HC Deb 14 April 1902 vol 106 cc172-3

But, Sir, I have a material addition, I am sorry to say, to make to that sum. I would remind the Committee that in the Army Estimates of this rear there was included a sum of £40,000,000 for war expenditure. My right hon. friend the Secretary of State for War stated that that sum would permit of the maintenance of our force in South Africa at its present strength for a period of between eight and nine months, but that it included no provision for gratuities at the end of the war, for transport home, or for any of those charges of great magnitude which had been included in the similar Estimates of last year, the total of which was, I think, 58¼ millions, subsequently increased by Supplementary Estimates of 5 millions in all 63¼ millions. Now, although at the time when that Estimate was made three months ago this was as much as it seemed right to include in the Estimates for War purposes, yet the progress of the war since that time has not been as rapid as the country could have wished; and it will also be clear that if the cost of the war is to be provided for through the whole of the year that is before us, a very large addition must be made to that estimate of £40,000,000. I calculate it at something between 16 and 17 millions. But perhaps I may be asked. "Are you really going in the present circumstances to ask the House of Commons to make such an addition to these Estimates?" Well, Sir, I am. I will tell the Committee why. In the first place, it is my bounden duty as Chancellor of the Exchequer, when I am making the financial statement of the year, when I am asking the Committee to provide for the expenditure of the year, not to take a rosy view, but to put the worst before them, to ask them to provide for the worst rather than the best, and, as I hope I have done before, however unpleasant to myself, honestly and frankly, to lay the position before them.

But, Sir, more than this. We know that there are conferences proceeding at the present time. I may be asked, "Have you no hope of the happy result of those conferences?" Sir, I have hopes; but I cannot allow myself to be influenced by such hopes on such an occasion. I must put them aside, and I will ask the House to put them aside also, and I will say why. There is great truth in the old maxim, "If you want peace, prepare for war." And those of us who are most anxious for peace—and no one is more anxious for it than the Chancellor of the Exchequer—I think perhaps will see most clearly that nothing is more likely to conduce to peace at such a crisis as that at which we now stand, than a proof by the House of Commons of a firm attitude on the part of the country and of our determination that, if our hopes should unhappily not be realised, at any cost the war shall be carried to a successful issue. Therefore, Sir, I have to ask the Committee to make a large addition to the deficit which I have already stated.