THE ANSWER TO GERMANY

Colonist, Volume LVIII, Issue 14292, 22 December 1916, Page 4

THE ANSWER TO GERMANY

The speech.delivered,by. Mr Lloyd George upon his first meeting with the House of Commons in his capacity of Prime, Minister was in every way worthy of an occasion of doubly historic importance. .' Hie occasion was perhaps ih'e^jhoEt^momeHtaus wiiciriiias'S xed'^^Tif,onVSt'., i»itepb"en's fincGvtlie -epochal-third of August, Cl9l-1," ,3lr' SAoyft |Jeorge. must/have' apj>jjba<4e§ 4 ii^ liask^^Hth- a>,senae sponsibility nardij' less oppressive -than that felfc by MrT Acquith and Sir Edward <srey~.when; they, niaiouiieea iho^

courspvof faction' the, British^-Govern-ment had" det?rminod to pursue, and graced the history of events .leading up to and. dictating that .decision.' • Mr Lloyd George's task on Tuesday was two-fold, In,, the first' place ho had .to declare the, attitude of. Britain towards the nebulous peace proposals put forward by the German -Chancellor, and in the next to announce- the policy to "be pursued by the reconstructed Government for the more vigorous prosecution: of the war. He rose- to the occasion,'as everyono knew ho would, and expressed the inflexible determination of the whole Empire oil both subjects in -a. speech trenchant indeed, but in which there was nothing of the jauntiness that was so effective an ingredient of l\3r Lloyd George's greatest speeches In tlio past, but would have been out of place on such an occasion. The speech was expressed in language befitting the.-gravity ~of the warning, firstly that Germany could hope for no peace upon terms inconsistent with the full achievement of the highest purposes with which the Allies entered upon the war, or 'which left unpunished or inadequately punished the atrocious crimes against .humanity for which complete retribution; must be- visitejd upon her. And Germany was told in very plain terms that in no circumstances can the Allies treat with her as with an honourable foe. Mr Lloyd George's answer" to Germany's indefinite and impudent overture was in conformity with the declarations of France and Russia, and it leaves no room for douh£ or misunderstanding as to the determination of the Allies to be content with no settlement that does not absolutely vindicate their aims and render impossible a repetition of such a Avar. ' The Prime Minister's second warning -was to the United Kingdom and the Empire that it is not yet putting forth its whole strength or anything* approaching it, and that the people must prepare for sacrifices far greater than any they have yet Ojeen called upon to bear. The plans of the government contemplate the mobilisation of the whole of the resources of [the country and their concentration upoiythe one paramount object of winning the war. These plans apply expressly »only to the United Kingdom, butvthey have* a significance for the whole of the Empire, for what in such a war as thi s is necessary in the United Kingdom is -equally, necessary throughout the King's Dominions. ''The nation [is fighting: for its ,life, and is entitled to the best services of all its sons." The full significance of the adoption for the United nKingdjom of national rationing, the mobilis-ation. of the entire national resources of the country, and the levy en ma ( sso of its men and women for national service which is by no means a remote contingency, cannot be lost upon (the Dominions- In particular we hope fit will be anxiously pondered in New I Zealand, and that we may soon deterjinine whether, when the Old Country is [grimly struggling with every weapon nt j her disposal for civilisation and Inimanjity, we .can remain content with less .than the full 'effort- of which we are I capable, and whether it is not time that we dropped all vexatious distractions and settled clown more determinedly and unitedly t</ see the thing through,