HIGH COMMISSIONER'S REPORT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2480, 5 June 1915, Page 5

HIGH COMMISSIONER'S REPORT

Tho High Commissioner reports: — London, June 3, 3.20 p.m. 'North of Arras an artillery oombat proceeds day and night. Thero have been violent infantry actions oast of Notre Damo do Lorotto, but the positions aro unchanged. Eight hundred prisoners havo been taken since Monday in Labyrinth." HEAVY FIGHTING ALONG THE YSER (Rec. June 5, 0.5 a.m.) . , Amsterdam, June 4. Heavy fighting continues along the Ysor. The Germans aro strenuously attempting to advance near Ypres and Dixmude, but tho Allies' line is apparently impregnable. Many havo bean killed and wounded on both sides,. and it is impossible to remove tho dead for burial. llio Allies' airmen aro daily bombing the German' positions on the Belgian coast, doing considerable damage in the enemy's immediate rear. THE MOST URGENT MESSAGE EVER TOLD BRITAIN'S APPEAL FOR MUNITIONS WHY THE RUSSIANS WERE BEATEN (Rec. June 4, 3.30 p.m.) London, Juno 4, 0.25 a.m. v Mr. Lloyd George, the Minister for Munitions, accompanied by Colonel Sit Edward Giorouard, and Lord Derby, addressed a private meeting at Manchester of one thousand makers of war munitions. Mr. Lloyd George said that he came as tho omissary of the State to carry the most urgent message ever told to a Manchester audience. It depended more upon tho masters and men running the workshops than on almost any other section of the oommunity whether Great Britain should emerge from tha present colossal struggle beaten, humiliated, stripped of power, honour, and influence, and a mere bondslave to a cruel military tyranny, or whether she should emerge triumphant, free, and more powerful than ever for good in the affairs of men. The Russian Set-BaoK, "Our Russian allies," 'he said, '"have suffered a severe setback. The Germans havo achieved a great success, not because of the superior valour of their soldiers, but by pouring thunderous showers of shot and sholl against their opponents. The Russian protecting trenches were demolished; yet, tflien the Germans advanced, there arose from tho shattered earth legions of dauntless men to face tlio foe. The German triumph was duo to theiv entirely superior equipment, thair overwhelming superiority in shot and shell—the munitions of war. "Tho battle was won by the skilled industries and th-j superior organisation of tho German workshops. l\vo hundred thousand shells were concentrated in a singlo hour-on the devoted heads of tho gallant Russians. Had wo been in a position to apply the same process to tho Germans on our front, they should have been turned out of France, and well out of the country which they have tortured and tormented with dastardly cruelty. More than that, we should have actually penetrated Germany and tho end of this terrible war would have been before us. * Compulsory servlca In Skilled Industries, v "I am not here to brandish tho great powers imparted under the Defence of the Realm Act. To what extent, ana in what direct'or., the moral duty that each citizen should give of his best to the State, should be converted into a logal duty shall bo decided, as the necessity may arise. There has beon great discussioi over conscription. We are discussing it, as if we were discussing Land Reform or Homo Rule, in leisure and tranquility. One cannot'argue under shell fire. One can only decide,-but tlie introduction of compulsion, as an important clement in the organising of the nation's resources in skilled industry, does not necessarily mean conscription in the ordinary sense. "We have .saved the liberties of this land more than once by compulsory service. All the same, it would bo a great mistake to resort to it unless it wore absolutely necessary." As to recruiting, and the numbers raised on a voluntary basis, which were far ahead of the available equipment, Mr. Lloyd George 6aid it would be a proud thing to be able to say nc the end of tho war that, without compulsion, wo had done something that no other country had evor done. (Cheers.) "We wore tho worst organised nation in the world for this war. I am not sorry for that, because it shall be our defence in history that when this ' war oame wo were not prepared for it. It shall be judged as a proof that wo wero innocent of any aggreseive intentions. The proof lies in thi fact that wo did not prepare." Mr. Lloyd George added that the nation needed all the machinery and all tho skill available to turn out munitions and equipment; and both employer and worker must, be subject to complete State control. Tho latter's control must be for tho benefit of the State, not for increasing the profits for any industrial private organisation. "Wo must increase the mobility of our labour, and havo a greater subordination of labour to tho same control." Tho workers havo passed a resolution pledging support in tho efforts to increase the output of munitions.