HOPE OF THE OPPRESSED.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 March 1917, Page 6

HOPE OF THE OPPRESSED.

THE DESPAIR OP THE OPPRESSOR. London, Jan. 27. Great Britain Is becoming more and more the hope of the oppressed and the despair of the oppressor. Great Britain is to them like a great tower in the deep. The Prussian menace was a running mortgage detracting from the value of our national security. In the armories of Europe every weapon will be a sword of peace. In the government of men every army will be a constabulary of peace. These were some of the very striking passages in the fine speech delivered by the Prime Minister in the Guildhall last, week, and if ever a nation had a high call to find the money for a worthy crusade, they surely found it in the moving speech of the Prime Minister, and in the forceful statement of the objects of the war, to be found in the Allies' answer to President Wilson. I A GREAT SPEECH. "The German Emperor a few days ago sent a message to his people that the Allies had rejected his peace offers. He did so in order to drug those whom lie can no longer dragoon," said Mr Lloyd George. "Where are those offers? We have asked for them; we/ have never seen them. We were not offered terms. We were offered a trap, baited with fair words. They tempted lis once, but the Lion has his eyes open now. We have rejected no terms that we have ever seen. Of course it would suit them to have a peace at the present moment on their own terms. We all want-peace, - but when we get it it must be a real peace.

"The Allied Powers, separately and in counsel together have come to the same conclusion. Knowing .well what wan means, knowing especially what this war means in suffering, in burden, in hon'or, they have still decided that even war is better than peace at the Prussian price of domination over Europe. (Loud cheers). We have made that clear in our reply to Germany; we make it still clearer in our reply to the United States of America.

"Before we attempt to rebuild tlie Temple of Peace we must see that the foundations are solid. iThey were built upon the shifting sands of Prussian faith. Henceforth, when the time for rebuilding must be on the rock of vindicated justice. (Loud cheers).

A BUSINESS-LIKE CONFERENCE. "I have just returned from a Council of War of the four great Allied countries upon whose shoulders most of the burden of this,terrible war falls. I cannot give you the conclusions. Theremight be useful information in them for the enemy. There were no delusions as to the magnitude of our task; neither were there any doubts about the result. I think I can say what was the feeling of every man there. It was one of the most business-like conferences I ever attended. We faced the whole 'situation, probed it thoroughly, looked difficulties in the 1 face—and made arrangements to deal with them. (Laughter and cheers). And we separated feeling more confident than ever: i DEFEAT IMPOSSIBLE. "All felt that if victory were difficult, defeat was impossible. "There was no flinching, no wavering, no faint-heartedncss, no infirmity of purpose. There was a grim resolution at all costs that we must achieve the high aim with which we accepted the challenge of the Prussian military caste and rid Europe, and the ivorld, for ever of its menace. No country could have refused that challenge without loss of honor. No one could have rejected it without impairing national security. No one could have failed to lake it up without forfeiting something that is of greater value to every free and self-re-specting nation than life itself. "These nations did not enter into the war light-heartedly. They did not embark upon tiiis enterprise without knowing what it really meant. They were not induced by the prospect of an early victory. WHY? "Why did they do it? I have passed through hundreds of miles of the beautiful lands of France and Italy, and as I did so I asked myself this question—"Why did the peasants leave by the myriad these sunny vineyards and cornlands in France; why did they quit these enchanting valleys,'with their comfort, their security, their calm, in Italy, in order to face the dreary and wild' horrors of the battlefield? They did it for one purpose, and one purpose, only. "They were not driven to the slaughter by kings. These are great democratic countries. No Government could last twenty-four hours that had forced them into an abhorrent war. Of their own free will they embarked upon it because they knew a fundamental issue had been raised which no country could shirk without imperilling all that lias been won in the centuries of the past arid all that remains to be won in the ages of the future. That is why, as the war proceeds and the German purpose becomes more manifest, the conviction has become the deeper in the minds of these people that they must work their way through to victory in order to save Europe from an unspeakable despotism, and that was the spirit which animated the Allied conference in Rome.

"But I tell you one thing that struck me, and strikes mc more and more each time I attend these conferences and visit the Continent; the increased extent to which the Allied peoples are looking to Great Britain. They are trusting liev rugged strength and great resources more and more. She is co thorn, like a great tower in the deep. She is becoming- more and more the hope of the oppressed and the despair of the oppressor. "And I feel more and more confident that we shall not fail the people who put their trust in us. When that arrogant Prussian caste flung the signature of Great Britain into the waste paper basket as" if it were of no account they knew not the pride of the land they wore treating with sueh disdain. They' know it now. BENEFITS DUE TO . THE WAR. "Have you been watching what is going on? Before the war we had a good many shortcomings in our business, our commerce, and our industry. The war is setting that right in a most marvellous way. Ask great business nieff like my friend Lord Pirrie, whom I see in the corner, what is going on in the factories throughout Greatsßritain and Ireland-T----old machinery scrapped, the newest, best and latest set up,v slipshod and wasteful methods cast aside, hampering customs discontinued, millions brought into I the labor market as producers who jyerc I {unify powMjaerf,

"I do not know what the National Debt will be at the end of this war, but I predict that, whatever it is, that which is added in real assets to the riches of the nation will be infinitely greater than any debt that we shall ever incur. "The resources of the nation in every direction will be developed, directed and perfected. The nation itself, disciplined, braced up, quickened, will become more capable. We have thrown off the useless tissue. We are a nation- that has keen taking exercise. We are a different people. "I will tell you another difference. ' "The Prussian menace was a running mortgage which detracted from the value of our national security.

"Nobody knew what it meant. We know pretty well now. You could not tell whether.it meant scores of million?, hundreds of millions, or thousands of millions. You could not tell that n would not mean ruin. The mortgage will be cleared off for ever. So you will have a sounder and safer security at a better rate of interest. When this war is over the world will be able to attend to its business in peace. There will be no wars and rumors of wars to disturb »nd distract. We can build up, we can leconstruct, we can till and cultivate and enrich, and the burden and terror nnd waste of war will have gone. "The best seeurityfor peace will be that nations will band themselves together to punish the first peace breaker. In the armories of Europe every weapon will be a sword of peace. In the government of men every army will be a constabulary of peace. / v

"There were men who hoped to see this achieved by ways of peace. We were disappointed, it was ordained that ye should not reach that golden era except along a path paved with gold, yea,' and cemented with valiant blood. There are myriads who have given the latter. Tliere are myriads more ready for the sacrifice if their country needs it. It is for u sto contribute the former.

"Let no man and no woman in this crisis of their nation's fate fail through indolence,' greed, avarice or selfishness. ,If they do their part, then, when the time comes for the triumphal march through tiie darkness and the terror of the night into the bright dawn of the new age, they will each feel that they have done their share."