MR LLOYD GEORGE.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 February 1923, Page 4

MR LLOYD GEORGE.

HIS LATEST ARTICLE. The following :ind :iII of -Mr Lloyd George articles, are copyright by ['nitud Press in America and all countries, copyright in Australasia by the Australian Press Copyright in Britain by the Daily Chronicle. (Reproduction in fidl or part prohibited). LONDON. Feb ■>'. .Mr Lloyd George said the (•Tench Government having failed conspicuously to win its anticipated coup, is doubling is stakes each time it loses. When and v hero will it e.nd f It is all gambling with human passions. They are all engaged in this wild venture on both sides of the table. Pride, greed, vanity, obstinacy. temper, cotnbntiv mess and racial antagonisms, but also love o* jus-

tice. hatred of wrong and high courage. Kaeh side drawn from the same treasury of tiery human emotions. 1 nless some one steps in to induce a. halt. I Fear tlu\ result will he disastrous.' France has now abandoned liojx; of running the mines, railways, and workshops in linin' by military agencies. You cannot shoot every worker who rt fuses to excavate so many hundredweight of coal daily, or drive locomotives, so the new policy is improvised. [1 is nothing less than a siege of Germany. Sixty million Germans a.ro to be starved into submission. All classes are united in resistance. National prill., has Fortified their endurance-, and excites them to sacrifice. The ports are still open, and meanwhile incidents may happen i renting a. situation ball ling nil the invader’s resources. .Many Hi'' disposed to say tin! invasion

of pulii i- bound to coine. and the mjojici the safer, yet it is over quickly. A headache "ill bring repentance. I'lid [''ranee " ill I ben settle dow n to a .piici life. 1 emphatically protest

ivaii -t this view. 1 f bis ill judge* /.:i! i prise bad been delayed for a few mo.libs. 1 do not believe any Fro lie I (mi eminent would have embarked m it. There is no French stalesnian ol an,' standing, who in his heart believe

in it- wisdom. Now that Frame's credit is involved in its success, they wil ail support it. but French opinion a* a whole was rapidly moving away iron this policy. Vacancies in the Senati and Chamber of Deputes afforded ai

opportunity of testing the real opin ion. The result is sensational. ’I In (hampions of Puhrism were I.x a ten b\ emphatic masses of French workmen always opposed to the policy. Tin peasant has had enough of military adventure. 11 is soils were never number, erl among the exempts and the lossei in the peasant homes were appalling We cannot wonder, therefore, that by Ibe i 1: i. timis ill rural and urban Frane< a display of iinmisiakeahlo wariness ol plans involving the march of arinei Fit in lunen into hostile territory, flu ■ei row iug people of France have good reason In shrink from an action that leads to the furthor shedding nl blood That is why 1 steadily favoured ever,' scheme, that would ell’eel postponing tbn decision, regarding Ruhr. Delay meant, tile ulimate detent of the Chau viuisth. That, is why they strove -n bard to rush the linvi-rnnii n.t into precipitate action I in- abrupt ter tb-i- 'ippm-l unit v. They -ei'/.ed n n ill (nig'iiig lingers. Fntil then there bad

n -ver been a el.all. break on which vmInnve could be founded. !be friends of moderation both here and on the tontiii.nl. bad seen to that, and I'.umpe was saved from tin- eatastropln ef once more banding its' dost i nies to the guidance of blind force. I'nbappil.t tie, weariness of impatience imbued Paris negotiators in a lew hours to drop tile reins which for nearly lour years had held the furies from dashing along a careen' of obstruction. Alternative plans might have been discussed with a little more persists.nee. and less

pessimism might have persuaded Belgium. I.Lilly Mini Japan to ;iid our ji(>peal. Franca would trust. rather to tin? League of Nations tluiii to the uncertainties of wilt' neglected opportunities, iiio later path of this troublesome questions. Tin- Cannes conversations were broken us they reached fruition, and it will not surprise me to find the whole cargo of reparations has disfippi a red beyond savin'.'; with these shipwrecked negotiations.

Attain. Germany threw away a great opportunity at Genua. It .s true iepaiatioiis were excluded, hut 11■ spirit engendered by a friendly settlement of all oilier outstanding ques r iolls wt.uiti

nave rmiioieu reasouauie tcuipi • 1 1-(-onsideratioiis of the reparations inevitable. tlcrmany by its foolish staging of the Russian agreement, math all limit impossible. Resentment and suspicion were ohm more equipped with the lash, and they used it relentlessly to drive out all goodwill for Germany I'roin the Congress. Another lost opportunity then cairnin the Bankers’ Committee*. TinCrenel] Government testily declined ui consitlir the esential eondiitions indicated by the Bankers. Another lost opportunity, and Europe once iron? lumbered along is dreary wav :o another. Then canto ATr Hughes' famous New Haven speech. It was clearly the result of prolonged consideration, made four days before the Paris (,‘onlcrencc. It was obviously intended to he discussed there. An endeavour had been rnadu to minimise the importance of this American approach to Europe. It i-, incomp-reheiisiblo to rne how so momentous a pronouncement was treated . as it it were merely the casual uttcr-iiiu-u of a. poliliiiau who had to find , some topic to illuminate his discourse. | Another opportunity lost. perhaps • the latest, perhaps the- last. Never lias luck striven so hard to save sill- j piditv. but luck loses temper ■< asily . , and then it is apt to Hit. bard.