A TACTLESS LORD.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2556, 17 July 1909, Page 4

A TACTLESS LORD.

The Earl of Crewe, -will certainly not have added to lxis reputation for cither wisdom or tact by his recent speech in the House ofl Lords on Lord Roberts’ National Service Bill. This is a measure in which England’s great soldier sought to institute a system of compulsory training, in order to .provide some adequate protection against possible invasion. The Earl of Crewe strongly opposed the Bill, and used some amazing arguments to- justify his action. He warned his fellow Lords that the Bill was intended to apply to Ireland, where “portions of the population were accused by some of {disloyalty.” This was a very unfortunate remark, for its only effect can be to emphasise any disaffection that may exist. His Lordship, however, went on from, bad to worse, for ho is reported as having said that “piaoy of the middle and respectable classes ii> Britain

object to their sons caanping with what they would consider rif-raff, just as they did hot send their children to Council schools, lest they were associated with what was regarded as.gutter children.” If the Earl of Crewe has accurately stated the position, then indeed the war of classes has placed England in a perilous position. A house divided against itself must fall, and if the question of national defence has to stand on one. side because one grade of society insists upon holding aloof from another, then the situation is an alarming one., Class distinctions are much more sharply drawn in the Old 1 Country than tlioy are here, but wo should be surprised to find that they are carried to such an absurd extent as to interfere with tho conduct of such a scheme as Lord Roberts suggests. In making the imputation ho has against what he describes as tho “middle and respectable classes,” the Earl of Crewe has been extremely foolish, and one of the obvious results of bis speech will be to intensify any prejudice which already exists against the .particular section of tho community which he personally represents. *