Mr Lloyd George

Taihape Daily Times, 22 December 1917, Page 5

Mr Lloyd George

STATES THE WAR POSITION. THE RUSSIAN COLLAPSE. ANTICIPATIONS NOT REALISED. Received 8.50, LONDON, Dec 21. Mr Lloyd George, speaking in regard to the situation, said it was idle 'to pretend that our hopes at the beginning of the year had been realised. Disappointment was attributable entirely to the Russian collapse. At'tLe beginning of the year the Russian army was better equipped with guns, machine-guns, aeroplanes and ammunition than ever before. Nevertheless, the Germans hadn’t even held their own on the West front, and TT Russia had fulfilled. expectations the pride of Prussian military power vould have been completely humbled. Allied successes in 1917 were the capture of Bagdad and the surrender of Jerusalem will have a permanent effect on the world’s history. The capture of Jerusalem, which will never be restored to the Turks, had, rightly or wrongly, added more to the prestige of British arms than any event in the war.

The 'Anglo-French assistance was a triumph of organisation. The Italian situation was now largely restored, but the defeat made the military position more anxious for the Anglo-French in the direction of making a great drain. on man-power. Russia had been quiescent for the past few months, but were nominally warring, keeping considerable Austro - German forces on the Eastern front. The armistice altered the situation. Although it is true that the armistice imposed on Germany an obligation not to remove troops, and the country now relying on Germans keeping that obligation was the country which had not profited by experience. These facts cast fresh obligations cn the other Allies. It is absolutely necessary for Britain to make greater sacrifices to strengthen the army in the coming year. With a view to increasing the supply of men for the army it is necessary to ask trades unions to consent to an alteration of pledges given, owing to changed conditions, which have put a greater demand on the nation’s man power. This step is unavoidable, because we must draw upon our reserve man power rather than send back to the front men badly wounded, which would be unfair and intolerable while men stayed at home who had never gone to fight. The Government also wanted to meet the needs of shipbuilding and agriculture. Mr Gcddes would, next week explain the position to the trades unions, and the Government, immediately after adjournment, proposed to ask powers to raise the men required. The next few months would be the most trying of the war, because one great Power had practically gone out, and another great Power was not fully in. Our own burden Avould be great, but they must not imagine the enemy has no difficulties. The physical quality of German workers had so deteriorated that their output was 33 per cent less than that of 1911. Germany was using up her reserve man power in France; She had lost heavily, and the Italian losses were not comparable with those of Austria, while British losses were only a quarter or a fifth of Germany’s permanent losses. The Allied reserve power was more than double the reserve of all the enemies’, LONDON, Dec 21. . Mr Lloyd George said: Some people said these were only sideshows, but the British Empire owed a good deal to such sideshows. Despite the fact that Germans were able to use the East front as a rest cure for broken regiments, they had only secured one success, and that was due to a surprise which is now the subject of inquiry. Since then the Germans have lost another thousand prisoners and hundreds of guns and valuable ground. Despite our very conspicuous victories in Flanders and France the campaign, on the whole, has not achieved our expectations. One great event of the year was the advent of America into world Another memorable event was the creation of an International Council at Versailles thus setting up for the first time the i machinery of a League of Nations. This Council would have a greater effect on international relations than anyone now imagined. So far it had been a conspicuous success; it was itself free from friction, and it had helped to remove friction. Undoubtedly the situation had become more menacing, owing to the unexpected defeat of Italy, and, secondly, to the Russian armistice. Anglo-French forces were sent to Italy’s rescue with a celerity which greatly surprised the enemy. If our troops had not arrived with such remarkable rapidity one could not - have guaranteed what would have happened. Their advent had not only strengthened Italy’s armies but had helped Italy’s morale to such a degree that troops scattered in northern Italy volunteered to return to the ranks. ,

Received 11.15. LONDON, Doc 21. i Time and tonnage only were required and the enemy knew it. A great deal had been made of the complaint that the Government had not fully stated Britain’s war aims. He would repeat the points of his Glasgow speech and ask his critics if they challenge any one of them. First, complete restoration of territories Germany had conquered with reparation for damage. (If Russia decided to enter into separate negotiations she must look after her own territories. Her action had also disposed of the question of Constantinople.) Second, the question of Mesopotamia must be left to a peace congress provided Mesopotamia and Armenia were never again subjected to the blighting and blasting influence of the Turks. Third, a great international peace congress must settle the question of the German colonies which would have regard to the wishes and interests of the inhabitants.. He should by that principle which he had already laid down that Congress should settle all these questions upon the principle of respecting the desires and sentiments of the people themselves and the confidence which German rule had inspired, and whether colon'sts desire the former masters or to entrust themselves to others. The wishes of the people themselves must be the dominant factor in settling future Government. We had conquered no country wherein the population belong to a ruling race. FOOD PROBLEM SERIOUS. LONDON, Dec 20. Mr Lloyd George addressed a full House on the naval and military situation. He first touched on the food problem, which, he said, two circumstances had aggravated. The first was the failure to get butter and margarine from Denmark and Holland. The second was that the Allied food shortage was greater than was anticiTherefore Britain had been compelled to sacrifice some of her own resources in order to supply the Allies. Responsibility rested on those possessing stocks of tea, margarine and butter to ensur© a fair distribution. People did not mind a shortage so much as the suspicion that others were getting more than their share. He hoped it would be unnecessary to control the large multiple stores. If they took steps to secure equal distribution, there would be no need for queues and the discontentwhich they created.

LONDON, Dec :20

Mr Lloyd George said the food position was steadily improving. Although unable to obtain adequate labour and steel for ship-building, this was being remedied, and construction was increasing. It was greater in 1917 than in the boom year, 1913. Since June shipping losses had decreased steadily. Our margin of losses was now narrow_ The estimate of our shipbuilding programme was not quite realised. Although tonnage was down 20 per cent, the loss of tonnage of imports was 6 per cent compared with 1916. Thus we had really grappled with the most menacing situation with which we had been confronted during the war. Practically the whole of the nation’s shipping had been requisitioned. A Blue Book stated that sinkings of submarines were increasing.