A Cheering Review.

Taihape Daily Times, 10 August 1918, Page 6

A Cheering Review.

■ HOW THE ALLIED 'CAUSE WAS SAVED. LONDON, August 7. In the House of Commons, Mr Lloyd George, reviewing the war situation, said had the British Empire at the start of the war not decided to throw in its whole -weight because inter-na-tional right had been outraged, the history of the world for generations -would have taken a new course. Referring to the Navy’s services, Mr Lloyd George, said that until the Navy was beaten Germany could never triumph. British naval tonnage, in eluding the auxiliary fleet, totalled eight millions, compared with two and a half millions at the outbreak of the -war. At least 1,500,000 men were engaged in manning and maintaining the British naval and mercantile marine. Had subnuarinism succeeded, the -war would have been ended by the threat of starvation. The Allies had been completely triumphant at sea from the outset of the war. No effort on land could have saved them, notwithstanding the countries’ enormous resources For sea-going purposes and ' essential Allied needs six and a quarter million sailors and soldiers, includinjr pre-war services, had been raised by Britain alone If 'a similar proportion of the United States’ population were called to the colours, it would mean fifteen million men The Dominions hao contributed a million. Mr Lloyd George dwelt on the valuable aid of the Dominion’s’ representatives, especially the Prime Ministers at the Council-board.] He recognised the Dominion’s anxiety to see their leaders for carrying on their affairs, but he trusted it would be possible that they could remain for some time longer, because their presence would be invaluable at grave decisions in reference to the coming winter and next year./

Mr. Lloyd George said India liad raised one and a quarter million men since tlie war commenced.

The Premier proceeded to' describe the difficult conditions existing .at the front on March 21st, when we were faced by the flower of the German army. < The early enemy successes caused very anxious moments owing to losses of men and material. A second German blow might have overwhelmed British army. The Premier showed that the losses were most swiftly replaced. He mentioned the unprecedentedly large number of guns and ma-chine-guns at present in France. A series of German miscalculations regarding the British army culminated in the British defeating them in two of the three most sanguinary battles of the war, leaving them unhealthy salients commanded by our gunfire. It was one of the finest things in tenacious valour in the whole story of the British Empire.

Referring to lads of 18$ years, who owing to the great emergency, were sent to France with a few months’ training, ho said the lads w r ere sent straight to the front, where they had to face veterans and victorious troops, FTo veteran ever fought more courageously than these lads, who helped to save the cause of the Allies from disaster. It was remarkable that the Germans had left the British army alone for three or four months. They would probably come back, but the reason would be that they had failed elsewhere.

Mr. Lloyd George paid a warm tribute to the French assistance to the British. He said Foch had not only forced the enemy to a standstill, but by one of the most brilliant counterstrokes in the war had driven the enemy. back. The danger was not yet over, hut he would be a sanguine man on the German General Staff who could now think Ludendorff’s plan cf campaign could succeed in tis objective of obtaining a military decision this year. He emphasised that the Allied success was largely due to the rapidity with which their losses had been made good, and the American troops brought over. These were essential parts of the German miscalculations. After paying a tribute to the bravery of the American troops, Mr. Lloyd George declared that another element in the success was the unity of the strategic command, and Foch’s masterly handling of his reserves. It was too early to predict that the German efforts were exhausted, because the Germans still had powerful reserve divisions; but their chances of 21st March would never recur. America’s powerful and victorious army in France would continue to grow until it was nearly, if not quite, as large as the German army itself. Germany ■could never again maintain the same number of divisions as she previously bad. She was now beginning to beg for Austrian support. Germany's al--1 lies were disillusioned about German invincibility. The economic position of the Central Powers was desperate. Their harvest was not good, and they were short of many essentials. Militarily they had passed the height of their endeavours.

Mr. Lloyd George denied that we

nad behaved hostiloly towards Russia, it had always been our policy to deal with the defects of the Governments, but it was impossible to ascertain ironi day to day what was the Government of a single Russian village. Recent events demonstrated that the Russians resented German authority. The Russians -were increasingly seeking Allied assistance. We would not hesitate to render every help to enable them to achieve self-emancipa-tion. The Czecho-Slovaks only desired to leave Russia and comd to the West to fight for the Allies. The Czecho-Slovaks did not participate in Russian politics. We had sent ships, at the Czecho-Slovaks’ request, to Vladivostock, in order to bring them away, but the Bolsheviks, under. German duress, . refused to allow the Czecho-Slovaks to reach Vladivostock. He dwelt on this fact, because President Wilson’s action had been criticised for his decision, in conjunction with the Japanese, to .send forces to Vladivostock for the rescue of the Czecho-Slovaks from their plight, through the ox-ganisation of German 1 war prisoners, for their interception 1 and capture. i

Dealing with the question of peace, Mr. Lloyd George said ther'e were people in every country who regarded any effort to make peace as dishonourable and treasonable. That attitude must be steadfastly discouraged. He asked those who only wanted an honourable peace whether this was the moment when such a peace was possible. Mr. Lloyd George quoted wellknown facts to show that the military caste was still predominant in Ger-

many. Peace was unprocurable as | long as they remained so. He believed in a League of Nations, but its , success would depend on the condl- ; tions under which it was set up. Un- j less those conditions were favour- j able, the Germans might say that they were never defeated militarily, and would have won but for economic difficulties, wherefore they would henceforth profit. Every time" That a decision came to bo taken, the Prussian sword would clank at the counciltable. What was the good of entering upon peace negotiations under | those conditions? Peace would come when he demonstrated to the enemy that power lay behind the justice which would enforce the decisions or the League.