CVERNIGHT CABLES

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12193, 17 December 1917, Page 2

CVERNIGHT CABLES

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7cr(: r ;v OI? T)FT v - ? AT. r-SvvHER ADi>K W:~ NAT !<>N. '•a iXii-ATELv IKi-ATN ON i'O -a.-■' s< > i, ;i- , > 1 i- - • . L*' Liov.i '■ ■■ iic.: : '0 '.A: .- i;." ./:.- U ; -'e "- : - r •> v-vi. a-a; : t ;;v r ': W. •:>! thi- : U'v.-e.'';.iie::■ v.:. •n *■ > •' •'" * l'f.:d '■ i i.l;-'-.i:;' ! ' i'u; ! :; ' jV U'/idc rs I ,'."U A'' 1 ; ; dovVli.'; til't J U i-«:i i iv'ti !ii :•>•»* convey tiu; incsiliiug hf. v.u«(il» reasonably i>ear, and only inienoed to say exactly the same tiling as President Wilson sited in a recent speech. 1 lie whole British nation J'uliy agreed w.th that speech. Uheref.ore lie concluded that the interpretation placed on the Latisdowne letter by Allies and enemies In no way represented what Lord Jjansdowno intended. Mr Lloyd Oe-orge refeirod to the very active minority ot people who thought mistakenly that they had found a leader in Lord Lansdowno. '.The danger was not tlhe extreme pacifist. " 1 warn the nation to watch the man who t-h.nks there is a half-way house between victory and defeat. No such house exists. These are the men who think you can end the war with some sort of. what they all peace by setting np a league of nations. With attendant conditions, that is the right policy after victory, but without victory it would be a force. To end a war, 'jtitered upon in order to enforco ti treaty, without reparation for tho infringomont of that treaty which has btan treated as a scrap of paper, merely by entering into a new, more sweeping and comprehensive treaty, would bo a farce in the setting of a tragedy. There is nothing so fatal to character as half-finished tasks." Though it was a mean attitude to assume, he could understand the man Wjho was opposed to tho war from the start, but he could not comprehend the man, who helped to commit the nation to a career of hono'jr, and now, before the task was nearly accomplished, wished to shake hands with the malefactor and trade to mutual advantage- "The enemy is simply to be invited to enter into a bargain to Join with you in punching the head cf the next mini who dares to imitate his villainies. the enemy desires such peace terms. It .s idle to talk of security won by such feebln means. Let there be no doubt regarding the alternatives with which we are confronted. One is to make easy terras with a triumphant outlaw, which means abasing ourselves before 'lawlessness, a; d it means ultimately a world intimidated by successful bandits. The other is to go through with the task of vindicating justice, ho _ as to establish a righteous, everlasting peace for ourselves and our children. Ko nation with any regard for its selfrespect and honour can hesitate< a moment in the choice, especially as it realises that victory is an o- ential condition 'of a free world-" There would not merely be no object, in prolonging the war, but it would oe infamous to do so if they thought things could get mi hotter the longer tine.y fought. It was because they were firmly convinced that despite some untoward events and discouraging appearnnces, the Allies were making stcaox progress towards their goal, he would regard peace overtures at tho presen''' as a betrayal of groat trust with which iie and his colleagues were charged '•'The deadly grip of the Navy is_ having its effect, and the valour of our troops is makine an impression- The;, will form a bridge which, when complete, will carry us to a new world. The river for a moment is in spate and eome of the scaffolding has carried away. Much of the progress we have made seems to be submerged and hidden and some men say, ' Let us abandon'the enterprise altogether ;it is too costly, it is impracticable of achievement ' Let us rather build a pontoon bridge of new treaties, a hague oi nations and understandings. Inat pontoon bridge might last some tune, bu_ it would always be shaky and unceitnin and the'first flood would sweep it away- Let us go along with our pile-driving and make a real, solid, permanent structure." Flo re! erred to tlhe added d-Jiculties ©wing to Russia's threatened withdrawal and the serious addition to lintoiu'p task, already formidable enough. II would be folly, he w.id, to underrate the dav.o:e'\ equally foolish to eN-.gwr-ate it, and the. greatest i'.oiiv of all ret >•. face it. Tie enlarged upon the euiiy : America m the rctv.-wl. '.-v. that she '.va •• stepping ■:ri :"• Kur. plnce. V'?. 0 rot Ct- pf'--;:: if" hut w>w!d V.on he, h-vr 1 ''t« / de--.per'i't.e efforts to fe.'ce i<he 'i. ■ f.Ariic-:".*- wa? ;; ■ ■ iirjj '«' i!. "V, r )A, ■" o "■' : ■ • - -- V - - 'i' ' ■ 1 ;. ;; .--r. bi <: : i;.- ; ii; ■ ]' . ". r ■ :' ■'> '■ • j' : . i-ir... ' i '' r ■ i-" '• ! di Iv- <■!,- -..■■■ d v.'": ?. r ! "d' A:j,; '-i■ '--e-: ' "7* ' !- V rv* ! -V t'iv. ■■ '' ■ ■ • ; iT-'-taii; r iv- : -i; ' -■-> ' ■■■■;" ■Vrv,' ■ a v ' '' ! ■ l:Av-> d-:.- ;■ v e - !■ . ;;n:- -k •: . ; --ri: : t ' r .. !■>/■■■ ::.tid 1 : ,f . ■ : ■ /-■•virer t: . c : ,i • rj r. : •- i; : - !V.«; v er- M ■-■. i/ •; >■ -. -: '• t! -. i 1 is .■ ■■ .ri'-iT,-'--: h or-:'- r ' ■ i . . v-'..V.-b.Mif f f"';: ( '.'to' '5 ; "r 1 i : ■ r-J - 'in or.* t;.*. .t ■. ■ irvc--; •- i baud'-i.:.'' li.i- ea::, ii j-i'vr.;-. "Pr , i.' ; '-:'i ..ii u.i-u ;- I ! j..t ;it-.. nvie.s is. not ti-e rno r t urgent n.ui <..f tho problem. Men are especially needed to solve the problem of tonnage. Victory is now a problem of tonnage. Nothing else can defeat us but a sh.orta.fxe of tonnage. The advent of America into tho war has greatly increased tho demand. _ Germany gambled on America's failure to transport colossai numbers of men and aeroplanes to Eui-ope and promised their own people and their allies that, these formidable masses would_ never find their way into tho battle line." Mr Lloyd George foreshadowed a further withdrawal of xuen from non-essential war trades and occupations in order to increase the shipbuilding. He urged a further saving of tonnage not only bv economising in consumption, but also by increasing home production. "We have increased home food production by from 2,000,000 to 3,000,000 tons this year " he said. "We are the only belligerent who hns increased its food output during the war. It is essentia' that wo have another 3,000,000 tons of food ini-poi-ts in 1918, I appeal to agriculturists to assist tho Government. Another way to help is to discourage the grousers. Grousing undermines the morale, and national morale i.-; vital in a question of holding out. Peace propaganda is fed with grumblers. Let us beware playing these propagandists' games. We have challenged a sinister power menacing the world with enslavement. It would have been better never to have challenged unless we meant to carry it through. Peoplo who think we can begin a new era of peace while the Prussian military power is unbeaten are labouring under a strange delusion."