Roberts Declares Britain Unready.

New York Times 100 years ago today, August 4, 1912:
Says She Is as Unprepared for War as at the Time of the Boer Campaign.
SPEAKS OF GERMAN DANGER
Thinks Conflict Must Come, and Compares Germany's Efficiency with British Heedlessness.
    LONDON. July 26.— Field Marshal Earl Roberts was the principal speaker at tho meeting of the National Service League this week. He declared that Great Britain was as absolutely unfitted and unprepared for war now as she had been at the time of the Boer war, and that from that campaign she had gained no experience which had been put into practical use. The speech has aroused widespread comment, particularly, those portions which refer to Germany.
    After declaring that no voluntary system could produce an efficient army for home defense, Lord Roberts proceeded to speak of Germany, making it clear that he had no feeling of enmity toward that country, and that he wished to arouse no resentment or feelings of hostility toward a great people who were bound to work out their own salvation. "I have not the slightest sympathy with the press controversies carried on in both nations," he said, "which have already so much embittered the feelings of what really are two branches of the same race. What I desire to point out is that Great Britain has attained the limits of her territorial expansion. She neither requires nor seeks another square yard of dominions. Her object ought to be to develop the resources of her people, commercially, industrially, and socially, and to maintain the traditions of religious and political freedom, which are, in the main, the cause of her greatness.
    "At the same time, there is Germany, a great homogeneous nation, with a population of sixty millions, which is aiming at becoming a great and worthy power with a place in the sun, where her robust progeny will create a determined life actuated by German thoughts and ideals. This nation has already built in a marvelously short space of time the second largest navy in the world, and not scattered over seventy-seven seas, but concentrated like a clenched mailed fist in the German Ocean.
    "Who is there with any knowledge of the history of nations or of the trend of European politics but must see in these plain facts a danger of collision? No one can say when it will come, but it will be within the period of time indicated by the convergence of the lines of destiny, which may at any moment be accelerated by some misunderstanding or by some conflict with the friend or ally of either country.
    "To one whose sole desire is to see his country safe and at peace and pursuing the path of its destiny to greater heights than it has reached, it is simply amazing, that any one can imagine that the conflict of which I have spoken can be permanently averted merely by declaring that there is no danger, or by abandoning our preparations of defense as an amiable invitation to German to do the same.
    "Germany — indeed, the whole world — is aware of the real prospects underlying our naval and military strength. She knows well that efficiency of armaments, even more so than one hundred-years ago, depends essentially upon their being founded upon the nation itself, and upon drawing their strength of mind and muscle, of courage, and aspirations from the very blood of the whole nation. Such armaments can only be attained by one means, the training of all able-bodied men of the State.
    "If you agree with these arguments you must surely share in my anxiety for the safety of the country and my desire to make the territorial army an effective national force. Politicians tell us that the country will not stand compulsory training. I am persuaded it is not true, As long as our fellow-countrymen are soothed and flattered by their leaders that the territorial force as at present constituted can give the backing that is
necessary to the navy and the regular army, they see no need for considering compulsory service, and are not to be blamed for their belief; but if our leaders would have the honesty and the courage to tell them the truth, namely, that we are on the eve of a great crisis, and a crisis without parallel certainly within the past one hundred years, and that our national forces are unfit to meet the strain that may be put upon us with any assurance of success, I feel confident that the present generation of Britishers would willingly accept the first reform necessary — universal training compulsory upon all alike, upon rich and poor, high and low, from the son of the Duke to the son of the laborer — as the foundation of our territorial force, instead of the foolish and unfair method of voluntary discipline. The real difficulty is to get our leaders to take the country into their confidence and tell them about this vital matter.
    "When I consider the certain of the struggle, its probable nearness, and the momentousness of the issues at stake, I am astounded that the nation should be left in the dark as to the danger with which we have to cope, and for which we most certainly are not prepared. If our political leaders will not put the true position before our fellow-countrymen, it is all the more necessary that those who love their country and who have great commercial interests at stake should join with us in our efforts to protect Great Britain from falling from her high estate. With all the strength and earnestness I possess I want to impress upon you that that aim cannot be fulfilled unless we have a navy strong enough to insure our supremacy at sea, and an army strong enough to prevent invasion, and to give the navy liberty to be free from these shores.