THE BRITISH WILL NOT TOLERATE OUTSIDE INTERFERENCE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2890, 30 September 1916, Page 7

THE BRITISH WILL NOT TOLERATE OUTSIDE INTERFERENCE

MR LLOYD GEORGE'S VIEWS "THE FIGHT MUST BE TO A FINISH—TO A KNOCK-OUT' ~ ~ . (By .Telecraoh-T-Eress Association—Copyright). Australlan-Now. Zealand Cable Association. ■'■' (Rec. September 29, 5.5 p.m.) ' ' NOW York, September 28. In an interview with a representative of tho United Press in London, Mr. Lloyd George, Secretary of State for War, said: — "The British soldier is a good sporasman.. He enlisted in. the war in a sporting spirit to see fair play ,for a small nation trampled upon by a bully. 110 is fighting for fair 'play in international dealings. He has fought as a good sportsman, and by thousands he has died like a sportsman. Ho ■ has never asked anything more,than a sporting chance, and_ not always has ho had that. When ho could not get it. he did not quit. He played tho game; did not squeal, and did not ast anyone to squeal for him. Now that the fortunes of the game have turned a bit in favour of' the British ho is not disposed to stop because of the squealing by tho Germans or for tho Germans by probably well meaning but misguided sympathisers and humanitarians. 1 , ■ ' . "The British soldier for two years has had a bad time; 'nobody knows so well as he what a bad time it- was. Ho possessed 'sadly inferior equipment, and on the average was inferior in training. He saw the Allied cause being beaten all about the ring, but ho did not appeal to the spectators or the referee to stop the fight on -tEe ground that it. was brutal, nor did he ask that the rules should bo changed, he' : took his punishment, even when beaten, like a dog. He was a game dog.. When forced to take refuge in a trench, when too: badly used up .to carry the fight to the enemy, he hung on without whining, and fought off every attack. He bided his time, endured without wincing; worked without flagging. _ '■ "And at this time what was the winning German doing? Was ho worrying over the terrible slaughter? No,'he was talking _ about annexing Belgium arfd Poland as'the result of his viotory, ,and while lie was re-making the map of Europe without the "slightest regard-for the wishes of its people, the, British people Wore preparing to pay the price we knew must ho paid for time to get our Army ready. It is one thing, to look .back on the pounding tho British soldier took during the.,first two years of tlie war, but. a different thing to Jook forward as. he did and know.tie beating could .not be avoided. "During tlioso months when it seemed that the finish of the British Army might come quickly—Germany had selected to make it finish .in the fight with England—the British soldier was ridiculed and held in contempt. Now wo intend to see that Germany has hor way. ' The fight must be to a finish —to-a knock-out. "The wholo world, including neutrals of'tho highest purpose and humanitarians with the best motives, must know that we cannot tolerate outside interference at this Efage. Britain never asked for intervention when she was unprepared to fight; she will tolerate none now that she is prepared, until Prussian military, despotism is broken beyond repair. There was no regret voiced in Germany over useless slaughter, no tears by German sympathisers, when a few thousand British citizons who never expected to be soldiers went out to be battered, bombed, and chased. The people who were now moved to tears at the thought of what is to come, watched the early hounds ,of ' tho unequal contest'dry-eyed. Nono of the carnago which is ,to come can be worse than the sufferings undergone by.thoso Allied dead who shock of the Prussian war-machine before it began to falter. But in the''British determination to cany tho fight to ■ a. decisive finish there is something more than a natural demand for vengeance. Tho inhumanity and pitilessness of the fighting that- must como before a lasting peaco is possible is not comparable with the cruelty which.would be involved by stopping the war while there remains a possibility of civilisation being again menaced'.from the, same quarter. Peace now, or at any time heloro tho final complete elimination of this mcnace, is unthinkable. . No nation with tho slightest understanding, of tho temper of the British Citizen Army, which took its .terrible hammering .without a whine or a grumble, will attomnt to call a halt now _ there is neither clock -nor result that counts' not the t'imo consumed in achieving. "It took England twenty years to defeat Napoleon I; fifteen years was black with British defeat. _ It will not take twenty years to, win this war, but whatever the time required it will be done. And I. say this—l, recognising that we have only begun to win—there is no disposition on our side to fix the hour of ultimate victory. We are not under the delusion that the war is nearing its end, but we have not tliß slightest doubt how it is going to end. There will bo 110 quitters among the Allies. 'Never again I' has become our battle-cry." This ghastlip.ess must never ho re-enacted on this earth: and ono mothod at least- of answering that end is the infliction of such punishment upon the perpetrators of this outrage against humanity that the temptation to emulate their exploits will bo eliminated from the hearts of tho evil-mind-ed among the rulers of men."