On Friday, December 8th, Lord Roberts delivered an interesting speech
to the members of the Newcastle-on-Tyne Chamber of Commerce on the question of national training. Lord Roberts urged on his hearers four points. First, the creation of a higher spirit of patriotism among boys and girls. Secondly, military training in all State-aided schools. Thirdly, the formation of Cadet corps in all Colleges and secondary schools. Fourthly, the formation of Cadets corps, Boys' Brigades, and Church Lads' Brigades, in which all boys not at school but under eighteen should be trained in drill and rifle-shooting. With all these four points we are in the heartiest sympathy. We cannot, however, see our way to endorse what we understand to be Lord Roberts's further proposal,—namely, that all men should do a certain amount of compulsory service. We hold it to be sufficient to train the boys, and then to offer them every inducement to join the Militia, Volunteers, or Yeomanry voluntarily. What we want, however, is not to dwell upon our differences, but on our points of agreement with Lord Roberts. If, as we take it is the case, he and the National Service. League are content to ask for one thing at a time, and will begin by asking only' for physical training of a military character, including the use of the rifle, in all day and continuation schools, up to the age of eighteen, and will postpone the consideration of their com- pulsory service proposals till they have got the first four points on their programme, they will have our support. As the Whigs used to say to the Radicals, "You want to go the whole way to Windsor, while we only want to go half-way, but at any rate we can all keep together as far as Hounslow."
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