NEUTRALS—STAND BACK!

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1619, 3 October 1916, Page 3

NEUTRALS—STAND BACK!

NO QUITTERS AMONG THE ALLIES. FUTILITY OF PRESENT 1 DAY PEACE TALK. New York, September 28, In an interview with a representative of the United Press in London, Mr Lloyd George, Secretary of State for War, said : “The British soldier is a good sportsman. He enlisted in the war in a spoiling spirit to see fair play for a small nation trampled upon by a bully. He is fighting for fair play in international dealings. He has fought as a good sportsman, and by thousands he has died like a sportsman. He has never .asked anything more than a sporting chance, and not always Inis he had that. When he could not get it, he did not quit. He played the game, did not squeal, and did not ask anyone to squeal for him. Now that the fortunes of (he game have turned a bit in favour of the British he is not disposed to stop because of squealing by Germans or for Germans by probably well-meaning but misguided sympathisers and humanitarians. “The British soldier for two years has had a had time; nobody knows so, well as he what a bad time it was. He possessed sadly inferior equipment, and on the average was inferior in training. He saw the Allied cause being beaten all about (he ring, but he did not appeal to spectators or the referee to stop the light on the 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 100 badly used up to carry the light to the enemy, he hung on without, winning, and fought off every attack. He bided his time, endured without wincing; worked without (lagging.

PREPARING TO PAY THE PRICE

“And at this time what: was the winning German doing? Was he worrying over the terrible slaughter? No, lie was talking about annexing Belgium and Roland as the result of his victory, and while he was re-making the map of Europe without, the slightest regard for the wishes of its people, the British people were preparing lo pay the price we knew must be paid for time to get our Army ready. It is one thing to look back on the pounding the British soldier took during the lirst two years of the war, but a different thing to look forward as he did and know the beating could not be avoided.

“During those months when it seemed that the finish of the British Army might come quickly —Germany had elected lo make a light to a finish with England —the British soldier was ridiculed and held in contempt. Now we intend to see that Germany has her way. The light must, be to a finish —to a knock-out.

‘The whole world, including neutrals, of the highest purpose and humanitarians with the best motives, must know that we cannot tolerate outside interference at this stage. Britain never asked for intervention when she was unprepared to light; 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 came from German sympathisers, when a few thousand British citizens who never expected to be soldiers went out to be battered, bombed and gassed. The people who were now moved to tears at the thought of what is to come, watched the early rounds of the unequal contest dry-eyed-. PEACE NOW IS INJUSTICE.

“Nunc of the carnage which is to come can be worse than the sufferings undergone by these Allied dead who stood the full shock of the Prussian war-machine before it began to faltei'. But in the British determination to carry the light to a decisive finish there is something more than a natural demand for vengeance. The inhumanity and pitilessness of the lighting that must come before a lasting peace is possible is not comparable witii the cruelty which would be involved by slopping the war while there remains a possibility of civilisation (icing again menaced from Hie same quarter. Peace now, or at any time before the final complete elimination of this menace is unthinkable. No nation with (he Slightest understanding of the temper of the British Citizen Army, which took its terrible hammering without a whine or a grumble, will attempt to call a halt now. “It took England twenty years to defeat Napoleon; the first fifteen years were 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: 1 recognise that we have only begun to win. There is no dis-

position on our side to fix the hour of ultimate victory. We are not under the delusion that the war is nearing’ its end, hut we have not the slightest doubt how it is going to end. There will be no quitting among the Allies. ‘Never again!’ has become our battle-cry. This ghastliness must never lie re-enacted on this earth; and one method at least of answering that end is the inllietion of such punishment upon the perpetrators of this outrage against humanity that the temptation to emulate their exploits will ho eliminated from the hearts of the evilminded among the rulers of men.”

EFFECT OF STATEMENT IN AMERICA. NO PEACE STEPS TO BE TAKEN. New York, September 2!). Mr Lloyd George's statement has staved off President Wilson's peace proposals. The American Government has now decided not to take any steps towards peace until it is assured they will be acceptable to all the principal belligerents. Gernnin-American influence will not be allowed to interfere to bring relief to the Germans who are approaching exhaust ion.