MOTHER COUNTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 May 1918, Page 5

MOTHER COUNTRY.

THE WAR SITUATION. REVIEWED BY MR. LLOYD GEORGE. THE RUSSIAN COLLAPSE. AMERICA'S HELP. deceived May 26, 5.5 p.m. London, May 24. Mr Lloyd George, when receiving the freedom of the City of Edinburgh, said: Tlie collapse of Russia was an enormous help to Germany at the time when the man-power of the belligerents was almost at a point of exhaustion. American help could not be reckoned on for some time. America, after all her exertion, did not at the present moment occupy what was equivalent to one-fifth-of the accession of the fighting strength which the enemy had received" owing" to the Russian collapse.

SUBMARINE WARFARE. The second adverse circumstance was Germany's unexampled sulbmarine warfare, which was unprecedented in the whole history of piracy. If it had succeeded, it would have cut off the transport of men, supplies, and munitions. The British mercantile marine was the Allied armies' windpipe. We had sent to every Government to deal with the menace. We had to reorganise our merchant shipping, which task was brilliantly achieved. We had next to cut down imports and increase home products, and since IDI6 we had increased tillage by four million acres and doubled the output of shipping He hoped this year would treble, if n ot quadruple, it. The naval staff was now confident they, were sinking more submarines than the enemy was able to build, and we were building merchantmen quicker than the Germans could sink them The Admiralty's returns for April show a record destruction of submarines. The submarine was still a menace, but not a peril. As a means of inflicting injury it was still formidable, but'as a danger which might cause the winning or losing of the war, we can rule out the submarine. Tho Germans recognised its failure, and that accounted for the present

WESTERN OFFENSIVE. The enemy had been driven thereto as a last resource. We were on the eve of a great attack. He was able to tell them that those who best knew the prospects felt confident of the result, He felt happier than he had felt since the commencement of the war. UNITY OF COMMAND. He had tried repeatedly to achieve unity of command. It Was incredible that they had for months to fight every inch of the way for that unity, but it was now a fact, and it added mightily to their fighting strength. General Foch was one of the most brilliant strategists of the age. They were now approaching the third stage" of the greatest battle ever fought. He was glad to think they had a man of General Foeh's genius For the Germans, as well as for us, the next few weeks were a race between von ffindenburg and President Wilson, and the Germans were straining every muscle to reach the goal first before American help was available. PRUSSIAN INTENTIONS. The Prussians did not intend to end the war until their basket was as full as it could hold. Those who imagined they could, without breaking Prussian militarism, achieve the freedom and security of the world, should remember what befel the Russian democracyPress Assoc. . TREATMENT OF TUBERCULOSIS. SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENTS. SOLDIERS PROGRESSING SATISFACTORILY. Received May 26, 5.5 p.m. Rome, May 20. 'Professor Lomonaco, of Rome University, after twelve years' experiments, announces that the treatment of tuberculosis by saccharine solutions arrests the disease and restores the patient's organic force. Many patients, including soldiers, in advanced stages of the disease, are progressing favorably—Press Association.

EXCHANGE OF PRISONERS. GOVERNMENT DECIDES TO NEGOTIATE. Received May 26, 5.5 p.m. London. May 25. Cabinet has decidedly to immediately negotiate with Germany regarding the exchange of prisoners.—Press Assoc. BUTTER AND MARGARINE RATION INCREASED. Received May 26, 5.5 p.m. London, May 25. The Press Bureau states that in view of the surplus of British-made butter now availahle, the weekly ration of butter and margarine has been increased by one ounce, making five ounces.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc, and Reuter. CHANGE OF ARMY MEDICAL DIRECTORS. Received May 26, 5.5 p.m. London, May 25. The Press Bureau states that MajorGeneral Burtchaell has been appointed director of the general medical service of the British armiea in France in succession to Lieut.-General Stoggett.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc, and Reuter.

EMPIRE DAY CELEBRATIONS. KING AND QUEEN TAKE PART. Received May 26, 5.5 p.m. . London, May 25. '. Sir Thomas) Mackenzie delivered an ad> dress at tlio Edinburgh High School Umpire Day was observed in London generally. The Union Jack was displayed on all public and many private buildings. Seven hundred thousand school .children assembled at their respective schools and were addressed on the duties of citizenship. The King and Queen attended a patriotic gathering at the Albert Hotel Special services were held in the principal churches.—Press Assoc.

FRENCH PRESIDENT'S, MESSAGE. THE KING'S REPLY. Received May 26, 5.5 p.m. London, May 25 President Pomearo sent a message to the King stating that the whole of France was associating itself in the celebration- of Empire Day, meetings being held in all the principal towns, when the magnificent war effort of Britain and the .Dominions was explained. The President eloquently refers to the AngloFrench bond of union, common ideals, and sacrifices. The King, replying, acknowledges the generous impulse impelling France to honor the day. The King pays tributes to the splendour of France's achievements, which cannot fail to bo crowned by the lasting union of the hearts of the two peoples.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc, and Reuter. CELEBRATIONS IN PARIS. AN INSPIRING SPEECH. GERMANY DRUNK WITH LUST. Received May 26, 5.5 p.m. Paris, May .25. There was an imposing celebration of Empire Day, also in commemoration of Italy's entry into the war. There was an immense and enthusiastic audi'nee, including M. Ptoincare (President) and members of the Cabinet and principal officials M, Deschanel, in an inspiring speech, said the British people, having established civil and political liberty for themselves, became a rampart of European freedom and carried civilisation to distant seas. Germany had United England arid France for ever. Germany was drunk with the lust of conquest arid had lost all moral sense. M Lcygues (Minister of Marine) paid a tribute to Britain's naval might, and added that during April more than 400,000 soldiers had been landed in France.—Press Association.