HON. LLOYD GEOROE

Hokitika Guardian, 15 January 1921, Page 4

HON. LLOYD GEOROE

A GUILDHALL SPEECH

‘THINGS ARE COMING RIGHT.”

LONDON, Nov. 10,

Mr Lloyd George, who was the chief speaker at the Lord Mayor’s banquet at the Guildhall last night, rsponded to tbe toast of “His Majesty’s Ministers.” He said:

The perils still in the path of peace are mostly perils of temper, but the world is nevertleeless gradually, slowly settling down. Tilings are coming „ right. We need patience, persistence, perseverance, faith. The world stands in need of more good will among men. There, are too many hatreds hurtling through the air. In judging policy the highest wisdom demands that we should keep our prejudices and dislikes well under control. If we give rein to them Europe will remain a welter of raging hatreds. You cannot reconstruct the world on a rocking foundation. 1 agree that peace and real peace is j the urgent need of the world. Misunderstandings between Western and Central Europe must he removed, and misunderstandings in both the vast territories of Eastern Europe must also ! be removed. .. 1 AVliat arc the outstanding features between Germany and the Allied nations:" There are two and perhaps ,1 .... 1

three. Foremost among; them I put the question of the disarmament ol Ger-1 many. Ido that not merely because of its intrinsic importance, but because it J is the real test of the sincerity of Germany when she says she means to ean> out the treaty. DISARMED NAVY. The nation that has not disarmed does not mean to cany out the stipulations of the treaty, but a nation that does disarm—you know That, at an\ rate, she does not contemplate defiance of her obligations. Therefore, 1 attach enormous importance to disarmament, and 1 did so at the Spa Conference, where 1 put it in the forefront of the struggle there, because I felt this a real test of the sincerity of Germany. The report which 1 have to give on this subject 1 have received within the last few hours from the War Office, who are naturally keeping a very strict supervision over the disarmament of Germany. ' The report is very satisfactory. (Cheers). The Navy, the German Navy, is practically disarmed. That need cause no more anxiety to anybody. When you come to its great army with the vast multitude of highly-train-ed men who were a menace to the peace and the liberty of tbe world, they liaye

already been reduced below 150,000, and they are on their way rapidly to 100,000 —the final figure fixed. (’Cheers). Their great machines of war—the great guns—those terrible weapons, they are practically substantially all surrendered up to the limit of the Allied demands. There are still too many l ilies at large in Germany in possession of the population. REPARATION. The second point is of vast importance and. in many respects, more difficult.. That is the problem of Reparation. Germany was prepared to submit certain proposals at Spa for liquidating her obligations, and I was pleased with thorn, not because of tbe proposals themselves, but because they were an indication that the statesmen and financiers of Germany had sat down to consider the problem with determination to find some way ot discharging their obligations. The German Government realise that it is their first duty to repair the devastation that, their armies wrought, the most terrible devastation that has ever been inflicted probably upon a civilised country. It is a question of methods and a question of capacity. The fman rial experts of tlie Allied countries and the financial experts of Germany are to meet in two conferences in the near future, and 1 am looking forward with great hope and confidence to really tangible results coming from those discussions.

The Allies are seeking the best financial advice upon this problem ; the Germans are doing the same, and il in all the Allied countries the people listen to the counsel of those whose sole purpose is to restore the devastated regions, and not to repair devastated reputations, I have no doubt at all that peace will he found along the path of good understanding. (Loud applause).

INDUSTRIAL OUTLOOK. Speaking of Russia, the Prime Minister said: “The worst danger of Russia, Bolshevism, is a passing phase. It is such an impossible creed, such a ludicrous, such a crazy creed, it cannot survive. But I tell you what may survive—anarchy. Bolshevism will pass away. If Russia falls into the hands ot anarchy, it may be a generation before it is redeemed.” Referring to the recent coal strike, the Prime Minister said the thing which Idled him with most hope was that the men’s leaders were anxious for an honourable settlement. But the large poll against the settlement meant there was still an atmosphere of suspicion, and that must he removed. We must give all classes confidence in constitutional Government. “In the very room where we were settling the miners’ strike I met the same miners’ leaders in 1918, the darkest hour of the war. We had to ask

them to help us to get 50,000 more men out of the mines, in spite of the loss of coal. There was some hesitation.-

“I pointed out to tlierii on the wall a map of France. On that map you had the numbers of the German divisions; you had the points to which they had advanced ; and you had crowded German divisions in reserve. And 1 said to them, ‘That is the peril.’ Their hesitation vanished, their doubt disappeared; they went and faced their delegates, and said, ‘The country needs men,’ and wo got them to the last man. “After all, the working men are three-fourths of the population, and the future of the country depends upon their common sense and their patriotism. And 1 believe in both.” There were extremists, he said, on both sides. Some wanted direct action, and some, whenever there was a strike, said: “This is the chance to smash the union.” They were both a pestilence to society. The business of the Govcrnmentmen't was to hold the balance evenly, fairly, and justly between Labour and property, to pursue a middle course, that is, a just course. “Believe me, if you want security in

this country—and we must get it —you must give a sense of complete confidence to the workmen.”

„ IRELAND. “WE HAVE MURDER BY THE THROAT.” Mr Lloyd George remarked that in Ireland we have witnessed a spectacle of organised assassination of the most cowardly character. “Unless lam mis-

taken,” he said, “ we have taken steps by which we have murder by the throat.” , He asked the British public not to credit slanders, on the brave men who, at the peril of their lives, were tracking murder in tbe dark hour. Tlieie will be no real peace in Ireland,” lie declared; “there will be no conciliation until this murder conspiracy has been scattered. He was told that the result of the steps that were bejiig tsiken WRs that they had had more murders than ever i in the last few weeks. Why! Before ! this action was taken in vast tracts of ' Ireland the police were practically interned in their barracks. Terror " ,IS triumphant. They had to reorganise the police. BLOW AT TERRORISTS. ! When the Government were ready they struck the terror, and the terror- ; ists were now “The cry is coming from those who have been inl dulging in terror for years—from those 1 who sympathised w ith them-and j they are aided by those who are always ! very anxious for embarrassing the Goj vernment in the very difficult tasks which it has in hand. “Rut as long as men are m dugI outs the casualties are not as'great as when they go out to face danger. The police are going out seeking danger in order to stamp it outbut, believe me,

they are doing it. They are getting the right men. "They are dispersing the terrorists. If it is necessary to have iurther powers we shall seek them, 'because civilisation cannot permit a defiance of this kind of the elementary rules of its existence. (Applause). The men who indulge in these murders say it is war. If it is war. they at any rate cannot complain if we apply some of the rules of war. (Applause). In war, if men in civilian clothes come behind your lines armed with murderous weapons. intending to use them whenever they can do so with impunity, they are summarily dealt with. Men who carry explosive bullets are summarily dealt with in war.” "If it is war, the rules of war must applv,” declared the Prime Minister. PEACEMAKERS TERRORISED. “Hut until this conspiracy is suppressed there is no hope of real peace or conciliation in Ireland, and everyone desires peace and conciliation on fair terms —fair to Ireland, yes, hut fair to Britain.

“Then l is no man in Ireland, as long iis this Terrorist conspiracy is dominant, who dare talk conciliation. 1 ventured, on behalf of the Government, speaking as the head ol the Government in the Imperial Parliament, to invite anyone who could speak on behalf of Ireland to come ami discuss any proposals. It 1 had given that invitation to the German Empire in the middle of the war 1 would have had a response, hut, giving it to Finland* thci*. was no man who dare respond. “Why? They were afraid. They were intimidated. You must break the Terror before you can get peace. Then you will get it. Irishmen have no real sympathy with these murders. They are heartily, sick of (be business, and 1 know it. We are offering Ireland, not subjection, but equality ; we are offering Ireland, not servitude, hut'partnership, an honourable partnership, a partnership in the'greatest Empire in the world—a partnership in that Em pit eat the height of its power, a partnership in that Empire in the greatest day of rts glory.”