GERMANY'S NEW DANGER

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3022, 8 March 1917, Page 5

GERMANY'S NEW DANGER

MR LLOYD GEORGE WHAT THE "VORWAERTS" V SAYS OP HIM The German newspaper "Vorwaerts" S-ecently published an interesting article on "Lloyd George as Prime Minister," and'it is deeply concerned at his nllianco with Labour. ; Lloyd George, it says, was »' pacifist. Tn the winter elections of 1910 4 lie Conservative National Party paint- ■ ed tho blood-stained gnost of an Eng- :, Jish-German war on the screen. The Leader of the Radical Party severely criticised the frivolity of this conduct, tend made enthusiastic speeches for an understanding with Germany. In the Jneetiiigs in which he <appeared as the . anost zealous apostle of all, le.laughed jßt\the Conservative panic-makers, who '"already'heard tho march of German liattalions on the streets of If England had come to an understendine with France in spite of Fasnoda, > if: the whale and the bear could live together in unity and friendship, why Should not an understanding with Gertnay he possible? We ;first saw this ■preacher of the war against poverty, and of peace_ with all nations, play a minister role in the second Morocco af- . fair. He' then ■ used words, shrill and sl;arp, .which the discreet Asquitli, and i he cleverly .cautious Grey would never bave spoken. Tin's was tho first precursor of the "knock-out" speech, with which" tho present Primo Minister of Oreat Britain has declared was against tn« German Empire to tho end. . ; I Llovd Georgo is more dangerous as' , .. -Primo Minister than Mr. Bonar Law-: •, Tins statesman, as he modestly stepped \s into tho background and gave way to V his rivals, placed personal considera- \ tions aside. Bonar Law would have ■■*..had no safe majority in Parliament; . |he would have had the mistrust of the _ (creator part of fho Liberals, and tho •' \hostility of the Labour members for i:ertain. Lloyd George builds on tho •.jHccomplishments of his past career. Efe ~ is as sure.of the Conservatives on national grounds as Bonar Law. And ifBonar Law must' have bestirred himself to gain the support of the right ■ wing, of-tho Liberal Party, Lloyd; ■ George has a hold over tho party to its-extreme left. . His_whole effort is therefore directed •to gaming the support of the Labour Party. If he wins this, ho has 'with -them ant} the Conservatives a majority, from .which also.the Liberals, who art! nttacked on hoth sides' cannot cut themselves, adrift.. ' . And now the "Times" and the .'Morning Post," tho groat Conservative organs, have got what thov want-, pd—the strong Government. They will indeed probably have- in' exchange to consent to Socialistic measures to which an peace time they would have offered the most strenuous opposition. • For little as Lloyd George is a Socialist lu. our sense of the term, and close' as h the connection in bis inind between . Free-trado and Radical Social politics, Jie still belongs to the men who have a strong feeling for the material and spiritual needs of'the people." If he "Germanised" England before the war in the. directiojj ..of insurance for the workers, he will" still" - further. • "Germanise" it in war by the establishment of a central industrial organisa- ' , tiori under the segis of the State.'-' . t But above all, Lloyd George will be • the Primo Minister of .the war. He is fitted for that task as no other politician by his extraordinary senso of 'nationality; England has no man who, ! like him, was in the position to bring, consolation to the nation in difficult times, or to whip it up to carry on tho fight.. Hβ is the last trump card that England has iu her pack. Wo must wish, therefore,'in the interest of the'peaco of the world, that this friend of peace who, from disappointment at the complete failure of'his predictions, has become the fiercest ingeminator of war, will disappear as quickly as possiblo from tho seats of .the mighty, fi is in the hjghest degree improbable tjiat Lloyd George will make, pJete change, about and, witbotlt the flreanr of smashing victory, conclude peace with Germany. That is '?. misfortune for tlie.worjd, for Lloyd George ;s a man who pursues with passionate energy everything ho has taken in Hand And that is the business row , not of peace, but of war. And so wo must for" tho moment put our hopes on The armed resistance of the German' peoplo snd their Allies, which is not to be overthrown by the words of the s ■''•"'mo Minister. But we . shall not lor that reason ceaso to pa/ attention to the English peace mnvP-' menl. which exists in the left win" ij the Labour Party and middle-class Radicalism, and which will perhaps one day find support among the adh-vents I of tho overthrown Asquith-Groy Cahjnel. ■■ ■ ■'

Mci.vd George, liinyover, who in tho firt.v-lilth year of his life, am] the twenty-sixth of liis 'Parliamentary niemi.'i>rshi|>, climbs to the I'iglie.st piirnadu of power, is to bring hia Ffil.licrJaiitl and tht) world no "belter time." What ho once fought against, is to i;ain increased power through him; jio.erty. and degradation for all Europe." The "Vonvjterts" (says the "Westminster Gazette") must naturally try l-o please its readers, but the article oontains some remarkable admission;; *b to tho determination of tbo country to pursue victory.