ALLIED VICTORY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 300, 17 December 1917, Page 5

ALLIED VICTORY.

ESSENTIAL AND CERTAIN. GREATER SACRIFICES WANTED. MAN POWER AND TONNAGE FACTOKS. NO HALFWAY HOUSE. LONDON, December 16. Speaking at a dinner given by the heads of the air service, the Prime Minister declared himself confident that the Allies were making steady progress towarda victory. There were added difficulties owing to Russia's threatened withdrawal, which made a serious addition to the Allies' task, already formidable enough. It would be folly "to underrate the danger, and equal folly to exaggerate it. The greatest fo'.l of all would be not to face it. Mr. Lloyd George enlarged upon the entry of America into the struggle. She was stepping into the place of Russia. America was not yet prepared, but would boon be. hence the enemy's desperate efforts to force an iseue before she wan ready. They would not succeed, but ! greater efforts and sacrifices would be required. This was not the time to Icower and falter, but to place our feet j firmer than over and to square our shoulders to bear the increased weight. He never doubted the nation would bear it to the end. It was absolutely necessary that there should be a further Jrain on man-power I in order to sustain until the American' ;army arrived. There was no ground for ! panic. Even after sending troops to the assistance of Italy the Allies had a 1 marked numerical superiority in France ianJ Flanders, and Britain had considerlable reserves at home. Much greater progress had been made in adding to manpower, especially during the last few months than was realised, but it was i necessary to increase the trained reserves in order to face new contingencies without anxiety. Cabinet was prepared to - , make recommendations for raising more j . man-power, and was also investigating | the best methods of husbanding the existing man-power. GERMANY'S GAMBLE. The provision of men for the armies waa not the most urgent part of the problem. Men were especially needed to solve the problem of tonnage. The problem of victory was now the problem of tonnage. Nothing else could defeat the ( Allies but shortage of tonnage. The advent of America had greatly increased the demand for ships, aud Germany gambled on the failure of America to transport colossal numbers of men and aeroplanes to Europe. She promised her own people and their allies that those formidable masses would never find a way into the battle-line. Mr. Lloyd George foreshadowed a further withjdrawal of men from non-essential trades jand occupations in order to increase shipbuilding. He urged a further saving of tonnage, not only by economising consumption, but by increasing home production. Britain had increased her home • food production by from 2,000,000 to 3,000.000 tons this year, and was the only belligerent which had increased her food output during the war. It was essential to have another 3,000,000 tons of food in 1918. He appealed to agriculturists to assist the Government. THE tANSDOWFE LETTER. Discussing war aims, the Prime Minister referred to the letter recently written to the Press by the Marquis of ■ Lansdowne. He said he now understood that Lord Lansdowne did not intend , in the least to convey the meaning his woras might reasonably bear, and only intended to say exactly the same thing as Mr. Wilson had said in a recent speech. The whole British nation fully agreed with that speech. Therefore, he concluded that the interpretation placed on Lord Lansdowne's letter by the Allies and enemies in no way represented what Lord Lansdowne intended. A very active minority of people mistakenly thought they had 1 found a leader in Lord Lansdowne. The danger was not the extreme pacifist. He warned the nation to watch the man who thought there waa a half-wav house between victory nnd defeat. No such house existed. There were men who thought they could end the war and obtain a so-called peace by setting up a league of nations with attendant conditions. That was the right policy after victory, but without victory it would be a farce. BANDIT LAW OR JUSTICE. The war had been entered upon in order to enforce a treaty. To end it without reparation for the infringement of that treaty—which had been regarded ac a scrap of paper —merely by entering a new and more sweeping and comprehensive treaty, would be a farce in a 1 setting of tragedy. There was nothing so fatal to character as half-finished tasks. He could understand the man who had opposed the war from the start—although that was a mean attitude to assume—but he could not comprehend the man who helped to commit the nation to a career of honour and now. before the task was nearly accomplished, wished to shake hands "with the malefactor. In a truce such as some wanted, the enem3' would simply be inJnvited to enter into a bargain to join 1 in punching the head of the next man I who dared to imitate his villainies. The i enemy desired such peace terms, but it was idle to talk of security won by such feeble means. Let there be no doubt regarding the j alternatives wherewith the nation was confronted. One was to make easy terms with a triumphant outlaw, which meant abasing ourselves before lawless- , ness, and meant ultimately the world intimidated by successful bandits. The other waa to go through with the task; vindicating justice, so as to establish a rignteous and everlasting peace for our- : selves and our children. No nation with j an y regard for self-respect or honour j could hesitate a moment over such a choice. Intensely aa he realised that victory was an essential condition of a free world, there would not merely ne j no object in prolonging the war, but it I would be infamous to do so if he thought 1 things would get no better, no matter I how long they fought. ON -WITH THE FILE DRIVING. ! It was because he was firmly convinced that, respite some untoward "events and discouraging appearances, we were making steady progress towards the goal , that he would regard peace overtures at the present time as a betrayal of the great trust wherewith he arid his col--1 leagues were charged. The deadly grip j of the navy was having its effect, and the valour of our troops was making a bridge which when complete, would carry us to a new world. The river for a moment was in a state of flood, and some . of the scaffolding had carried away. , I Much of the progress the Allies had j

made appeared to be submerged and hidden, and some men said: " Let us aoandon the enterprise altogether. It is too costly. It 13 impracticable of achievement. Let us rather build a pontoon bridge of new treaties,, a league of nations and of understandings." Such a bridge mignt last some time, but it would always be shaky and uncertain, and the first flood would sweep it away. Let us go along with the pile-driving, and make a real solid permanent structure. DISCOURAGING " GROUSERS." One way to help waa to discourage "grousers." "Grousing-" undermined morale, and the national moral was ; vital, as it was a question of holding '■ out. The peace propaganda was fed with ■ grumblers. Let the nation beware i■ of playing these propagandists' games. I. It had challenged n sinister Power me- '■: nacing the world with enslavement. It ■ I would have been better never to have ■ I challenged unless the nation meant to carry through. People who thought they could begin a new era of peace while I Prussian military power was unbeaten were labouring under a strange delusion. Mr. Lloyd George concluded by em- !: phasising the importance of the opera- • tion of the air service aa a determining factor in the war. ■' Lord Rotherrr.ere. the new Air Minis--1 ter, said the Air Board, as a whole, was heartily in favour of reprisals. If the' ■ enemy elected, it would be an eye for an ' eye and a tooth for a tooth. This de- : tested doctrine was grossly immoral, j but the nation was fighting for the lives jof women and children, and whatever I outrages were committed on the civilian I population would be met by similar 1 ! treatment of German people. . SEPTEMBER PEACE MOVE. THE GERMAN SIDE. AMSTERDAM, December 16. The German Government has issued an j official explanation regarding the statej ment of the British becretary of State for Foreign Affairs that in September I last the British Government received ! advice through a neutral diplomatic j channel that Germany would be glad to I make a communication to it regarding peace. Mr Balfour said Britain replied tiiat she was prepared to receive any communication Germany desired to make, but no statement had been offered by Germany. The German Government states that Germany received an inquiry, so couched as to warrant the belief that it was made with the knowledge of Britain. Germany was ready to answer the inquiry, and considered a direct, verbal reply through a neutral the best course, but Germany's opponents did nothing to facilitate such a direct reply. Mr Balfour's statement was the first news received by Germany that the Allies were ready to receive a communication from Germany. No further steps had been taken by Germany.— (A. and X.Z. Cable.) WHEN PEACE COMES. NO MATERIAL FOR GERMANY. LONDON, December 16. Sir Edward Carson (First Lord of the Admiralty), speaking in the House of Commons, stated that during the period of reconstruction after the war, until the needs of Britain and her Allies had been satisfied Germany would not get an ounce of Imperial material.— (Reuter.) CZAR ANSWERS KAISER. WELL SOUNDING IF TRUE. LONDON, Decen&er 16. The Petrograd correspondent of the "Morning Post" states that a story is current that recently the Kaiser offered to restore the Czar to his throne, to provide German guards in Russian uniform, and able statesmen to re-establish order, if Nicholas swore an alliance with Germany for 50 years. The Czar replied: "I will take my throne from none but faithful Russian people, and then decide myself with whom my country will ally herself in future."—(A. and N.Z. Cable.) FOOD THE BIG PROBLEM. LONDON, December 16. Lord Rhondda (Minister in Charge of Food Control) announces that arrangements are complete for instant rationing when necessary. The Under Secretary of the Food Control Department, speaking at London, said the shipping and man-power problems were salvable. The food problem was the moat acute.— (A. and N.Z.) BANKING AMALGAMATION. LONDON, December 16. The amalgamation is anounced of the National Provincial Bank of England and the Union of London and Smith's Bank, under the title of the National Provincial and- Union Bank of England. The confirmation of shareholders is necessary. The combined deposits of the two banks amount to about £150,000,600. — (A. and N.Z. Cable.) EX-PRESIDENT EXILED. LISBON, December IC. • A decree lias been issued exiling the ex-President of Portugal, Dr. Machado, indefinitely.— (A. and N.Z. Cable.) A HOT SCRIMMAGE. MELBOURNE, December 16. Returned soldiers broke up an anticonscription procession in the city. Mounted police charged and scattered the crowd. There was a 'iiot" scrimmage between the opposing forces. — (A. and N.Z. Cable.) THE HALIFAX HOLOCAUST. OTTAWA, December 14. Tt is reported that following on the arrest of alleged spies in Halifax secret German codes were found, also the remains of a wireless station amidst the ruins caused by the explosion.—(A. and N.Z. Cable.)