LORD WOLSELEY'S ALARMING SPEECH.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1759, 5 July 1888, Page 3

LORD WOLSELEY'S ALARMING SPEECH.

The following is the speech uide bj Lord Woleeley at the banquet given to Sir John Fender on the 23rd April last :- Lord WolseUy, who rtiponded to the toil! of "The Army, Nsvy, and Reserre '''Forceii" iftor aHoding to the many ier- . ?icee-which Sir John Pender bad conferred opon the army, said :,It ia no easy ■titer* for an oflUer holdieg a public portion, m I do, in the War Office, to •peak in an open manner abeut the army. Of coarse, it ie possible to ppe»k on various subjects connected with the di* '••'<Spliueof the army »»nd its orginiiatien ■"■ aVid reorganisation, which has gone on for eo many yean ; but it is no em-y mattei to ipeak b» I would wish to »pe»k, from the housetops, about the army, and cot overstep the bounds which a public ..•errant should observe. As regards the general condition of the army, I think I am justified in saying that in no previous period of our history has it betn, as far as ii goes, in a more, efficient stale, I te- ,'./ Here that the officers are far betier in- '*• structed, f*r more atle to undertake 'he duties they are called upon «to performj *nd far mora efficient to discharge these

duties than I have ever known them. .(Chews). And I will mention to you one fact which has ht<ly come to my notice, which spehks vo'umes for the discipline of far mtn—that during the last twelve months halt of our military prisons hav»

" bten shut up bectuse we have no offendt-rs t toe«tidinto them. (Cheers). Under our " peculiar system of governmert it is veiy difficult indeed, as I have snid, for an .-. ,offictr to speak regarding tha organisation " of the army, but i'is really very curious that though John Bull goes to considerable axpenae in paying those whom he considers experts to advise him and the country both on Ihe army and navy—admirals and gentrals who advise him on naval aad military matters—that the opinions-of those eiperts which are so highly praised are never published, aod John Bull, who pays for them, is never -. made acquainted with what lhase opinions are. We have from time to time long 'statements made as to the army and navy

- ; "by thegentlemen in power. I have to . listtn to tliem myself, and I often wonder ;;; how much those speeches are effected by the party exigencies of the moment, and /. bow much they represent the real opinions of the First Lord of the Admiralty and of (he Secretary of State for War. I coofess myself that it is a system of which 1 cannot approve, aid I do not believe thai any admiral or general in office, or who has been iu tffice, approves of it, became 01 * and all of us believe that it is a eyeteui which sooner or later will laud this country in dirabter. VYe live in times wbtn, 1 thiDk, it bi-bwes the people of England to know not only the truth, bat the whole truth, with respect to its array and navy. (Cheers.) We see all the nations of Europe—certainly all the great nations <i Europe—with the one exception of ftnglatid, armed to the teeth. As you lotk around on the political hoi aon of Europe you can gather nothing prom aiug from it; storms threaten, hue certainly no go )d for this country. Those who, like ,■. myeelf, have to study matters connec'ed with the defences of this empire, not onl.) at home but abroad, put this question to ourselves : Is the army an') it. toe uavy os strong as it ougLt to bt? I think very few who huve studied Hum question would decy that it is not as stroug as it ought ,-tpbe. (Cheers). But why is it not so Vtrx»j« us itjtfiqnjd be J Assuredly, .»» I*ordJDtyrjby baa iaiil, the peopled iMcountry have never r#fuwd the Ministry

for the limo being any money they have asked for, either for the army or the nivy ; assuredly, the taxpayers of this cuiintry never grudge any monav which ' they are anked to piy for th<» eMciency ■of ihoße s rvicea. No, the answer lr> the question wliy the army and navy Bro not bo Wrong as they ought to dp, is lo bo found in the system of our Government by Party—that curse of modern England, which is sapping and undermining the foundations of our country, nhicli i? depriving our statesmen of their manly honesty which was once their clnirncteristic. (Loud cheerc.) What do wu aes when any mw Administration cornea into cffice? What directly takes place J It i« the lam* with all parties. The first thing is the endeavor made by the Minister in office to obtain some eUp-trap reputation by cutting down the expanses of che army und die navy. If he is tnabled to produce an army and navy estimate, whic'i, in some degree, represents a Broaller mm than that of his predecessor, lie plumea himself upon the victory he has gained, und he is proud that he h»s succaede better than, perhaps, his opponent, who Bits on (lie bench opposite him, and sb he chuckles over this success, he sayi>, "See what a good boy am I." (Laugl.ter anJ cheers.) This is the result of—what? The result of a low and vicious dard of morality which is now uppermost in mtn's nrnds. Jn spehki g *o light-heartedly of such a matter, he forgels, in his pride of having reduced the estimate*, the fuilt ho has committed, the crime he i.« guilty of against the country. (Cheers.) [ hops you will pardon me for speaking to openly as I have don», but I feel deeply on the subject. I fail that w» h .ve arrived at an epoch in onr history when it behoves pub'ic men to Bpesk the truih, and not only the truth, but tlv: whole truth. The noble lord resumed his seat amidst the apphuse of the company.