MR LLOYD GEORGE'S SPEECH.

Colonist, Volume LVIII, Issue 14292, 22 December 1916, Page 5

MR LLOYD GEORGE'S SPEECH.

A PERJURED -NATJpN

■ALLIES' TRUST IN AN UNBROKEN

ARMY.

THE FOOD PROBLEM

MOBILISATION-OF LABOUR

DRASTIC STEPS IN -PREPARATION

STATE'S RIGHT TO EVERY MAN'S

SERVICE.

THE IRISH QUESTION

CONSULTATION WITH THE

DOMINIONS

THE ALLIES' UNITY

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association

and Reuter.)

London, Dec. 20 In that portion of his -speech in the House of Commons on Tuesday dealing with the German proposal, Mr Lloyd George said:— "The mere word that led to Belgium's own destruction will not satisfy Europe any more. We all believed it. We all trusted it. It gave way on the first pressure of temptation and Europe was plunged in a vortex of blood. We will therefore wait until we hear what terms and guarantees the German Government will offer better than those, surer than those, which she so lightly Ijroke^ Meantime we shall put our trust "in an unbroken army rather than ■in broken faith." Dealing with the food question, he «aid:— ~ _ . "The problem is a double one, namely, distribution and production. .Respecting both, we must call upon the people of the country to make a ivoal sacrifice, but it is essential that the sacrifices be 'equal. (Cheers). Over-consumption by the affluent must siot be allowed to create a shortage for ■the less well-to-do." He hoped he could appeal to men .;and women of all ranks to play the game (Cheers) and help the whole nation. The whole nation must assist to -distribute otir resources. Let there be no man or woman or child who' must - suffer -hangar, because someone else •-was getting too" much. (Cheers). ■.--' Mr Lloyd George said it was true to if, certain extent that you could make .up by spring sowing, but that never anything comparable with winter sowing. The submarine menace da this respect was not the most imiportant consideration. Under the cirfcumstanees the late Government had decided to appoint a food controller, vthe latter to be assisted by the ablest experts in the Hoiise. At the head of the Board of Agriculture they had a man singularly gifted, and with as thorough a knowledge of the principles and nraetices on this question as any man'in .this or any.other country. --;; "You cannot have absolute equality of sacrifice unless1 tie nation as a whole,places its comforts, its luxuries; its indulgences, its elegances on the ■ altar, consecrated by such as our heroes' have made. ILet us proclaim during the war,a national Lent. The nation will be better stronger for it mentally, morally, and physically. (Cheers). Our armies might -drive the enemy from the bat•terefl tillages of France, across the •^ievastaftefl plains of Belgium, they might hurl them across the Rhine in battered disarray* but.unless the nation as a whole shoulders, ffcs part ofvtlie burden of victory, it may not profit; by r the- triumph., For it is'not^wMS; . the nation gains, it is what the nation gives that makes it great. It is intolerable that any-section should be permitted to take exceptional profits out of fchese sacrifices. Much has been done Ijy the late administration to arrest unfair private profiteering-; but the ■Government have*cpme-sto, the-conclu-sion not to ask the nation for more sacrifices without even more drasticsteps yet." After outlining what had already been, done to he' stated that Mr Bonar'Law and others were carefully examining the problem, ;and he hoped to be able to make an announcement sliortlyl: The course the (Government intended to adopt was quite clear. The nation must -be asked '.to make further sacrifices in order to win the war.- The road ~mtict.be cleared by action of this kind. ; Mr Lloyd George next turned to the •question of the mobilisation of labour 'reserves, without which, let there be no mistake, we should not be able to •pull-through. This was a question, not of years, but months, perhaps weeks. "Unless the labour of the country was ■used 'to the best advantage and eyery raan was called upon to render suim service to the State as he can best ' 'give, victory was beyond mrr'reach"The problem is n. difficult one." To complete what has already been done and maintained" the Government ou.^ht to have the power to say that every "roan not taken, into the army, whatever •his position or rank, should be employed in work of national importance. At present it i« only men who are fit For military service and have not established the claim for exemption, upon whom the nation calls. The unfit man and the exempted man. aro surely .u.nd^r the same moral obligation, bii't still there 16 not the means' of enforcing it. With'this imperfect organisation of industrial man-power we are called upon . to confront an enemy who has notonly- exercised to the full' the undoubted right over its' own population, "but has; introduced a practice hitherto unknown in civilised "warfare, thnt oi" removing -civilian- inhabitants from or.ctrpied' territory '- to make good the shortage oflabour^ m t its -own factories. v.v Wtt.inusf make,'-"swift*, and- oflfectiyc.' ." " answerto Germany's latest move. *?"

the months go by the cost of the war increases and our purchases from neutral countries become more difficult to hnance. Yet there are thousands of: men occupied in industries which consume our wealth at home, and do no-i ttung to. strengthen our credit abroad-! but we have no,power to transfer them rrom employment where they would increase it. We have not even the organisation necessary for utilising them as volunteers. These powers we must take. This organisation we must complete." (Cheers). *-¥ r P°* d Geol'g° Pointed out the difficulty regarding -agriculture for want of skilled men, despite the fact he believed, that there were hundreds of thousands of people who, if they could be used-.to the Best advantage U could produce- great quantities of food in this country. In this connection' schemes of very great magnitude had been formulated, and were in course of, being < put into operation. They would involve great local organisations throughout the country, and he \ thought Mr A&quith would be very satisfied when'he saw them. The mat-1 ter had been considered by the War\! Committee of the late Government who unanimously decided that the time had come for the adoption of the principle of universal national service. The present Government and the War Cab-1 met unanimously adopted this conelii- ? 10?- He believed the plans which, nad_ boon made would secure every worker all he had a right to ask fon In order to do this ho proposed to appoint immediately a Director of National Service to be in charge of both the military and civil side of universal ■national service. The,civil and military; side of the ttireetory would'be entirely •separate. There would be a military and a civil director responsible to thtDirector of National Service, and the military- director would be responsible for recruiting for the army. It was ' not proposed to make any" chan^o in recruiting for military service, but as regards civilian service it was proposed that the directory of .national service proceed by a schedule of industries and of services according to their essential character during the war Certain industries regarded as indispensable and departments concerned would indent upon the Director of National Service for labour required in those services. Other services would be rationed in such matters as labour raw material, and* power," that was set tree from non-essential and rationed industries. Potential soldiers who wore at present exempted from military sor-1 vice would be.used- to increase tne available supply of labour for essential services. This labour would be invited to enrol at once and be registered as war workers on lines analagous to soldiers, similar provisions, rates of .pay, and separation allowances. lie had no doubt1 that when it was realised how essential to the life of the nation it was that the service of every man should be put to the best use, we would secure an adequate supply of these volunteers. Ihe Government was taking immediate steps to-secure this. Men were wanted. The classification of industries and the invitation to enrol as volunteers will begin as soon as it can be. If it were found impossible to get the numbers required, ho should not hesitato to come to Parliament and ask to be Teleased from the pledge given in other circumstances and to obtain the necessary power, rendering the plans fully effective. Tho nation was. fighting 'for its life, and it was entitled to the" be-t services of all its sons.

.-The Government induced iho Lord ¥*$$? M'B'rrn%g}iam.; to '".accept ibo portion ~ ; ; of ■: tii rector-General under this scheme.. Her would immediately procewl to organise this great new system of enrolment for industrial purposes. He hoped that before Parlia,ment Resumed he would be able to report that they had been able to mobilise the whole labour strength of • thej contttry, for war' purposes;. Turning to the Irish question, he said he wished it was possible to remove tbe misunderstanding between Britain aaid Ireland. He would regard that as a great' victory for the Allied force':, as something that would give strength to the armies and to the Allies. He was convinced now that, it was a misunderstanding partly racial, partly religious. It was to the interests of both; to have, it removed, but there seemed to have been some evil chance that had frustrated every effort made for the achievement of* better relations. He tried once, but had not succeeded. The fault was' not entirely on one side. He had felt the whole time that we were moving in an atmosphere of nervous suspicion and distrust, universally pervasive of everything and <H-orybody. It was drenched with suspicion, of Irishmen by Englishmen, and of Englishmen by Irishmen, ;m^[ worse and most fatal, of .suspicion of Irishmen among Irishmen. It fla,^ a quagmire of distrust, which clogged the footsteps of progress. That was the real enemy of Ireland. If that could be slain'he believed h<; could accomplish the act of reconciliation, and . make Ireland and Britain greater, make the United Kingdom and the Empire greater than ever they were before. Speaking for himself and his colleagues, they would strive to produce that better feeling which was essential to the solution of the Imn problem.

Ho asked men of all races, creeds, and faith to help the Government not on!v to solve political Questions, hut to help to do something that would be a> real -contribution to winning the war. I After paying a high tribute bo theenormous and incalculable .services of thft'-:Js Tavv, not -merely -to the". Empire,, 'but to the whole1 of "the Allied cause' lip.t-ame to'tlip questionI, of the Dominions. ■ . Mirfsfcjrs- Ji?m? • repeatedly Mqnow^ged' /the splendid:1 .^sisWee, ■tire Jl&imnioris \o2 ©yon of their W