CONCLUSION 397 



However the scheme of land reform (including rural 

 education) which has been propounded in these pages 

 may be criticized, it cannot be disputed that it is both 

 complete and practicable. If the agricultural part of 

 Mr. Chamberlain's proposals were added to it, its 

 success would be more speedy and assured. The two 

 sets of proposals hang together, each the complement 

 of the other. If anyone not let by party views, or 

 not so bound by traditional bonds as to be incapable 

 of original thought, were seriously to consider these 

 proposals as a whole, he would become convinced that 

 by them, and by no other means, can a solution be 

 found for the anxious problems that afflict the life of 

 our country, and which, if let alone, or dealt with in a 

 piecemeal and haphazard way, will grow into an un- 

 manageable national danger To that end it would 

 be useful to examine the nature of some of these 

 problems. 



Taking "National Defence" as the first in order, 

 for we are told on high authority that " Defence is of 

 more importance than Opulence," we have seen that 

 on this subject a veteran soldier whom the nation 

 trusts has been sounding grave notes of warning.^ 

 Lord Roberts and other eminent men, while not 

 lessening the importance of the navy, seem to regard 

 the doctrine of the "Blue-water" school as being 

 founded on theory, and they are not content to trust 

 to a theory — however well supported — for the defence 

 of our coasts. 



Lord Roberts has sketched out a scheme for train- 



^ Sec the following by Lord Roberts : Letter to the " Daily Tele- 

 graph," June 1 2th, 1905 ; Speech in the House of Lords, July loth, 1905 ; 

 Address to the Drill Association, "Standard," July 20th, 1905 ; Speech 

 to the London Chamber of Commerce, August ist, 1905. 



