WAR SITUATION

Grey River Argus, 14 September 1918, Page 3

WAR SITUATION

LLOYD GEORGE. INTERESTING SPEECH. VICTORY AND PEACE. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Assn.) (Rcc. Sept. 13, 9.30 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 12. Mr. Lloyd Gcoigc dealt at length with the war situation in a speech ,at Manchester. He declared that the only thing that could prevent a real victory was a failure of heart by the British people. He went on to say that a League of Nations would not, itself, secure the world against a fiesh catastrophe. A League of Nations with Prussian military power triumphant would be the league of a fox and geese — one fox and many geese; — and the geese would greatly diminish in numbers. He was all for a League of Nati'onvs. Indeed such a League had begun. The British Empire as a. League of free Nations. The Allies also were now a League of free Nations, and if, after the war, Germany repudiated and condemned the perfidy of her rulers, Germany also would be welcomed', to the great League of Nations. The only sure fundation of peace, however, was a victory for the Allies. Peace must bo) stich as would commend itself to the commonsense and conscience of the nations generally. It must not bei dictated by the extremists on either side. We could not allow the Bolsheviks to force upon us a- peace so humiliating as to dishonour the national flag and make a repetition of the horrors of this war inevitable. When a satisfactory peace was secured, we could proceed, with a clear conscience, with the building-up of a new world. The first lesson of the war was the importance of maintaining the solidarity of the British Empire. There I must be healthier conditions in the workshops. Bad health for the nation was a bad business for all. We must pay more attention to' the sehools,^and initiate the best conditions for production. There must be a bold reconstruction policy after the war, but the war must first! be won^ There were disturbing social and economic symptoms all over Europe, which we must provide against in the time when we should enjoy the settled weather for the creat harvest Avhich is coming. Referring t*io the question of reaching peace by negotiation, he declared that there could be no compromise between freedom and tyranny. "We will fight," he said, "to'the end."