HONOR TO LLOYD GEORGE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14284, 28 April 1917, Page 3

HONOR TO LLOYD GEORGE.

FREEDOM OF CITY CONFERRED,

PRIME MINISTER SPEAKS HOPE-. FULLY. ULTIMATE VICTORY AT LESS COST. Australian and N Z. cable Association.) (Reuter's Telegram i (Received April 28, 11.25 a,m.) LONDON, April 27.* Tliere was a distinguished assemblage at the Guildhall on the occasion of the freedom of the city being conferred . on Mr Lloyd. George. All the Dominions' and Indian representatives were present, also Lord Curzon, Lord Milner, Mr Henderson, and numerous peers, and members of the House of Commons. V The; Prime Minister received a great reception. He began by emphasising the growing British superiority over tlie Germans. In June, 1915, we had lost eightsyfour guns and a considerable number of prisoners,- since when we. had not lost- a single gun and had captured four hundred, while we had taken ten Germans for every Britisher they had taken. • Vimy' Ridge, with two hundred guns; was" 1 captured with a fifth of the loss sustained by . the French m the early days when they had inferior equipment. All this "meant ultimate victory at less cost. The Germans knew that. He woitlct not say the war would last through 1918. but was taking no risks, hence -they would immediately increase cultivation and elaborate food measures. The future of the country depended on how much the politicians had learned. The Empire must be consulted m future before war, not ' during war, and the Council of Empire must become a reality. * (Received April 28, LlO p.m.) Our victory, said the Prime ? Minister, iaVbecoming increasingly^ assured. - Submarinism is the worst problem we have to meet, and we mean to do it.. Germany means to make the seas absolutely imjpassabde for any craft. That is essential to victory for them. It is essential to victory" for us that; they should fail. Do not let us minimise the gravity 'o-f the situation. Unless we appreciate it, we- cannot meet it. Tliis problem has worried us for at least 2\ years. At' first- the Gei-xnans themselves did 1 not realise the potency of the weapon; later they concentrated on building submarines. ■ ■' " X .... Since the Germans determined to sink all craft indiscriminately, they have sunk more ships, bnt they brought Americain. lam perfectly satisfied with the balance.

America, at length saw it was useless waving a neutral flag m: the face of a shark-

The best brains of the' Allies are 'ap**, plied. ,to the submarine - prohlems. V It would he unwise to say more ai present, but, believe me, we are concentrating on' this. problem. I have never seen an urisoluble human problem, and do not believe this is the exception. '