The Dominion. MONDAY, APRIL 30, 1917. A CHEERING SPEECH

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3066, 30 April 1917, Page 4

The Dominion. MONDAY, APRIL 30, 1917. A CHEERING SPEECH

— o . •It is not merely what he. says that makes Mr. Lloyd George's •speeches so deeply interesting, and, in most cases thoroughly satisfying, but he has a happy knack of ing the right moment for his more important public utterances. • He has been singularly fortunate in fcftlß latter respect since he became •Prime Minister, and .never more so than on the occasion of his latest speech, a report of which appears in our cable news to-day. There is nothing so demoralising to the public mind as uncertainty, and this is especially the case where the full facts upon which a confident judgment might be-formed by the individual are lacking, and the public have nothing more than scattered fragments of news and the halfdigested opinions of lesser lights in the. world of statesmanship or in military or naval ■ circles to guide them. So far as recent events in the war are concerned there has been so much of a favourable nature recorded regarding happenings on the Western front that even the pessimists can find little ground for forebodings and 'gloomy prophecies. Even in the Eastern theatre tho increasing evidence of Russia's determination and capacity to "carry on" has lessened a very real and reasonable anxiety as to what might happen in that quarter. But the German submarine campaign and the losses of mercantile snipping, accompanied as they have been by such outbursts as have been credited to Loud Charles Bereskord and others, have necessarily created widespread uneasiness. The reason for this uneasiness is, as we have said, largely to be found in the fact that tho public have only a part of. the facts - before them, and having no authoritative opinion to guide them are liable to take a distorted view oi" the situation. ■ Mr. Ijloyjd George's speech at the present juncture is therefore particularly welcome, affording as it docs that comprehensive- view of the position which,is necessary to enable a confident estimate to be formed of the risks and dangers ahead, and the possibilities of meeting and over.coming them. It will be noted that the menace of . the German submarine campaign is in no way underrated by the British Prime Minister. On tlie contrary, with that candour which has helped so much to win him the confidence of tho people of Britain he frankly states that the clanger ■ from this source is great and pressing. "Submarinism," he states, "is the worst problem, we have to meet, and we mean to do it." As to the methods of destroying enemy submarines and countering their attacks on our mercantile shipping Mr. Lloyd George naturally has little to say. It is not for us to help the enemy by disclosing our plans for , the capture and destruction of the enemy's undersea craft. But he talks freely enough of the means adopted to counteract the effects of Germany's submarine campaign. These may 'be summarised under three headingsexcluding, of course, the measures taken by the Admiralty to destroy the enemy's submarines—as follows: (1) Economies in and increased output of necessaries by. the people of Britain; (2) rapid building of ships to replace losttonnage; (3), centralising of tho control of all 1 British shipping so as to ensuro that the vessels will be used to the best advantage.

Me. Lloyd George does not mince matters in statins the difficulties of the position, and he does not hesitate to tell the people of Britain that the responsibility for the final result of the efforts being made to defeat Germany's intentions rests on their shoulders. But he does not-stop there. Having given the nation that spur and incentive to effort which has never failed in time of emergency to bring out what is best in the British race, he affords thorn the encouragement which comes from a knowledge that success lies ahead if they bend their will and determination to the task. The most hopeful and cheering statement in his speech is perhaps that relating to the prospects of increasing in the. near future the cargo tonnage into British ports. Even assuming that, the! existing heavy rate of loss of British snipping continues it is expected that the cargo tonnage into British ports in> July next will bo greater than that of last month. This is indeed good news. It is the outcome apparently of tho centralising of the control of British shipping so as to ensure that the vessels will be used to the best advantage-. ■ We here in Now Zealand will be directly affected by this centralising of shipping control, and it is well that we should realise when the pinch comes, as it certainly will como ere long, that the- sacrifices wo are called on to make are essential to success in defeating Germany's plans. Mr. Lloyd George's confident forecast of tho failure of the. submarine campaign is based on the assumption that the people of Great Bri-

[ tain and. the overseas Dominions will loyally face the inconvenience and loss which 'the emergency demands and assist to the utmost of their ability in the carrying out of the programme laid .down. Our sacrifices may be small and our hardships slight when compared with those of the people .of the Motherland, but the interference with our export trade as well as with our imports may for a time prove not inconsiderable. What we have to bear in mind, however, is that it is only by a loyal p.cquiesence in thfe plans made for the defeat of Germany's submarine designs that Britain and her Allies can hope to overcome the greatest peril that now confronts them. New Zealand must' not lag behind in that- effort which Mr. Lloyd Geoeob assures iis today will confound, our enemies and hasten the. end of the struggle.