AN ALLIED CONFERENCE.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 14139, 15 July 1916, Page 5

AN ALLIED CONFERENCE.

SPEECH BY MR LLOYD GEORGE

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association)

(Received July 14, 7.30 p.m.) London, July 13. Mr Lloyd Qeorge, addressing a-muni-tions conference at which France, Russia, and Italy were represented, insisted upon the changed complexion of events since the conference in 1915, when the Champagne offensive had just failed to reach its'objective, and the Russians had been pressed back hundreds of miles. Now the Russians'

overwhelming victories had struck terror into tho heart of the foes, and the immortal defence of Verdun and uhe brave resistance of the Italians, combined with offensives East and [West, had wrenched the initiative from the enemy 1 s hands. The prospects had improved because the equipment.of tho armies had improved enormously. Then the Russians faced a hailstorm of iron with flesh and blood, and the British were condemned to inactivity because the munitions were unequal to a sustained attack. The Navy absorbed more than half the metal workers of the country, occupying the energies of a million men. We had to create an army and arsenals out of nothing. We were now turning out hundreds of guns and howitzers monthly, and twice as much ammunitioniri a single week and threefold the number of heavy shells as were fired in the grand offensive in September, though that supply was the result of many weary weeks' accumulation. The new factories and workshops had. not yet attained a third of their full capacity, but tho output was increasing with great rapidity. The main difficulties were iEe labour supply and readjustment. When these were solved the supplies would soon bo overwhelming. The success of French munition making was proved by the present offensive, which'followed the appalling expenditure at Verdun. The lesson of the present war was that more ammunition meant more victories and fewer

casualties