APPEAL FOR WORK

Evening Star, Issue 15908, 14 September 1915, Page 3

APPEAL FOR WORK

BY MR LLOYD GEORGE. FACING THE FACTS. ENEMY'S EQUIPMENT SUPERIOR, DESPITE OUR EFFORTS, ■ LONDON, September 12. Mr Lloyd George, in a. preface to his collected war speeches, entitled 'Through Terror to Triumph,' says : ' "After 12 months my conviction is stronger than ever that Great Britain could not have kept out of the war without imperilling her security'and impairing her honor. We could not have looked on cynically, with arms folded* while the country we were pledged to protect was ravaged and trodden down by one of our co-trustees. If British women and children had been brutally destroyed upon the high seas by German submarines, l?ritain would have insisted upon calling the infanticidal empire to a stern reckoning. " Events have demonstrated that a military system so regardless of good faith, honorable obligations, and even the elementary impulses of humanity, constitutes the most sinister menace to civlisation, and despite the terrible cost of suppressing it, the well-being. of humanity demands that it should be'challenged and destroyed. The fact that events have shown that the might of this military clique exceeded the gloomiest prognostications provides an additional argument for its destruction. Its greater might and darker menace, and untoward incidents of the war, have not weakened mv faith in our ultimate victorv, but it is essential that the Allies should put forth, their whole strength before it is too late.' Anything less must, lead to defeat. "The Allies have an overwhelming preponderance of raw material, men, money, metals, and machinery, but these must be mobilised and utilised. It would be idle to pretend that during the first 12 months our task has been accomplished satisfactorily. Had the Allies realised the full strength of our redoubtable and resourceful, foes, or realised our strength of resources and promptly organised them, we to-day should have witnessed the triumphant spectacle 'of guns pouring out a stream., of 'shot and shell, deluging the German trenches with fire, and scorching the German legions across their own fron° tiers. '"The Central Powers have still an overwhelming superiority of all material and equipment. Germany's iron heel has now sunk deeper than ever into French and Belgian soil. Poland is entirely German and Lithuania is rapidly following. Russian fortresses deemed to bo impregnable are falling like sand castles before the resistless tide of the Teutonic invasion. When will that tide be stemmed? As soon as the Allies are supplied with an abundance of war material. That is why I am recalling these unpleasant facts, because I wish to stir my countrymen to put forth their strength and amend the situation. To dwell upon such events is the most disagreeable task that could fall to the lot of a public man, but the public man who either shirks these facts or does not do his best to force others to face them until they are redressed is guilty of high treason to the State. "There has been a great awakening in the allied countries. Prodigious efforts are*jbeing made to equip the armies in the field. Nothing but our best and utmost can pull us through. Does every man who can help, whether by fighting or providing material, understand clearlv that ruin awaits remissness ? How " manv people apprehend the full significance o*f the Russian retreat? For over a year Russia, despite her deficiencies in. equipment, has absorbed the energies of half the Germans and four-fifths of the Austrians. Is it realised that Russia has for the time being made her contribution—and what a,heroic contribution it is !—to the struggle for European freedom, and that we cannot for many months expect the same active help from the Russian armies'? Who is to take the place of the Russians whilst those armies are- reequipping? France cannot be expected to sustain much heavier burdens than those she now bears with a quiet courage that has astonished and moved the world. Italy is putting her full strength into the fight. There is only Britain left. "Is Britain prepared to fill the gap that will be created when the Russians retire to re-arm? Is she fully prepared to cope with all possibilities for the next few months in the west, without forgetting the east? Upon the answer which Government, employers, workmen, finanr ciers, young men * who can bear arms, women who can work in factories—in fact, the whole people—give, to this question will depend the'liberties of Europe for generations. If we are not allowed to equip our factories and workshops with adequate labor to supply the armies because we must not transgress regulations applicable to normal conditions; if the nation hesitates when the needs are clear to take the necessary steps to call forth its manhood to defend her honor and existence; if vital decisions are postponed until too late; if we'give ground for the accusation that we are slouching into disaster as if we were walking along the ordinary paths of peace without an enemy in sight—then I can see no hope. But if we sacrifice all we own, if our .preparations are characterised by grip, resolution, and prompt readiness in every sphere, then victory is assured." OTHER APPEALS BY LABOR LEADERS. LONDON, September 13. Mr J. H. Thomas, M.P. (Labor), addressing the railwaymen; at London with reference to their demands for increased wages, emphasised the, point that the railwaymen could very materially help to win the wax, but could most certainly help to lose it. He implored them to trust their leaders and refrain from any action in the E resent great national crisis calculated to amper or injure 'the- great cause to which the nation was -committed-. The railwaymen feeling the economic pressure only as other sections,of the workers were. Mr G. N. .Bailees, M.P. (Labor), in the course of a speech, at London, appealed to the Engineers' Society to relinquish . all union rules restrictive of the output. The strike at the Tylorstown collieries (Glamorgan, South Wales) has ended, all the non-unionists having joined the fede- ; ratioiv :

WHAT FRANCE THINKS. London 'Times' and Sydney 'Sun' Serrteei LONDON, September 12. 'The Times's' correspondent at Paris jsays: " The Trade Union Congress is regarded here with satisfaction, as showing that the old ignorance of the British masses about the issues at stake and conditions of the struggle have mostly disappeared." ' ' " • 'Le Temps,' commenting upon the attitude of trade unionists towards compulsory service, says the distrust of the principle is a question of national temperament. After pointing out that the British Army's intervention on the Continent modified the position of the world, 'Le Temps' says: "Britain is no longer able to remain oontent with being a great naval Power. She must in future be capable of real military effort if she wishes to maintain the role with success. While true patriotism allowed" Lord -Kitahe-iver to create y in less than a year armies worthy to join the total allied forces, it improved the system so ;.s to enable the nation to meet eventualities for ail time." SUBMARINE VIGTIMS. „.-•" ' LONDON, September 13. 'Twenty-one .of the crows of the Villences and Magne crew arc- missing. The steamer Asthore was sunk by a submarine, and four of her crew are missing. ITERATION. NEW YORK, September 13. The ' New York Herald,' discussing the German Note on the sinking of the Arabic, sqyi,: " Patiei.co is about exhausted, and the United State* is sickened. The time for platitudes, false promises, and perjury is jiast. and 'the time for definite, conclusive action draws- near.'' AUSTRALIAN CASUALTIES. SEVENTY-SEVENTH LIST. SYDNEY, September 13. Killed in Action.—Two officers and 35 men. Died of Wounds.—Thirty-one men. Wounded.—Four officers and 367 men, including Laiice-co.rporals P. H. Kelleway, C. J. Campion, and R. D. Chalmers (the last-named two both for the second occasion)-, Privates J. P. Smith, D. R. Borne, L. H. C. Riggs, and H. C. Stratford—all New Zea landers, :■ 111.—Two officers and 37 men, including. J. Mulcahy (in a hospital at Alexandria). Missing.—Two hundred and fourteen, including Privates L. Falconer and J. P. Lee. DEATH OF BEDELL-SIVRIGHT. LONDON, September 13.Surgeon David Bedell-Sivright, the Scottish international footballer (captain of the British team who visited New Zealand in 1904), has died at the Dardanelles. MISCELLANEOUS. CAPE TOWN, September 13. Thirty Germans ordered to Europe by the. Union Government were, passengers by a sailing vessel, but the crew declined to sail on the ground that they would be rendering service to their enemies, and the Germans were landed. MELBOURNE, September 13. The High Court to-day decided that the regulation under the War Precautions Act, under which Fra.ns Wallach, manager of the Australian Metals Company, was interned, is good, and remanded Wallach again into military custody, thus upsetting the Victorian Supreme Court's writ of habeas corpus under' which he was released. SYDNEY. September 13. William Longworfh, the champion swim-. mer, has enlisted. OTACO PATRIOTIC AND GENERAL WELFARE ASSOCIATION. The lion, treasurers of the Otago Patriotic and General Welfare Association acknowledge the receipt of the following donations to the- fund :—s

£46,526 1 3 rs denotes Belgian reli-rf fund, c denotes local relief fund, w denotes wounded soldiers and their dependents' fund. A SCOTTISH REGIMENT. LOCAL MOVEMENT. At last night's meeting of the Otago branch of the Pipers and Dancers' Association of- New Zealand a letter was read from Mr William Gillespie (secretary of the Wairarapa Caledonian Association) stating that, at the adjourned conference held in Wellington on August 12, it was unanimously decided, owing to the serious crisis through which the- Empire is passing, to leave the piping and dancing business (i.e., the matter of a controlling body for the Dominion) in abeyance, and to go in whole-heartedly for the formation of a Highland regiment, similar to the Dominion of Canada,, "the London Scottish." etc. If the whole of the Highland, Scottish, Caledonian, and similar societies would only unite, they could, as a united New -Zealand body, go to the Government and demand that a kiltie regiment should be called up.' He was therefore instructed earnestly to request every society to use their best endeavors to assist, as they felt sure that all societies would be unanimous with the object now in hand—the formation of a New Zealand Scottish regiment. It was proposed to hold ihe next conference in Palmerston North, on September 24. This would be no ordinary conference, but a sincere effort to unite all the societies, so that they could, as a united body, give such weight to their representation', as would favorably impress the Government. It was unanimously resolved to support the general principle. It was stated that the kilts would presumably be of khaki, as with the London Scottish, who do not use tartan. The difference in cost against the ordinary uniform issued to New Zealand soldiers would not be great. It was also resolved to write to the local members of Parliament calling their attention to the fact that it was proposed that such a regiment should be called up, and asking their support to the movement whenit came before the Government. Mr Kilgour, of Palmerston North, an old member of the Otago Association, was authorised to attend the conference on behalf of the association. The Rev. Dr Waddell forwards ue his monthly contribution (£1) to the Belgian fund.

Previously acknowledged ...£46,374 4 2 Miss Mackersy and two employees B 0 18 0 Employees J. Peterson and Co., Walker street, monthly contribution ". B 0 16 0 Dimedin letter carriers. August contribution n 2 18 0 North-east Valley August collection (per Mrs Black- ' man) n 61 0 0 Employees C'axton Printing Co., sixth, monthly contribution B 2 0 0 Otago railway maintenance office and permanent way staff, August contribution n 20 0 0 Staff Kina; Edward Technical College, September contribution - B w 1 19 0 Employees Neill_ and Co., Ltd , sixth monthly contribution B 8 14 0 Lieutenant-colonel Stoneham,' monthly contribution B 1 0 0 L. E. Wilson, July and ■ August contribution W 2 0 ■0 Employees Jas. Speight and Co., 28th weekly contribution P. 5 4 6 "R.A.B./' monthly contribution B 10 0 0 August collection (per Mrs Barningham) • n 29 13 7 Dunedin City CorporationSanitary department . ... w 0 10 0 Gaveisham Ward <: 1 6 0 Water department \v i B 1 10 0 Employees Hillside Workshops, 27th fortnightly contribution Ti 2 8 0