Great Britain -- Defenses; Imaginary wars and battles
"Mr. Speaker," he said, in a clear, ringing voice, "I entirely disagree
with my honourable friend the member for West Bude. England is not
conquered! She is not beaten!"
The great hall rang with loud and vociferous cheers.
"London may be invested and bombarded. She may even be sacked, but
Englishmen will still fight for their homes and fight valiantly. If we
have a demand for indemnity let us refuse to pay it. Let us
civilians--let the civilians in every corner of England--arm themselves
and unite to drive out the invader! (Loud cheers.) I contend, Mr.
Speaker, that there are millions of able-bodied men in this country
who, if properly organised, will be able to gradually exterminate the
enemy. Organisation is all that is required. Our vast population will
rise against the Germans, and before the tide of popular indignation and
desperate resistance the power of the invader must soon be swept away.
Do not let us sit calmly here in security, and acknowledge that we are
beaten. Remember, we have at this moment to uphold the ancient tradition
of the British race, the honour of our forefathers, who have never been
conquered. Shall we acknowledge ourselves conquered in this the
twentieth century?"
"No!" rose from hundreds of voices, for the House was now carried away
by young Graham's enthusiasm.
"Then let us organise!" he urged. "Let us fight on. Let every man who
can use a sword or gun come forward, and we will commence hostilities
against the Kaiser's forces that shall either result in their total
extermination or in the power of England being extinguished. Englishmen
will die hard. I myself will, with the consent of this House, head the
movement, for I know that in the country we have millions who will
follow me and will be equally ready to die for our country if necessary.
Let us withdraw this statement that we are conquered. The real, earnest
fight is now to commence," he shouted, his voice ringing clearly through
the hall. "Let us bear our part, each one of us. If we organise and
unite, we shall drive the Kaiser's hordes into the sea. They shall sue
us for peace, and be made to pay us an indemnity, instead of us paying
one to them. I will lead!" he shouted; "who will follow me?"
In London the Lord Mayor's patriotic proclamations were now obliterated
by a huge bill bearing the German Imperial arms, the text of which told
its own grim tale.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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