THE ROUMANIAN BLUNDER

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LX, Issue 16852, 21 December 1916, Page 5

THE ROUMANIAN BLUNDER

/ 'was unfortunate, but at the worst it prolongs the war; it does not alter the fundamental facts of the war. I cannot help hoping it may even have salutary effects in calling the attention of the Allies to obvious defects. The Allies' organisation is not merely the organisation of each but the organisation of the whole. If it does that and braces them to fresh efforts, it may prove, bad as it, is, a blessing. That is the worst. It has been a real setback. It is the one cloud—the darkest cloud. It appeared on a clearing horizon. We are doing our best to make it impossible that that disaster should lead to worse. That is why we have taken, during the last few days, very x STRONG ACTION WITH GREECE. We mean to take no risks there. We decided to take definite decisive action, and I think it has succeeded. We have decided to recognise the agent of the great Greek statesman, Venezelos. (Cheers). LESSONS OF THE WESTERN FRONT. I should like to say a word about the lessons of the fighting on the Western front, about the significance of the whole of that great struggle. It is full *f encouragement and hope. We have an absolutely new army. The old had done its duty. It had spent itself in the achievement of that great task. This is a new army. But a year ago it was or© in the earth of Britain, yea, and of Ireland. Now it has become iron. (Cheers). It has passed through the fiery' furnace. The enemy knows it is now a line of steel. This new army, with its new men and new officers, all new to this kind of work, has faced the greatest army in the world, the best equipped and the best trained, and has beaten it. (Loud cheers)! In battle after battle, day after day, week after week, in the strongest entrenchments ever devised by human skill, they have, driven them out by valour incredible. That is something which has given us hope, and fills you all with pride in the nation to which they belong. It is a fact full of significance for us and for ooir foe. (Cheers). The enemy has seen that army grow under his very eyes. They are becoming veterans, and therefore, basing our confidence on these facts I am as convinced -as ever of ultimate victory if the nation proves as steady, as valourous, as ready for sacrifice, and as strong to endure as that great army on the Somme. (Loud cheers). THE NEW GOVERNMENT. The Premier proceeded to refer to the new Government, remarking that he was anxious to avoid all issues that excited irritation, controversy and disunion. It must not be.j assumed that" he accepted as complete th<e account which had been given as to the way the Government had been formed. He was convinced that the controversies of the past would not help regarding the future, and therefore so far as he was concerned, he placed them on one side. He proceeded to speak of the universal character and composition of the Government as an executive body. The House realised that there had been a separation between the functions of the Premier and the leader €f the House because these two offices were more than one man could undertake. Regarding the PRODUCTION OF FOOD, every available square yard must be made to produce food. All who had the opportunity must regard it as aduty to the State to assist in pro-, ducing and contributing to the common stock. If this was done we should have food without any privation, without any want, everybody having plenty of the best and healthiest food. "This," said Mr. Lloyd George, "means sacrifices.

But what sacrifices! Talk to the man who has returned from tlio Somme, to the mcc who have been throfugh. the, haunting wretchedness of the campaign, and you will know something about what those gallant men are enduring for the rountry."

Previous administrations had been peace structures, organised for different purposes and different conditions. A craft suitable for river or canal was not exactly the kind of vessel for the high seas. He was not here referring to the last Cabinet, but the old system of Cabinet, where the heads of every department were represented inside the. Cabinet. He was convinced the new form of Government was best for war, where quick decision was necessary above everything. He declared that the Allies had suffered disaster after disaster through tardiness of decision and action. "You cannot," he said "run a war with a Sahe<drin." That was the meaning of a Cabinet of five, and one of its members dong sentry duty outsde. It had been suggested there was a danger of lack of co-ordination, but he pointed out it was the olfr practice to have the heads of departments outside the Cabinet. Whenever any-1 thing concerned a particular department trie head of that department could attend the executive committee and disouss the problems requiring solution. He' thought this was a very effective practice, and much better, especially in time of

war, than keeping men away from their departments discussing things which did not directly concern them. He emphasised that there would be no distinction between the old War Committee and the War Cabinet. There was not the slightest attempt to derogate in any particular from the complete control of Parliament, wheh must always be supreme. -

Mr. Lloyd George stated that the Government was investigating the French system whereby Ministers had to appear ° before a Parliamentary Committee where questions could be asked them and they could give an account which they would not care to give in public. It was possible they might refer, the matter to Parliament for settlement. Coming to the work of the Government, Mf. Lloyd George referred to the MINISTRY OF LABOUR. He hoped this Department would not confine itself merely to the settlement of disputes. He hoped it would become in a real sense a Ministry with the well-being of labour in its charge. •Received December 20, 11,55 p.m. Mr. Lloyd George also hoped the department would take a leading part in assisting the mobilisation of labour for the purposes of the war. In regard to shipping, he emphasised that iti^was never so vital to th©.life of the'nation as at present. The Government felt that the time had come to take COMPLETE CONTROL OF ALL SHIPS in Britain and place them practically on the same position as rail-, ways, so jthat during the war shipping would be nationalised in the real rense of the term. The prodigious profits made out of freights had contributed largely to the high cost of commodities and made it difllcult for the Government to induce organised labour to give up its privileges. The undue and extravagant profits of shipping were intolerable ia war time. Sir Joseph Mac-j Lay was conferring with the Admiralty and the Shipping Control Committee. Mr. Lloyd George said he hoped soon to be able to inform th© House the plans, recommended not only for the more effective utilisation of ships already on the register, but also the speedy construction of more ships to replace wastage. Regarding coal mines, the Government felt it oiught to assume more direct control of the whole industry. THE FOOD PROBLEM was undoubtedly serious. It would . be grave unless met, not entirely by the Government, but by the nation. The Government was prepared to grapple with it courageously without loss of time. He pointed out that the available harvest of the world had failed. The surplus available for export from Canada and the United States had diminished to a disastrous extent; the Argentine promised badly; Russian | wheat was not available; supplies from Australia meant almost •prohibitive transport; and our own harvest was poor. He did not believe more than three-eighths of the' usual sowing was talcing place.