"HANDS OFF!"

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15751, 18 November 1916, Page 10

"HANDS OFF!"

A FIGHT TO A FINISH. NO TI3FE FOR PEACE TALK MB LLOYD GEORGE'S WARNING. (rr.OM ocr owv corrkspondekt.) 1/ONDON October 0. I.t is an open secret that Mr Gerard, the United .States. Ambassador to Berlin, is on hia way back to America. This is the autumn of the year, when fruit* fall, and most people understand that when the leave* wither and the snow threatens, belligerents tend to cast up their prospects, and, it possible, come to an understanding. German peace talk in October was as certain as anything could be, for Germany know- that she holds more trumps for bargaining to-day, in the way of occupied territory, than she will ever hold again. "Wherefore Mr Gerard is probably on hi ? way to Washington carrying the proposals or the Kaiser for a cessation of the war. Perhaps the Foreign. Office knew more than this. At any rate, this much was so certain that Whitehall decided to sr.ve "Washington any avoidable trouble by a preliminary statement of its feelings towards any 6uch proposals. This task was undertaken by Mr Lloyd George, and wh-cn. the President of the United Press of America asked him for "simple language'' lie fell aptly into "sporting terms," whieb he was* sure would be understood in America. THEY TOOK THEIR GRUEL. j

"The British soldier is a good sportsman," said the War Minister. "He enlisted in this war in a sporting spirit. He went in to see fair play to a small nation trampled upon by a bully. He is fighting for fair play. He has iouglit jus a good sportsman. By the thousands he has died a good sportsman. Ho ha« not always had a sporting chance. When he couldn't get it, lie didn't quit. He played the game. He didn't squeal, and he has certainly never asked anyone to squeal for' him. Under the circumstances, the British, now that the fortunes of the game have turned a bit, are not disposed to stop because of the squealing dono by Germans or done for Germans by probably well-meaning but misguided sympathisers and humanitarians. For two years the British soldier had a bad time. He took his punishment, even when beaten like a dog. He was a game dog. When too badly used up to carry the fight to his enemy, he hung on without whining. He fought off every attack. He bided his time. He endured without wincing.. He worked without flagging. "And at this time what was the winning German doing? Was he worrying over the terrible slaughter? No; he was talking of annexing Belgium and Poland as a result of his Victory.' During these months, when it seemed tho finish of the British Army might come quickly, Germany elected to make this a fight to a finish with England. The British soldier was ridiculed, and held in contempt. Now we intend to see that Germany has her way. The fight must bo to a finish — to a knock-out. The whole world— including neutrals of the highest purposes and humanitarians* with the best of motives —must know that there can he no outside interference at this stage. Britain asked no intervention when she was unprepared to fight. _ She will tolerate none now that she is prepare?! u®til tho Prussian military despotism is broken beyond repair.

GERMANY'S TEARS. "There was no regret voiced in Germany over t&e useless slaughter, and no tears shed by German sympathisers a few months ago when a few thousand British citizens who had never expected to be soldiers, and whose military education had been started only a few* months previously, went out to bo battered and bombed and gaseed; to receive ten shells for every one "they could fire; went out and fought and died like sportsmen without even a grumble. I repeat, there was no whimpering then, and the people who are now moved to tears at the thought of what is to come, watched the early rounds of the unequal contest dTyeyed. _ . "None of the carnage and suffering which is to come can be worse than the sufferings of those of the Allied dead who stood the full shock of the Prussian war machine before it began to falter. But in British, determination to carry the fight to a decisive finish, there is something more than the natural demand for vengeance. The pitilessness -of the fighting which, xnust come before a lasting peace is possible is not comparable with the. cruelty that would be involved in stopping the war while there remains the' possibility of civilisation again being menaced from the same quarter. Peace now or at any time before the final and complete elimination of this menace is unthinkable. No man or no nation with the slightest understanding of the temper of the citizen army of Britons, ! which took its terrible hammering without a whine or a grumble, will attempt to call a halt now. _ _ There was no disposition on our part, Mr Llovd George said, to fix the hour of ultimate victory. It took England twenty years to defeat Napoleon, and fifteen of these were black with English defeat. It would not take twenty years to win this war, but whatever time was required would be given. France would stick to the end. "I suppose that America's conception of France and of the French soldier before the war was as erroneous as the British idea. I suppose that you, too, regarded the French soldier as excitable, brilliant in attack, but lacking in doggedness v and staying qualities. Nothing was more unwarranted than the popular idea of the Frenchman as a poor defensive fighter. History never justified this idea. With the French it will be that fiercely burning patriotism that will sustain the Army to the end regardless of when that end may come. "Russia will go through to the death. No! there will be no quitters among the Allies. 'Never again,' has become our"*battle cry. This ghastliness must never again be re-enacted on this earth, and one method at least of ensuring that end is the infliction of such punishment upon the perpetrators of this outrage against humanity that the temptation to emulate their exploits will" be eliminated from the hearts of the evil-minded -amongst the rulers of men. That is the meaning of Britain's resolve.*'

THE PATRON SAINT. While Mr Lloyd George wa s speaking thus in the heir to the throne of Germany, at his headquarters on tho Western front-, w?s exposing to another American journalist the anguish of his soul at the"" sight of so much carnage around him, all brought on bv perfidious Albion :

"Have you had a chancc to see enough of this dreadful business? Or does your heart already ache enough over the sorrows which have descended upon this bad region of the earth? What a pity, what; a pity it is! "All this terrible extinction of human life is blasting the hope and expectancy of youth, and mortgaging our energies and resources far into the future. It is not alono for German, lives, for wasted German energies, that we mourn. We are well able, at least comparatively well able, to bear it. But all the world, including America, which ; has invested in the Entente's

BA: I:- ■ : :\ ivi:;. T)AY evening. and CORRESPONDENCE TUITION for Law Professional Exams Accountancy Exatns. Practical Bookkeeping- Eiiine. Buaine«s Practioe. Shorthand and Typewriting and Adding ATaciiinee. Eniranc© University Exams. Public Service Esame. University Exama. Teachers' Certificates Ejtams. Military Exam*. (No correspondence). Police F.xams. Advertising. <T ournaiiem. ■Economics, Boys' Preparatory and Secondary School. TWENTY Experienced Tcachcns with the higiiee: University and Commercial Degrees. For further information. apply to H. AMOS. H<3St»-3009a Director. chances of success, will have to aid in footiiirr the bill. That., of course, is one reasou why the sympathies of your capitalists are with our enemies. Isn't there a book which says, 'Where the treasure is, "there the heart is'? It'is a pity your treasure is not invested during these hours of world-agony in sowing the seed of preparation for the fruits of peace. Tell me, of all the generals, .ill the men, you see on this front, is there one who has not be- j wailed the dreadful necessities pressed upon u<s by this combat? I hope you j have not failed to be impressed with tho fact that every general, every officer, every man, would far rather see all this labour, skill, education, intellectual resource, and physical prowess devoted to the tasks of upbuilding and lengthening life, subduing the common enemies of men —disease and material obstacles to the progress of mankind— rather than devoted to the destruction of other men."

Tho Crown Prince digressed to speak of tho Panama Canal, ;m enterprise of a kind which he regarded as "the moral equivalent for war." And then he sighed—devoted spouse: "I have a wifo and family, as you know. I can tell yon it is no happiness to look forward to spending a third Christmas here. I have been home for just two fortnights in the last two years." His Highness proceeded to upbraid America for her unneutral conduct towards the Allies. He had spent much time in England, where ho had—and hoped he still had —many friends. Since the battle of the Somme the number of these friends, in the internment camps, has increased considerably. "We are all tired of the bloodshed. "We all want peace.. England is the Power responsible for the continuation of the hopeless effort to crush ns, In this 20th century of the Christian Era mankind might have been expected, to have arrived at some maturity of thought and behaviour. No one can witness, as you during the last fortnight have witnessed, the spectacle presented by this appalling sacrifice, this inconceivable suffering, preposterously out of proportion to any result obtained, without wondering whether reason has fled from the earth." Coming from such a source, this is a ffufficientbf bald plea for peace, and Mr Lloyd George has been widely congratulated on getting in first word, and effectually burking any futile discussion.

Nothing could hacre teen, more opportune, too, than General Sir W. Robertson's declaration at a small ceremony in Lincolnshire. "From whatever point of view. you look at the situation, to-day," lie said, "you can do so without 'anxiety. (Cheers.) Wot only have we got men. —I do not say enough—but thanks to the. men and women of this country we fcsvo got artillery and ammunition. The Army has got guns and ammunitionplenty of the big ammunition that is known at the front as *Lloyd George's specials.' (Cheers.) I think we can look forward with every confidence. I sav that also because of the splendid spirit that prevails at the_ front, where you must go for the best judges of our prospects of winning. There is no sham confidence at the front."