MOTHER COUNTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 June 1916, Page 5

MOTHER COUNTRY.

IT MUST BE THE MILITARY. MR. LLOYD GEORGE SAYS, "SMASH THEM." ONLY ONE WAY. lUcoivecl June 20, 0 p.m. London, June 20. The Pons Journal had au interview with Sir. Lloyd George, who rendered frlowni!: liniMf.n.-. ( 0 France and her army, and the French nation, which had risen to the greatest height of moral power. During the war she had utilised her material resources and physical forces to the utmost possible limit. Mr. Lloyd George said: "I cannot think of the battles of Verdun without emotion, and I bow before the gallant heroes whose almost superhuman courage and tenacity held the Bosc-hcs at bay. The defenders had not anticipated such a persistent, and prolonged onslaught, involving such a terrible sacrifice at the enemy's expense, without i> military advantage. It is not the ground gained or lost in a short distance that matters on the Western front. It is the lives that have been lost at Verdun, the greatest- battle of this war, which will prove decisive. Henceforward Germany's offensive will shrink. The lesson of Verdun is' that big guns and heavy explosives will play a greater part in, future battles.

"Fortunately, there Ims come a time when the production of munitions is increasing, "ml <-'ve.ry week adds strength to the Allies. t have never taken the view that the defeat of the enemy was a light task, but. victory is ours. It is sure, though it may not he swift. We must crush Germany's military power. The blockade is a great factor, but it is not the factor which will bring a complete victory. That must come after a military defeat. 1 would not like it to come in any r'.,r-v way. Only a military victory will ucstroy Prussian militarism and protect civilisation from a repetition of the present calamity.

"If peace is forced upon Germany because she is impoverished in food and material it will be a moral defeat for the Allies, as the Central Empires would be able to say, 'We defeated our enemies on every battlefield; we crushed Belgium; held the richest industrial departments of France; drove back the Ru«sians; hurled the British from Gallipoli; and we were only forced to make peace because, the enemy starved our women and children.'

"That is not the kind of peace which will last. Only a smashing military victory will give' us living peace. Germany will understand that victory, which shall and must be complete and final."

THE WORLD'S FINANCIAL HOUSE.

LONDON'S CREDIT SUPREME. Keceived June 2<l, 8.40 p.m. London, June 25. Aii American correspondent interviewed Lord Revelstoke, who said that after a two years' war had been waged, in a more exhausting manner than any nation had anticipated, the edifice of London's credit stands firm. London remains .as the world's financial clearing-house. Tlie delicate banking machinery is working smoothly, and this was chiefly due to the Treasury's courageous policy, firstly—ln the early months of the war the maintenance of exports, which whs the key of the position, had been made possible owing to (1) the Navy, (2) the Government's sound financial policy, and (3) the use of the great reserves of women's labor that hail previously been ustou'ehed. England ball not grudged America's gain ill financial strength since 1914, for both nations believed in using money for development of newer countries, thus increasing the world's prssperity.

ANOTHER CABINET CRISIS. , THE NEGOTIATIONS RE IRELAND. Received June 26, 10.56 p.m. London, June 26. Mr. Lloyd George has telegraphed to Mr. Devlin congratulating him on the result of the Nationalist-Ulster Convention. Apparently Mr. Lloyd George considers that tlhe vote of the Convention decided the fate of the negotiations.

LORD SELBORNE RESIGNS. Received June 26, 8.35 p.m. London, June 26. Lord Selborne has resigned. He will make a statement in the House of Lords on Tuesday. The Morning Post says that Lord Selborne's resignation is due to dissenting from Mr. Lloyd George's Irish negotiations, and that other Ministers may resign.

(Lord Selborne has been Minister of Agriculture since May, 1015. He sat iii the House of Commons as a Liberal and Liberal Unionist M.P. He was Under; Secretary for the Colonies 1895-1900, and was also First Lord of the Admiralty. He siicceded I/ord Milner as High Commissioner in South Africa. He joined the Coalition Cabinet last year.)

PROPOSED PEACE LEAGUE. DANGER OF PEACE TALK. London, June 25. There is much talk upon the expediency of the formation of a League of Peace among the nations to enforce international rights after the war. Mr, John Galsworthy emphasises the danger of German fires of vengeance Smoldering in the event of her being crnshid or merely forced back to lieV former boundaries. We do hot dare yet to hope for some social revolution blinking to Germany the blessings of democracy, hence the. possibility of her remaining a soldier-ridden State and reorganising for future aggression. The proposed league presupposes machinery for arbitration of sufficient force to secure submission to it. Mr. Henderson, Minister of Education, addressing a demonstration in aid of the Northampton hospital, laid stress on the utility and danger of peace tftlk, 'Which originated in Germany,