We have dealt elsewhere with Mr. Balfour's declaration that the
Government could not have carried the nation with them if they had male what would have seemed pre. mature, and 80 what would have been termed provocative, preparations. We will only say here that we must protest most strongly againet such a notion. We agree that a united nation is wo) th many corps ci armee, but we cannot admit for a moment that the nation would have been divided if the Government had told them that large preparations for war were necessary. In such cases the country fully recognise that it is the business of the Government to lead them, and not they the Government, and they would, with the exception of a few grumblers, have followed Lord Salisbury, Mr. Btlfour, and their colleagues with unreserved loyalty. With the rest of Mr. Balfour's speech we have little fault to find. His defence of the artillery as regards its quality was probably just, though it must be remembered that this defence as to quality does not in the least cover the lack of quantity, which has always been our chief complaint as to the artillery. The guns are not nearly so bad as they are painted, but we have not nearly enough of them.
Previous page
