Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. MONDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1916. NO INTERFERENCE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXVI, Issue 3569, 2 October 1916, Page 4

Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. MONDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1916. NO INTERFERENCE.

Statesmen's speeches concerning the way have been rich, in phrases that.-will•■■become historical, and among them -are not a few of which Mr Lloyd George is the author. He has a gift (for it is a gift) of conveying a world of meaning by the use of a familiar expression in unconventional verbal surroundings-, and his latest phrase, of " a fight to a finish," extracted ; from the phraseology of the prize'ring,: is at once itlie most expressive and significant of the jeux d'esprit of the war. The case for the British and French could not possibly have been put: more correctly, concisely, and forcibly than Mr Lloyd George put it^ ill the admirably-temperate statement cabled to the New Zealand Press oji Saturday.' Though he confined his remarks to a presentation of Britain's attitude during the war, and of her intentions for the future, "his graphic description of the earlier trials of the j British troops-^their terrible sufferings and ".' bull-dog itenacity liiider V severe reverses—applies equally to the French and Iliis-, sian soldiers. Never once in those critical early days, when it appeared hopeless to expect that the Western Allies could stem the tide of the GermaiiVadvancey was there a move by neutral nations to stop;, the■•■ .fight.V Germany ; had already shown, during her dreadful march through 1 Belgium, what the, world could' expect if t sho conquered Britain and France; but the retreating armies never "whined," and the United States saw no reason to interfere. Today, when all the portents indicate' that the tables have been turned—when the triumphant onrush of the Germans has been changed to a retreat, when almost every day sees her driven' back mile after mile, , her "impregnable " positions earned by Allied assaults, thousands of her fastdwindling troops slaughtered, and certain defeat is' only a matter of time—appeals for neutral intercession are being made "in the name of humanity." What a jesting with a sacred cause ? Ruined French towns, and Belgium, Poland, Armenia, Serbia, Macedonia are mute witnesses of Germany's, concern for the claims of humanity, 1 and hundreds of thousands of murdered women anil children haVe paid the price which German kiiltur demands of those who stand in its path. Are these crimes to go unavenged? Mr Lloyd George answers for the Allies with a decisive "No!" And in unmistakable terms he warns . the . world—" including neutrals of the highest purpose '■". —that Britain ■ " o will not tolerate intervention-now that she is prepared to fight till Prussian military despotism is broken beyond repair." The warning" is as timely as it is necessary. The cessation of hostilities just ■ now would leave Germany in possession* of the whole of Belgium and a good portion of Franca, and this would constitute a lever for her demand of indemnities for evacuation.- The Western Allies have demonstrated that, they'can break through any portion of the, German line if they aro prepared to "pay the /price. This fact -is.,now realisivd"'by'-the'..Germans,.-/aiidj-'. in' keeping :■>.: with : tlieir'/churii^oi;, as bullies and 'braggarts,; they want the .fight stopped before disaster overtakes thorn. 'Mr Lloyd George's declaration has dispelled any hopes they may have had. of outside interference on their-,be-half, and though the continuance of the war. will mean... further heavy sacrifices, everyone- will agree with Mr Lloyd George that "the inhumanity and pitilessness of the fighting that-must come before a lasting 1 peace is possible, are not comparable with the cruelty that would be involved in stopping 1 the war while thero remains a possibility of civilisation | Being again menaced from thei Maine quarter." j