev in hea - sufferings, and of our iudignatitin at the blows which have .been iiiiflicted on her, and also of our resolution to make sure that in tlie end her stusnificcs will not have been unavailing. RMSJfIRViH STRENOTH OF BRITAIN. While other countries engaging in this war have under a system of compulsory military service brought full iwsources- of men into the field, we under

oua - national system have not done so, and can therefore still point to a irast reserve drawn from the resources oi both the MortHrar Country and *>f tlhe British Dominiions across the Bcas. i'iie wspomßc "wtofli has already 'been made by the great dominions abundantly proves that we do not look in l vain to these sources of military stirwngth, and id* India, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are all sending us powerful contingents, in this country tJie Territorials are implying witlk loyalty to tlhe stera> call of diulty whicih has come to them with swdh exceptional force. Sixty nine battalions have with fine patriotism' already vohinlteeired for service abroad, and when trained and organised in Wue I larger formations will be able to take their places in tlhe line. The 100,000 recruits for which in the fflnst place it has been thought necessary, to call have t«Mn already practically seaured. This force will be trained 1 and oirgtmised in divisions similar to iahiose v,fti.feh aire now serving on Hie Conltweat. Behind these we htve oua- reserves. The Spec-' iaJ Reserve and the National Keaexve have eaidh ttieir own part to play in itn.e organisation of national defence. The fcmpire with whom we air© ait war have culled to tlhe ooflora almost their culm- male population.. The principle we on our part shall observe is this: While

thrir maximum forces undergo a eon* stoat diminution, the reiflfaroamieiiite w* prepare dbaH ateadaSy and increasingly now out until be have an army in the field which in mimbem, not less in quality, ww not be unworthy of iha power and responsibilities of tie Brdbiah li«npine. I cannot at this stage say what will be the limits of thie fcttoes required, or what measures may eventually becomjo necessary to supply and maintain ttoem. scale of the field army wfhjdh we aflle now calling into being is large, and may rise in the course of the next six on (seven months to a total of ttalty divisions continuously maintained in the field, bat if the war should be protinaclted, and if it* fortunes should toe varied or adverse, exertions and sacrifices beyond those whidli have been demanded will be required' from the whole nation and Empire, and whew it i» required I am sure will not be denied to the extreme needs of Uhe State by Parliament and the people." 'llhe Prime Minister (Mr. AaquitlL) in amplification of Earl Kitdhenor'a speech as t*> tftoe munuber of recruits required by His Majesty's Government, added subsequently:. "It is highly important that the impression «bat ail the necessary recruits have been ootainied should fce removed. Lord Kitchener want« all the recruits he can get."