MR. LLOYD GEORGE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144663, 24 April 1915, Page 4

MR. LLOYD GEORGE.

GREAT SPEECH AT BANGOR. -Mr. Lloyd George made an important speech at Bangor on Sunday, February 23, dealing chiefly with industrial difficulties. In the course of his speech he said , , This war is not going to be fought mainly on the battlefields of Belgium and Poland. It is going to be fought in the workshops of Franco and Great Britain; and it must bo fought there tinder war conditions. There must be plenty of safeguards,'and tho workman must get Ins equivalent, but I do hope he will help ns to get as much out of those workshops us ho can, for the. life of the nation depends on it. Our enemies realise that, and employers and workmen in Germany are straining their utmost. France, fortunately, ' also realises it, • and in. that land of free institutions, with' a Socialist, Prime Minister, a Socialist Secretary of State for War, and a Socialist Minister of Marine, the employers and workmen are subordinating everything to the protection of their beautiful land.

THE LURE OF THE DRINK. 1 have something more to say about this, and it is unpleasant. 1 would wish that it were not 1, but somebody else that should say it. Most of our workmen nro putting every ounce of strength into this urgent work for their country, loyally and patriotically. But that is not true of all. There are some, I am sorry to say, who shirk their duty in this great emergency. 1 hear of workmen in armament works trim refuse to work a full week’s work for tho nation’s need. What is the. reason ? They arc a minority. Tho vast majority belong to a class wo can depend upon. The others arc a minority. But, you must romemboq. a small minority of workmen enn throw a whole works out of gear. What is tho reason? Sometimes it is one thing, sometimes it is another, but let ns be perfectly candid. It is mostly the lure, of the drink. They refuse to work full time, and when they return their strength and efficiency are impaired by the way in which they have spent their leisure. Drink is doing us more damage in the war limn all tho German submarines put together.

What has Russia done? (Cheers. Russia, knowing her deficiency, know mg.how unprepared she was. said. “

must pull myself together. I am not going to bo trampled upon, unready as I am. I will use all my resources.” What is the first thing she does? , She stops tho drink. (Cheers.) I was talking to At. Bark, the Russian Alim’stor of Finance, a singularly able man, and I asked, “What has been the result?’.’ He said, “The productivity of labour, the amount of work which is put out by the workmen, has gone up between 30 and 60 per cent.” (Cheers.) I said. ' How do they stand it without their liquor?” and ho replied, “Stand it? I have lost revenue over it up lo €65,000.000 a year, and we certainly cannot afford it, but if I proposed to pul it bark there would be a revolution in Russia.” That is what the Alinister of Finance told me. He told me that it is entirely attributable to the act of the Tsar himself. It was a bold and courageous step—one of the mqst heroic.things in tho war. (Cheers.) One afternoon wo had to postpone our conference in Paris, and the French Alinister of Finance said, “1 have got .to go to the Chamber of Deputies, because I am proposing a Bill to abolish absinthe.”' (Cheers. 1 ) Absinthe plays tho same part in Franco that whiskyplays in this country. It is really the worst form of drink used, not only among workmen, hut among other Hasses as well. Its ravages are terrible. and they abolished it by a majority of something like ton to one that 'afternoon. (Cheers.)

MODERATE, BUT FEARLESS. That is how those great countries are facing their responsibilities. .Wo do not propose anything so drastic ns that—we are essentially moderate men. (Laughter.) But wo are armed with full powers for the Defence of the Realm. We are approaching it, I do not mind telling you, for tho moment, not from Urn point of view of people who have been considering this as a social problem—we are Approaching it purely from the point of view of these works. We have got great powers to deal with drink and we mean to use

them. (Cheers.) Wo shall use them in a spirit of moderation, we shall use them discreetly, we shall use them wisely, but we shall use them quite fearlessly—(cheers)—and I have no doubt that, as the country's needs demand it, tho country will support our action and' will allow no indulgence of that kind to interfere with its prospects in this terrible war which has been thrust upon us. There'are three things I want you

to boar in mind. The first is—ami I want to got this into tbo minds of everyone—that we are at, war; the second, that it is the greatest war that has ever been fought by this or by any other country; and the other that the destinies of your country and the future of tho human race for generations to como depend upon the outcome of this war. What does it menu were Germany to win ? It means world power for the worst elements in Germany, not for Germany. The Germans are an intelligent race, they are undoubtedly a cultivated race, they arc a race of men who have been responsible for groat ideas in this world. But this would mean the dominance of the worst elements amongst them. If you think I am exaggerating just you rend for the moment extracts from the articles in the newspapers which are in tho ascendancy now in Germany about tho settlement which they expect after this war. i am sorry to say I am statinguothihg but the bare brutal truth. 1 do not say that the Kaiser will sit on the Throne of England if he should win. I do not say that he will impose 'his laws''and his language, on this country as did William the Conqueror. ■ I do not say that you will hear the tramp,

tho,noisy tramp of the goose step in' the cities of the Empire. (Laughter.) I do not say that Death’s Hoad Hussars will bo patrolling our highways. I do not say that a visitor, lot us say, to Aberdaron, will have to ask a Pomeranian policeman the best way to Hell’s Mouth. (Loud laughter.) That is not what I mean. What X mean is that if Germany wore triumphant in this war it would practically be the dictator of tho international policy of tho world. Its spirit would bo in tho ascendant. Its doctrines .would bo in tho ascendant; by the sheer’power of its will it. would.-

bend the minds of men in its own fashion. Germanism in its iator and worst form would bo the inspiriting thought , and philosophy of the hour. FRANCE AFTER 1870. Do you remember what happened to France after 1870? The Gorman Armies left France, but all the same for years after that, and while France was building up her Array, she stood in cowering terror of this monster. Even after her great army was built France was oppressed with a constant anxiety as to what might happen. Germany dismissed her ministers. Had.it not been for the intervention of Queen Victoria in 1874. the French Army would never have been allowed to be reconstructed, and France would simply have been tho humble slave of Germany to this hour. What a condition for a country!' And now France is fighting, not ,so much to recover her lost Province; she is lighting to recover her self-respect and her national independence; she is fighting to shake off this nightmare that has been on her soul for over a generation —(cheers)—a Franco with Germany constantly meddling, bullying,. and interfering.' And that is what would happen if Russia were trampled upon, France'broken, Britain disarmed. We should bo left without any means to_ defend ourselves. We might have a Navy that would enable us, perhaps, to resent insult from Nicaragua—(laughter) —we might have just enough troops, perhaps, to confront .the Mad Mullah— I mean the African specimen. (Loud laughter.)

THE POSITION, OF AMERICA. Whore would the chivalrous country be to stop in, to protect us as we protected France in 1874? America?, 'lf countries like Russia and France, with their huge armies, and tho most powerful Navy in the world could not.-face this terrible military machine, if it breaks that combination, how . can' America step in? It would be more than oiincrica can do to defend her own interests on her own continent if Germany is triumphant. They are more unready than v>o wore. Ah! but what manner of Germany would wo be subordinate to? "’her,c has been a struggle going on in Germany for over 30 years between its. best and its worst elements ft is like that groat struggle which *s depicted, I think, in one of Wagner's groat operas between the good and the evil spirit for the possession of tiie man’s soul. That great struggle has been going on in Germany for 30 or 40 years. At each successive General Election tho better elements seemed to be getting tho upper hand, ami I do not mind saying I was one of those who believed they were going to win. 1 thought they were going to snatch tho soul of Germany—it is worth saving,, it is a,groat, , powerful soul—l thought they were going to save it. So a- dead military caste said, “Wo will have noiio of this,'” and they plunged Europe into seas of blood. Hope' was again shattered. Those worst elements will emerge triumphant out of this war if Germany wins

THE CHARIOT OF DESTRUCTION

What does that,.mean? AVp shall be vassals,'hot' to the hddV Germany, not to the Germany of sweet songs and inspiring, noble thoughts—not to the Germany of science consecrated to tho service of man, not to tho Germany of a virilo'philosophy that helped to break tho shackles of superstition in Europe —not to that Germany, but to a Germany that talked'through the raucous voice'of Krupp’s' artillery, a Germany that has harnessed ' science to the chariot of destruction and of death, the Germany of a philosphy of force, violence, and brutality, a Germany that would quench every spark- of freedom cither in its own land or in any other country in rivors of blood. I make no apology on a day consecrated to tho greatest sacrifice for coming bore to preach a holy wnr against that. (Groat cheering.) ‘ • , ■

A TASK FOR EACH., Concluding this speech in Welsh, Mr. Lloyd George said;—Wards a time of sacrifice and of service. Some can render one service, some another,, some here and some there. Some can render great assistance, others but little. There is not one who cannot help in some measure, whether it be only by enduring cheerfully, .his share of the discomfort. In the old Welsh legend there is a story of a man who was given a series of what appeared to be impossible tasks to perform oro ho could roach tho desires of his heart. Amongst other things ho had to do was to recover every grain of seed that had been sown in a large field and bring it all in without one missing by sunset. He came to an anthill and won all the hearts and enlisted tho sympathies of the industrious little people. They spread over tho field, and before sundown the seed was.

all in except one, and as tho sun was sotting o»r the western skies a lame ant hobbled along with that grain also. Some of ns have youth and vigour and suppleness of limb; some of ns are crippled with years or infirmities, and wo are at best but little ants. But we can all limp along with some share of our country’s burden, and thus help her. in this terrible hour to win the desire of her heart. | (Loud cheers.) .