NAVAL AND MILITARY.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLI, Issue 11418, 22 December 1917, Page 5

NAVAL AND MILITARY.

IVIR LLOYD GEORGE’S COMMENTS. AN IMPROVING SITUATION. OTHER MATTERS. JAnat. and N.Z. Cable Association.) London, Dec. 20. Mr Lloyd George, in the House of Commons, addressed a full House on the,naval and military situation. He first touched on the food ■problem, which two circumstances aggravated. The first was the failure to get butter and margarine from Denmark and Holland, and the second was the Allied food shortage, which was greater than anticipated. Britain had therefore been compelled to sacrifice some of her own resources in order to supply her Allies.

A responsibility rested upon those possessing stocks of tea, margarine and butter to ensure a fair distribution. The people did not mind the shortage so much as the suspicion that others were getting more than •their share. He hoped it would bo unnecessary to control the large ■number of stores. If they took steps to secure i n equal distribution there would be no need for queues and the discontent which they created.

The food position was steadily improving, although we have been •unable to obtain adequate labour ■and steel .for shipbuilding. This was being remedied and construction was'increasing. It was greater in J'.)l7 than in the boom year of 3918. Since June our shipping losses had decreased steadily. Our margin of loss was now narrow. The estimate of our shipbuilding programme had not been quite realised, although the tonnage was -down 20 per cent, the loss of tonnage of imports was 6 per cent, •compared with 1916. Thus we had really grappled with the most menacing situation with which we had been confronted during the war. Practically the whole of the nation’s shipping had been requisitioned. A Blue Book states that the sinkings of submarines are increasing. Mr Lloyd George said that the International Peace Congress must settle the fate of the German colonies, ; regard to the wisheajof the inhabitants themselves, MrßonarLaw announced that the Government were introducing the Man-Power Bill after the New Year.

Lord Robert Cecil, replying £to a ■question regarding our treaty with Italy, said this was not the reason a reply was not sent to the Pope’s .peace note. gThe object of the Treaty was to secure that the terms of peace should /be settled by the belligerents. There was no intention to place any disabilities on the beneficent activities of the Holy See in regard to the conclusion of peace.