BRITISH PRIME MINISTER TAKES STOCK OF THE SITUATION

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3167, 18 August 1917, Page 7

BRITISH PRIME MINISTER TAKES STOCK OF THE SITUATION

WONDERFUL ACHIEVEMENT BY THE MINISTRY OF SHIPPING MILITARY OUTLOOK HIGHLY PROMISING (Kec. August 17, G p.m.) London, August 16. ~ In the House of Commons, Mr. Lloyd George delivered an important speech covering several aspects of the war. Hβ declared that the food situation - had considerably improved. In August last there was in stock 6,500,000 quarters of wheat. The country now had 8,500,000 quarters. The oats and barley stocks were also higher. There had been a considerable eaving in bread consumption, while the acreage under cultivation had increased by a million. If the harvest were good, as it promised, then the condition of the country's food supplies, taking everything into account, was very satisfactory. He still urged the n'eed for economy, because the more -we economised the less we would need from Canada and the United States, from which countries France and Italy also drew their supplies. The country's reserves of sugar had been increased. Making Good the Shipping Losses. Proceeding, the Prime Minister said that the German? had claimed that we were losing half a million tons of shipping monthly. After (? without) allowing, for new construction in April, we lost 565,000 tons gross, but the gross losses for July were reduced to 320,000 tons, and the returns for August looked like being hetter. "If the present rate of improvement continues," he said, ''our net loss for .Tuly and August will bo at the rate of 175,000 fens per month. These figures .show that the Admiralty is meeting with considerable success. The Shipping Controller (Sir Joseph Ma.clay) has so reorganised the shipping that although we have a. diminished tonnage we are carrying more tone. The rate 'of shipbuilding is being quickened, nnd many new ships had been ordered abroad." He gave a statement of tho rate of progress in British construction as follows:— Year. v Tons. 1915 688,000 1916 538,00 ft First sis months of 1917 480,000 ■ Estimate of last six months of 1917 *1>420.000 Estimate for 1917 1,900,000 *1,100,f10fl of this estimate is British construction. To this achievement, said Mr. Lloyd George, had to be added a large programme of naval construction. He believed that cur shipping losses would decrease. He felt certain that our construction would increase. We still needed more shipping, but if the United States is extended to her full capacity, as doubtless she is preparing to do, we would have sufficient tonnage not only for the whole of 1918. but if necessary for. 1919. The Military Situation. Dealing with the military situation, Mr. Lloyd George declared that he would not e.xchango our position for the enemy's. Our difficulties would diminish and our powers increase as the onemy's difficulties increased and his powers diminished. He read a, telegram from the front regarding the latest offensive, which, he said, was not intended to be a big operation. The telegram stated that severe fighting had been continued, but the result had not yet been determined. The Canadian infantry had won si conspicuous success, and had caplured Langemarck, taking 1200 prisoners und five guns. Concluding his speech, tho Prime Minister said: "This is tho supreme hour for patience, courage, endurance, hope, and unity. Lot us go through this hour with the old temper of our race, that will enable us to destroy a. great military despotism, so that next year wo and the world will begin to reap the fruits of our valour."—Aus.N.Z. 'Cable Aesn.-Itouter. [Going back to 1892, Lloyds Calendar shows that the above estimate of 1,900,000 tons for tho 1!)17 (as forecasted by Air. Lloyd George in his speech) has been exceeded only once, in 1913, when the steam tonnage launched reached 1,910,578.1