"A FIGHT TO A FINISH."

Timaru Herald, Volume CV, Issue 16081, 30 September 1916, Page 9

"A FIGHT TO A FINISH."

MR LLOYD GEORGE ON THE BRITISH ARMIES. . NO TIME FOR"PEACEMAKERS, j (Australian and N.Z. Cablo Assn.), Received 5.5 p.m., Sopfc. 29. i NEW YORK, Sept.' 28. j In a- striking interview given to the London Press, Mr Llayd George said: ''The British soldier is a good sportsman. ■ Ho„enlisted in the war in i a sporting spirit to see fair play for a small nation which was trampled'by 1 a bully. He is fighting for fair play in international dealings. He has fought as a good spoitsman>and by thousands liq has died like •a: sportsman.. Ho lias , novel' asked anything more than a sporting clianco and has not always had that. When*' lie- couldn't get 'it. •. ho didn't quit. He plajyed. the"gariie. Ho did : not > squeal. and lie has not asked : anyone to squeal for, him. Now that the fortunes of the game turn a bit with the British ho is not disposed to stop, because of squealing by the Germans, or, for the Germans by probably well-meaning but misguided -sympathisers and humanitarians.

"The British soldier for two years has had a bacl'time. Nobody knows so well as he what a bad time it was. Ho was sadly inferior in equipment and on -the average inferior in training. Ho .saw the Allied cause beaten. All wero about tho ring, but no one appealed to the spectators or the referee to stop tho fight on the; ground l that it was brutal, nor did lie ask for the rules' to be changed. He took his punishment, and even when beaten like a dog he was a game dog. When ho was forced to take refuge in a trench when ho was too badly usedi up to carry the fight to the enemy he hung on without whining, fought every attack, bided his time, endured without wincing, and worked without flagging.' And at, this* time what was tlie -twinning. German doing? Was he worrying over 'the terrible slaughter? No! He was talking of annexing Belgium and Poland as a result of his victory, and whije. he was,■ remaking' the map 'of Euicpo w ithont the slightest regard for the >wishcs of it's people the British pcopV wei©*preparing to pay tho puco wo knew must Ire pa>'d for time to get cur army-ready., It is one thing to look -back on the pounding the British soldier took in the.'first two years of "tho war, but a difforent thing to look as he did. and'lmow. th,at tho -beating could' not be" avoided. During ( those months when it 'seemed that the Jinish of the British 'Army might come quickly, Germany elected to make it a fight to a finish with England..- 1 - The Butish soldier was ridiculed, and. held up to contempt. Now we intend to that Germany has her wa3'. Tho fight must be to a.finish,"to a knocktout. - The > who!© world, including i eu-v trals ~w ith the -highest t puipose, and humanitarians, with the best motives, must know that'there cannot be cotside interference at this stage. Britain did not ask for intervention"when-si'c" was unprepared to fight, and she vauld tolerate none now that she is prepared, until Piussian mihtaiy despotism 'is broken beyond repair. 1 There was i o lcgiet voiced in Geimany over tlie use Vss'slaughter, no teais were shed ly Geiman sympathiser when a few io..usand British citizens who wero n.-vi-r expected to be soldiers went out to ho battered, bombed, and gassed. Tho people who were now moved -fr, , ten's at the thought of 'what is to come watched the- eaily rounds of +he' incqual contest dry-eyed. None of ti.e carnage which is to come can bo worse than the sufferings of those Allied dead; who stood'tho full shock' .-,f''>e Prussian war machine before it to falter. ■ But- in the Britisii dater - minatiou to carry the fight tk a decisive fii-ish there is something more than tlie natural demand for vengeance. The inhumanity and pitilessness 'of the fighting-that must come before a lastin? peace is possible is not comparable with the cruoHy 'which would be involved in stopping the war whi'o there remains a possibility that civilisation wiir again -be menaced from the same quarter. Peace now or at any time beioro tho final complete elimination of tins menace is unthinkable. No nation with, the Flighted understanding of tho temper of the. Britisii citizen arm,y v luch took its terrible hammering without a whine or grumble will attempt to call a halt now. It took England ■ twenty years to defeab Napoleon, and j the first fifteen years were black with | Bntish defeat. It will not take twenty years td win this war, but whatever time it requires it will bo done, and I say this,' lecognising that wc have only | begun to win. I

"There is no disposition on "our side to fix the. hour of ultimate-victory. We arc under 110 delusion that the war is nearing an end, but we have not' tho slightest doubt as to how it is goin"to end. There will b e no among the Allies. 'Never' a.gaiu' has be come our batt'ia cry. This ghastliness ■must never be re-enacted 'on: this earth and one method at least of answering that end is the infliction of such punishment upon the perpetmt-ors of this outrage against humanity" that the temptation ■to emulate .'their exploits will bo eliminated from tlio' hearts of the ovil-rmndcd among tho rulers of men.-'