WHO WON THE WAR

Hokitika Guardian, 18 August 1930, Page 8

WHO WON THE WAR

DETERMINING factor the

BRITISH EMPIRE,

LONDON, June 14.

“The determining factor in the issue of the war was the British Empire —not Britain, but the., British , Empire.” This ■as a statement madeby Mr Lloyd George when lie delivered an •address before the Imperial Press Conference last Friday morning'.. He, chose* as the title of. his speech, “The Effect of' the War Upon the. Relations Within the Empire.” If the, conference'looked for guidance as to the. future of the Eimpire, it. was... disappointed; Mr Lloyd George eyaded details execept to say that ,sooner or later the dominions would have, to face the questions of whether they, were prepared to take their, part of responsibility in guiding and governing these immense territories. “Do not let us make the mistake of imagining that'there is only one, way >f attaining: these purposes,” said Mr Lloyd George. “Do upt let. us ;make, the still greater mistake ot declinin', to discuss all or, any of these question®, because we. dislike particular..' pro|ios als in reference to any one of them.

“I hope the coming Imperial Conference will not shrink from discussing ail the problems of Empire freely, and especially free from suspicion. “We must hasten: slowly,. There are the embers of past controversies, con tenidns,. suspicions, resentments, still; smouldering about, and you niusf trend' very wearily.” The retrospective part of Mr Lloyd Georae’s speech was inspiring and, interesting.

A VERY NRAR THING

Without the intervention of Britain he said, France would have l>een overrun, Russia destroyed ; before Christmas, 1914. But the, British Empire decided the issue of the. war. “It was a very near thing as it was; much nearer than I care to think. “There are one or two corners that lhako me now shudder to think of. With' the Empire all in and all the Empire in it was* a near thing. Tin Empire (not Britain). contributed: 2,500,000 men—and it was still a neai thing. Just think what’it would have been without them

There was hardly, time to warn the Empire, let alone to consult it- A week before mobilisation lie ventured to say that no responsible statesman in Europe believed in bis heart that war was really coming and there was no time to consult the Empire on questions of policy 1 Nevertheless, the dominions, Indja and the colonies came to our aid promptly and powerfully.

BETWEEN IJS WE DID IT

: Mr Lloyd George proceeded to tel 1 of -the terrible 'position in which the war was wT}eif"th,e ’'lnvitation; was sen 4 to the dominions and India to join the War Cabinet.

Tlio war, lie said, at the end of 1.916 was becoming more and more r matter for‘the British Empire, and wr called in' representatives of the selfgoverning dominions and India- that we should take counsel together as to how we ebiild fight the battle through to the end against- these overwhelming difficulties.

-MAnd between us we did it,” said Mr Lloyd George. “The dominions' representatives,” he went on, “did not toddle into the Peace Conference at Versailles like babies in the hands of a nurse; they came • there like young men in the full panoply of war, having their trophies with them. “They had the modest but distinguished swing of-men who had won their right to lie in the Council o r Nations as independent nations themselves. The new idea of Government is a fruitful idea which is going t r tell a tale in the history of the world so long as we do not cut in short before we come to the next chapter.”— (Applause.) There had been some trouble abend it, continued Mr Lloyd George. Some of the nations thought they had tic right to be there as independent nations, but M. Clemeneeau and President Wilson accepted it. At first this claim of nations inside an Empire baffled and mystified forcriers. They thought it was a fake. A British trick, and, as they said, a characteristic British trick to secure more votes in-the. conference.'

Gradually they began to realise that if was a fact that these -were youn" nations, and then they said: “Just, like the British, so illogical, somehow or other, without plan, but always getting there, always doing the rigid filing, doing it in the wrong,way, hut still doing it.” “Now that,” said T.lovd George., “is'the story of the evolution, of dominion status. It is a new idea of government, a fruitful idea which P going to. tel] a tale- in the history of this world so long as we do not cut it short Ibefore we come to. the next chapter. “Take care that it is to.be continued in our next. I have told you the first part of it. The next is to t>e written (by‘ the Empire itself, arid the 1 future of the Empire, and T think the future of the world, depends on whether it is going to be written or whether we are going to stop at the story which I .have now told you.”