IN BRITAIN. HANDS OFF!

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXVI, Issue 3568, 30 September 1916, Page 5

IN BRITAIN.

HANDS OFF!

MR LLOYD GEORGE'S W/iKNING:

BRITAIN. WILL FIGHT TO A

FINISH

*o interference tolerated.

{Australian and N.Z. Cable-Scmce.); XJ3W YOlMv, September 23. In a, striking interview given to the London. Press," Mr Lloyd Ooorgo says: 11 The British soldier 19 a good spoitsman. He enlisted for the win* . in a sporting spirit, to see fail play for :i small nation trampled on by a bully. Lie is fighting for fiiir play in international dealings, lie has fought as a m>od sportsman, and by thousands ho" Im* died Jike a sportsman. He has never asked anything more ihan a sporting chance, and has not always had that. When lie could not get*it ho did not quit: he played the game, he did not squeal, and he dkinot ask anyone to squeal for him. Now that the fortunes of tho same turn a bit, tho British people are not disposed to stop because oi' any squealing by the Germans, or for the Germans by probably well-meaning but _ misguided sv:npalhis>ers and,-humanitarians. "" The .British soldier for .two year* fi.ul 11 bad time. Nobody knows s-o well as ho," what 0 bad _ time H< was. lie was 'sadly inferior in equipment, and on the average inferior ,i» training, lie saw the Allied cause knocked all over tho ring, but he did not appeal to the spectators o- 1 referee to «iop tho (V'ht rxi the "round that it •»?« brutal, nor did he" ask- thnt 'the inles be changed. He took his punishment. Even'when beaten like a dog be was a pi Til c dog. When forced to take rui'ngc in a trench, when ioo badly iwd up to carry the fight into the enemy, he "hung on without whining, fought'off ovoi-y"attack, bided his time, endured without winning, and worked without flagging. And at tins time, what was the winning German doing ?■. Was he worrying over the terrible slaughter ? No ! lie was talking of annexing Belgium and Poland as .a result of his victory, and whjJe he was-re-making the map of Europe without the slightest regard for the wishes of its- people, the British people were pre- _. paring to pay the price which we knew must bo paid for the time to get the army ready. It is one thing to look back 011 tho pounding the British soldier took in the first two yearn of war, but it is a different thing to look forward, as he did, and know that the beating couldn't, be avoided. During those months when it seemed that the' finish of the British Army might come quickly, Germany elected to make it a fight to a finish with England. The British soldier vraa ridiculed and held in contempt: " Now we' intend to see that Germany has her way; the fight mußt bo to :i finish—to tho knock-out. The 1 whole world, including neutrals of the highest purpose and humanitarians with the best motive?.-must: "know that there cannot be outside interference at tliia stage. Britain did not r.sfc for intervention -,vhpn she was unprepared Lo fight, a 1 v] s}\" will tolerate none now. She is prepared to go on until the Prussian military despotism is broken hoyor.-l repair. There was no regret voiced in Gormany ovor the use Iloss slaughter, no tears ,by German sympathisers, whon a few thousand British citizens, who never expected to be soldiers,- -.rent ont to be battered, bombed, ant 1, gassed. Peopio who arc dow moved to tears at tho thought or v hat is to come watched the early rounds of tho unequal contest dry-eyed. Nono of tho oarnago which is to come can be worse than the suilerings of those Allied dead who stood the full .shock of the Prussian war-machine before, it bega? to falter. _ _ .- " But in ;.he British determination to carry tho fight to a decisive finish thoii! is .something more than a natural demand' t'ov vengecince. The inhumanity and i;itiU>ssncss of the fighting that must dine before a lasting.p.aof. is possible ii>. not comparable with th*. cruelly that ;vould be involved in stopping the we. .while there remains any possibility Ljict civilisation may again ho menaced from the same quarter. Peace now, ov at any time before tho final and complete elimination of this menace, is unthinkable. —^o" nation - with the slifj'.^est understanding of the temper of vie British citizen ' army, which tool- its frriblo haTumcrinK without a -/.Mine or a grumble, will atloaipt lv call a holt. now. It took Bnglaud 20 -j-ears to defeat' Napoleon, und the first lo wur«> black with British defeat. It will not take 20 years to win this war. but, whatever timn^ ' it does reqnife, it will bo done, and 1 say this, recognising that we have only begun to w'r>\. There is 110 disposition on''our side :>: fix tho honr of ultimate)

victory. "We :ir<j ■■•inclcr tin delusion about the war nearinp; an oiul, but wo havo not ilio slightest doubt as to how it is going to end. There will be no qniUofs among thfi j5. ili of? ! 'Never again ' has bevorno oui battlo-cry. This ghast.linoss must never bo re-onactod on ihis eni'th. nnd onrs rnothod, at. loasU of I'li'iurinc^lijit end is the; infiirliour of sucli nuuisbii'OTit upon tbo porno-}fntors of this outrngo against lunrianity that th«> temptfilion to eimiTnhe ihrir ex-

pioits will be oiiminsitml from tho blurts of tho evil-minded iimoujj tho rulers of men."