The Dominion SATURDAY, JULY 31, 1915. THE FULL PRICE OF VICTORY

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2523, 31 July 1915, Page 4

The Dominion SATURDAY, JULY 31, 1915. THE FULL PRICE OF VICTORY

The summary which we publish in another column of Me. Lloyd George's address to British coalowners and coal-miners should enable people who have never seen or. heard this remarkable man to understand in some measure the secret of his wonderful power of arousing popular enthusiasm. Ho knows how to speak the language of tho people. Ho is a great of picturesque phraseology, and his illustrations go straight to tli3 point.-' Most of us in New Zealand only know him as he has been revealed to us in cold print. We cannot see the man himself or. hear the sound of his . voice. That touch of personality, which creates a bond of sympathy between a great orator and his audience, , is missing in our case; and yet we seem to feel some of the effects of his magnetic force. Wo cannot read ,t-he severely summarised report of his latest appeal to the patriotism of the British miners without being thrilled with the urgency of his message.. His words get right home. They compel attention. They fasten themselves on to the mind and leave an impression which lasts. When he wants to impress upon tho imagination of the miner tho all-important part which "King Coal" is called upon to_ play in this tremendous struggle which is shaking civilisation to its very foundations; ho does not bother with dry statistics and huge figures'which only create a feeling of vague bewilderment. He presses home the point by means of a few simple facts which tho average man can grasp in a moment.

Shells mean coal; rifles and cannon mean coal. The 350,000 British casualties wero really inflicted by tho Westphalian miner working in co-operation' with tho Prussian engineer, without stint, without regulations, putting all his strength at the disposal of his Fatherland. If such facts as these cannot move British miners to go and do likewise, nothing can. It is to be hoped that the resolution which was carried urging the owners and workmen to secure the greatest possible output of coal may be taken as the expression of a resolute determination to keep the mines constantly working at full pressure until tho war is over.

Mr. Lloyd George is not one of those shallow optimists who delight to live in a fool's paradise. He knows that in this war it is utterly vain to look for victory unless we are prepared to fight for it with all our might. . He tells us that the man who fcads the daily budgets of war news, and is unable to sec "the peril of his country, would not believe it if one rose from the dead." Victory is not inevitable. It would bo truer to say that defeat would bo inevitable if the Empire should bo too apathetic to put all the strength it possesses into this titanic conflict. The full price of victory must bo paid. Mr. Lloyd George drives in this point by the use of. one of his aptest illustrations. "It is useless to/pay nine-tenths of the price of victory. You cannot bridgo a 12ft. stream with an lift, plank." This means that there must be no shirking—that every man who can help must help all ho can, not half he can. But it was to the coalminers that Mr. Lloyd George's appeal was being dircctly made. Without their full help the German tyranny cannot be overthrown. The Navy cannot do its work without ample supplies of coal. Tho munitions factories must- have coal, and Britain has also to provide coal for France and Italy. When it is remembered that nearly a quarter of a million miners have gone to tho front it will be seen that those who remain at home will have to bestir- themselves if the requisite output is to bo maintained. In normal times the pits are not worked to their fullest' capacity. The reduction of absenteeism and an increase in the average working timo would result in a material increaso in production. Tho chairman of Mr. Lioyd George's meeting stated that the recruiting of miners had caused a reduction in output of 3,000,000 tons monthly— that is, 36,000,000 tons per annum. How is this shortage _ to_ be mado good 1 This question is discussed by Mr. Stephen Walsh, M.P., in an article in tho Manchester Guardian. He.holds that tho measures likely to' bo most effectual in maintaining production are:. .(1). Tho utilisation of

the full working week; (2) a reduction in the percentage of absenteeism. He believes that in this way 26,000,000 tons might be added to the annual output with the present working strength. "This," ho says, "would avert all danger of a serious national deficiency in respect of social and industrial needs, or naval and military requirements." The National Conference of the mining industry has now assured tho nation that steps will bo taken to ensure tho greatest possible output as long as the war lasts. 'If these words becomo deeds, tho nation will be relieved of its anxiety as regards the coal supply. ,