before on land. Here is one borrowed from a great cruiser for the
defence of Ladysmith. Here, in contrast, is a charge of cavalry. The
chief function of cavalry is to obtain information, and to screen
the movements of infantry by repelling hostile cavalry. In fact, the
action of cavalry is not very unlike that of cruisers at sea.
There is a splendid side to war. There are occasionally magnificent
scenes in it. There is always room for skill and courage. But it is
none the less horrible. Some people have thought that it might be
possible to carry on government without wars and to maintain no Navy
or Army. Heavy taxation would be avoided and much suffering escaped.
As yet, however, no one has shown how this can be accomplished. The
map of the world which you had before you just now, sprinkled with
red dots, each marking a long campaign and many battles, is evidence
of what Britain has gone through in the defence of her Empire during
the last 250 years. The world changes slowly, and there is at present
no likelihood of wars ceasing. If that be so, the wisest and the most
humane course is to be strong so that enemies may shrink from attack,
and peace may be preserved. It is for this reason that membership of
the British Empire is a high privilege.
[Sidenote: 44. Ambulance at Magersfontein.]
Something, however, may be done to alleviate sufferings in war, and
by agreement among the nations a red cross on a white flag raised on
the battlefield secures the immediate neighbourhood from being aimed
at intentionally, for it indicates that the wounded are collected
there and that the surgeons are at work.
[Sidenote: 45. Troops embarking to go Abroad.]
[Sidenote: 46. Shropshire Light Infantry on Parade.]
[Sidenote: 47. Northumberland Fusiliers on Parade.]
[Sidenote: 48. Black Watch--Types of Men.]
[Sidenote: 49. Royal Artillery--Gun Drill.]
Lastly, let us look for a few moments, as we did in the case of the
Navy, at the daily life of the soldier in peace time. We have him
here leaving England in a trooping steamer for foreign service.
Here is an infantry battalion on parade at home, and here another
battalion with its camp in the background. Next we have some men
of the regiment called the Black Watch. They wear a Scottish
uniform--once the garb of the Highlanders who dwell in those far
northern regions of Britain where, as we saw in the third Lecture,
are still to be found the great red stag and the golden eagle. This
is a group of Artillery at gun drill.
One fact more. The British Army is small among the armies of the
world. The aim of Britain is not to attack any other power, but
merely to defend her Empire. Moreover, Britain can perhaps afford
to have a small army because she has a great fleet. Under ordinary
circumstances she may count on preventing an enemy from invading
most of her territories, in force at any rate, by the help of her
fleet alone. This is the basis of the British Peace. The use to which
Britain puts her strength is to carry the idea of justice, which her
children learn at home, through all the lands whose happiness has, in
the course of history, been entrusted to her.
[Sidenote: 50. Holyrood Palace, with Troops on Parade.]
[Sidenote: 51. Trooping of the Colour.]
[Sidenote: 52. Sailors Marching Past.--Birthday Review.]
[Sidenote: 53. The Emperor-King in Naval Uniform.]
The Army and the Navy, as everything else in the Empire, are
headed by our Emperor-King. For one last moment let us return from
the Empire to Britain itself. Here is one of the King’s Highland
Regiments before his Scottish palace at Holyrood on his birthday.
Here on the same occasion are his Guards in London, and here his
sailors at Portsmouth. For the sake of order, of justice, and of
peace the subjects of the King are loyal, and recognize the duty of
obedience. Here, finally, is our Emperor-King Edward, as Admiral of
the British Fleet.
[Sidenote: 54. The Flag of the British Empire.]
What is the chief lesson we should carry away from these Lectures? Is
it not that the Empire can only be defended as a whole, and with the
full co-operation of all its citizens? Surely then it is the duty of
each of us to uphold the flag and to learn something of the defences
of the Empire, and of the way it should be guarded and its rights and
honour maintained before the world.
_Waterlow & Sons Limited, Printers, London Wall, London._
Transcriber’s Notes
Inconsistencies in hyphenation and spelling such as
“battle-field/battlefield” and “hay-stack/hay stack” have been
maintained.
Multiple punctuation errors, such as missing periods, have silently
been corrected.
Contents: Changed page “22” to page “32”.
Page 2: Changed “moutains” to “mountains”.
Page 27: Changed “Pekin” to “Peking”.
Page 32: Added “a” to “take train”.
Page 41: Changed “Phillipines” to “Philippines”.
Page 70: Changed “V irginia” to “Virginia”.
Page 90: Changed “closelv” to “closely”.
Page 93: Changed “snores” to “shores”.