The Daily News. FRIDAY. JULY 2, 1915. THE SITUATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 July 1915, Page 4

The Daily News. FRIDAY. JULY 2, 1915. THE SITUATION.

Speaking in the House of Commons on Thursday, Mr. R. P. Houston, Unionist, member for Liverpool, made some statements of a truly alarming nature. IJe said that Mr. Lloyd George alone had courage to disclose the truth, but he feared Mr. Lloyd George had not disclosed all. We were shockingly and shamefully tfliort of guns, big ammunition shells and maxims. The censorship was 100 stringent and the country was kept in shameful ignorance of the true facts of the case- The position was the most desperate in the history of the nation. To this -Mr. Il'obhouse replied that the situation was not desperate. " Munitions had been increased two hundred per cent, since August. National compulsion was not necessary, and the voluntary system was sufficient, considering - the illimitable resources of the nation." We were, told not many months ago that the manufacture of munitions had increased in England by something like two thousand, not two hundred, per cent. Probably (here has been an error in the transmission of the news. All the same, the task confronting England is of such enormous magnitude that it : would be a blunder to nnder-estimato it. e (ir lu give, the people an undue sense of j complacency. Tt will be a long and costIv business to hurl the invaders out of France and Belgium, and the supply of men and material for the purpose demands the Unceasing efforts of everyone in a. -position to render assistance. Hut while it would bo mischievous to lull the nation into a feeling thai, everything is goiug on a- we could wish, it would be equally a mistake to abate one jo l of our confidence in the final issue of the ureal >1 rii'j'jle. f.ord l\il -hencr lias authorised the statement thai the recruiting re-nlls are satisfactory im.l gratifying. Confidence is expressed by " the War Secretary that, when he makes another call for men. there will lie a prompt and widespread response, while Air. 111'Idems,- assure- us thai cn>.pulsion ]s not necessary, the volunta:y ostein being sudiciciii. Slcps are ueng taken lo render still mo-'e elic-liee !'<rifain's c'-'jaiii-nliou for product ive ic-soiin-c by tile stoppage of leakage-- from drink. like- and other icvveiitahU cans.--. Ilrilain hciMU I'm- war with in iiiij;,. : -!i.-.-i ~f the force- ,ipvtwil tn !i V' pealed detents, and the progress of tlie

Russian "steam Toller" has of late been rearward and not forward. Then tin entrance of Turkey lias added to the tangle, and increased the difficulties of tho Allies. Although Britain has cn the Continent the largest and best-equip-ped army that lias ever left her shores, One never surpassed for its heroism and feats of endurance, it is clear that still stronger forces will he needed before we can hopo to deal effectively ivitli the huge German concentrations in France and Belgium. A writer in one of the London papers asserts that it will he necessary to have a force of ten millions to accomplish the object in view. It must be remembered t'liat ouside this principal theatre of \var we have six or seven separate campaigns in hand, in different parts of the world, and it "will greatly relievo the central situation if the second attack on the Dardanelles, in which an AngloFrency army, including our lads from New Zealand and Australia, is co-oper-ating, can be "successfully carried through. We have to light the second largest nation of Europe, which for 40 years has made war its leading profession, and England lias to contend against selfishness, indifference and selfishness at home. In this fight there is a call to all of us to do what we can to save the Allies and ourselves from: the fate that has overtaken Belgium. The life and interests of every individual, whether he belongs to the mmr the classes, is bound up with the ■Hfenes of the Empire, which Geron destroying if she can.