MOTHER COUNTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 October 1916, Page 5

MOTHER COUNTRY.

REVIEW OF THE WAR. BY BRITISH 'PRIME IIIXISTER. ">'o TIME FOR FAIXT HEART OR WAVERIXG COfXSELS." fIERCULEAX TASK AHEAD. London, Oct. 1!. In tlie House of Commons, Mr. Asnuith introduced a credit vote /or 300 million. He stated that since April 1 tlip loans to the Dominions and Allies had amounted to 253 million. We were exceeding the estimate with regard to these loans, but he did not regret them, because no part of the war expenditure was more important, ' The war continued to cost five million daily. The army expenditure had sligntly decreased, but that for munitions bad increased. The amount hitherto voted for the war was equivalent to the expenditure of the previous twentv years, including the South African war. The Allies had advanced seven miles en a front of nine miles on the Somme, and all their gains had been held. The enemy's losses were (,'ie heaviest. They had practically abandoned-the'attack on Verdun. The total Allied captures on the Somme were 00,474 prisoners. 304 gun 3 and 1030 machine-guns. Real headway was being made in Me?opotamia, despite difficulties, and the health of the troops was good. The Allies' offensive from Salonika had had considerable success. They were v.ithiu eight miles of llonastir.

The English and Belgians occupied the whole coastline of East Africa, the complete conquest of which was only a matter of time.

This was not the time for faint heart nor wavering counsel--. All the suffering we had undergone could not he allowed to end with a patched-im. precarious, dishonoring masquerading under the name of peiee. We were not vindictive, but required adequate reparation for the past and security {or the future.

Mr. Asquith paid a warm tribui» to General Smuts and the Belgians. ""■- ->efeat of the Turks'at Katia had gone far to remove the danger of an attack on the canal, and had impaired the Turkish prestige in Arabia, and Syria.

The Allies had reserved the Italian and Russian reinforcements for Salonika, with the object of combining the operations with the Rnsso-Roumanian operations in the Dobrudja, Transylvania and Macedonia. The operations had not only entailed heavy losses on the enemy, hut had prevented the latter transferring troops to the Dobrudja. Referring to Greece, Mr. Asquith '.aid that even now, if vissly guided and governed, she might take a worthy post at the side of the Allies, and inherit the great and glorious tradition committed to her.

Sir Edward Canon followed Mr. Asquith. He declared it would he a disaster if Germany was permitted to crush Roumania. 'it was no use concealing that we were faced with a herculean task to secure ultimate victory. He asked Mr. Lloyd George whether he vould give assurances that we possessed the neceifary man power. If we did not, the steps necessary to procure this should be taken without delay. The oiiestion of man power in Ireland must also be debated soon We must be prepared for more sacrifices involving far greater inconvenience to the'country's trade. Received Oct. 12, 3.5 p.m. London, Oet. 11. Mr. Asquith, in moving the war credit, said the expenditure since April amounted to £CiJ3,iJM,OCO. confirming the forecast made on July 24.. There was still from £100,000,000 to £100,500,000 in hand, sufficient to cover expenditure till October 27. At the present rate of expenditure, which there was no reason to assume would decrease in the immediate future, the new vote would suffice til! Christmas.

Dealing with the progress of the var, Mr. Asquith mentioned that though the weather in, Syria and Arabia did not allow of extended operations, much progress had been made. A railway had been made to Katia and the Senusei reduced to impotence, while GermanoTurkish intrigue in western Egypt and the Soudan had been effectively checked. 'The most noticeable features on the Western front were steady progress, and the enemy's ability in every case to recover the lost ground. Our artillery had won great superiority; our aircraft had obtained complete mastery of tin enemy's, and his heavy losses had drained his resources, while his continuous retirement had destroyed the araiy's morale.

Mr. Asquith pn id a tribute to the achievement*: of Russia and Ita!y>' and emphasised ills complete intimacy and mutual confidence that existed between the fieneral Staffs of the four Powers, resulting in co-ordinated purpose and effort. Oratitnde was equally due to the smaller States. He concluded: "On the Allies' achievements the best hopes of humanity depend. They have given without stint or regret what they could least afford, and have done so only as the price whereby the world may purchase and hold dear afterwards the protection of the uveal.-, the supremacy of right over force, ami the free development of equal conditions for each State, great and small."

Mr. G. J. Wardle, on behalf of the majority of the Labor Party, said they supported the Government to the utmost, and they had the most complete sympathy with every object enumerated by Mr. Asquith, In the House of Lords, Lord Lansdowne said the Government was introducing a Bill to enable soldiers, sailors, and war workers to vote outside their constituencies. ■Mr. l!. £>. Holt (Labor member for Hexham) complained of Mr. Lloyd George's interview with the United Press of America, and 1113 idea of fighting to a finish. Mr. Lloyd George replied that there was no difference between himself and Mr. Asquith. He recalled Mr. Asqmth's declaration that Prussia's military domination must be wholly and finally destroyed. This was a complete answer to those trying to spread dissatisfaction and who asserted that be spoke only for himself. Tlitf interview expressed the opinion of the Cabinet and military adviser:, and every ally. Neutral intervention would have been a military triumph for Germany and a disaster to us. As War Secretary he had a right to prevent such a disaster. The interview was timely—how timely would be revealed in due course. The Bouse adopted the credit vot j.