MOTHER COUNTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 August 1918, Page 5

MOTHER COUNTRY.

THE WAR SITUATION. PRIME MINISTER'S REVIEW. OUR NAVY THE DECIDING FACTOR. NO PEACE WITH PRUSSIAN MILITARISM. * Received August 8, 5.55 p.m. London, August 7. In the House of Commons, Mr. Lloyd George, reviewing the war situation, said that had the British Empire, ac : the start of the war, not decided tor throw in its whole weight because international right was outraged, thohis-, lory of the world for generations would have taken a new course. Referring to the Navy's services,.Mr. Lloyd George said that until the Navy was beaten, Germany could never triumph. British naval tonnage, including the auxiliary fleet, totalled 8,000,000, as compared with 2,500,000 at the outbreak ef the war. At least 1,500,000 men were engaged in manning and maintaining the Pritish naval and mercantile marine. Had submarinism succeeded, the war would, have been ended by the threat of starvation of the the Entente Powers, and unless the Allies had been completely triumphant at sea from the outset of the war, no effort on land would, have saved them. FIFTEEN MILLIONS CALLED TO THE COLORS. Notwithstanding the enormous demands on the country's resources for sea-going purposes and essential allied needs, six and a-quarter million sailors and soldiers, including pre-war services, had been raised in Britain, alone, and a similar proportion in the United States, The population called to the Colors would mean nearly 15,000,000 men. The Dominions had contributed a million. Mr. Lloyd George dwelt on the valuj able aid rendered by the Dominions' representatives, especially the Prime Ministers at the Council Board. He recognised the Dominions' anxiety to see the return of their leaders for carrying on their affairß, but trusted it would be possible that they could remain for some time longer, because their presence would be invaluable at the grave decisions with reference to the coming winter and next year. BRITISH FACED BY FLOWER OF GERMAN ARMY. ■ | Continuing, Mr. Lloyd George said that India had raised one and a-quarter million men since the outbreak of war. The Premier proceeded to describe the difficult conditions existing at the front on March 21, when wo were faced by the flower of the German army. The early enemy successes caused very anxious moments, owing to losses of men and material, and a second German blow might well have overwhelmed the British Army. The Premier showed that the losses were most swiftly replaced, and he mentioned that an unprecedently large number of guns and machine-guns were at present in France. GERMAN MISCALCULATIONS. A series of German miscalculations regarding the British Army culminated in the British defeating them iu two of - the three most sanguinary battles of the war, leaving them in unhealthy salients commanded by our gunfire. It was one of the finest things in tenacious valor in the whole story of the British Empire. BRAVERY OF OUR YOUTHS. Referring to the lads of 19J who, owing to the great emergency, were sent to France with a few months' training, J Mr. Lloyd George said the lads were sent straight to the front, where they , had to face veterans and victorious I troops, yot no veterans ever fought more couragfeoui/ly than thesp lads, who helped to save the cause of the Allies from disaster. It was remarkable that the Germans had left the British Army alone for three or four months. They would j probably come back, but the reason would be that they had failed elsewhere. TRIBUTE TO THE FRENCH. Mr. Lloyd George paid a warm tribute to the French assistance of the British, and said that General Foeh not forced the enemy to a standstill, but, by one of the most brilliant coun-ter-strokes of the war, had driven the enemy back. The danger was not over, but he would be a sanguine man on the German General Staff who would now think (hat LudendorfTs plan of campaign would succeed iu its objective of obtaining a military decision this year. He emphasised that the Allied success was largely due to the rapidity wherewith the losses were made good and the American troops brought over. These were the essential parts of the German miscalculation. AMERICA'S MIGHTY FORCE. After paying a tributet to the bravery of the American troops, Mr. Lloyd George declared that another element of success was the unity in the strategic command, aiid-Foch's masterly handling of his reserves. It was too early to predict that German efforts were exhausted, because the Germans still had powerful reserve divi- j sions, but their ehances of the 21st of March would never recur. America's popular and , victorious I army in France would continue to grow until it became nearly, if not quite, as large as the German army itself. ■ Germany could never again maintain the name number of divisions she previously had. She was now begging Austria's support. Germany's allies were now disillusioned about German invincibility. CENTRAL POWERS' ECONOMIC POSITION 'Die economic position of the Central Powers was desperate. Their harvest was not good, and they were short of many essentials, while militarily they had passed the height of their endeavors. RELATIONS WITH RUSSIA. Mr. Lloyd George denied that we were behaving hostilely towards Russia. It 3iad always been our policy to deal with the de fftcto'-'-Goyeromjats, but- it -gas

impossible to ascertain from day to day what is the Government.of Russian village. Recent events demonstrated''that tlieSßussians would resent German authority, and tho Russians were'increasingly seeking Allied assistance. We shall notrhesitate to render .eivery help to enable their self-emanci-ipaMon. THE CZEOHO-SLOVAKS. Tie Czeeho-Slovaks' movement was. a most remarkable one. The Czecho- i 'Slovaks only desired-to-.lea.ve Russia and come West and fight for the Allies. The Czeeho-Slovaks did not participate in Russian politics. We sent ships at the Czeebo-Slovaks' request to Vladivostock in order to-bring them away, but the Bolsheviks, under German duress, refused to allow the Czecho-Slo-:vaks to reach Vladivostock. He dwelt on this fact, because President Wilson's action was. criticised for 1 iis decision, in conjunction with the Japanese, to send forces to Vladvostock ;for the rescue of the Czechoslovaks sfrom the plight tlirough the organisation 'of the German war prisoners for their interception and capture. NO-PEACE WITH PRUSSIAN MILITARISM. Dealing with the question of peace, he said there were people in every country who regarded any effort to* make peace as dishonorable and treasonable. That attitude must be steadfastly discouraged, he asserted, by those who only wanted an honorable peace. Whether, this was the moment when such a peace was possible was another matter. Mr. Lloyd George quoted well-known facts to show that the military caste was ' still' predominant in Germany. Peace was unprocurable as long as they remained so. THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS. Ho believed in a league of nations, but its success would depend upon the condition under which it was set up. Unless those conditions were favorable, the Germans might say they were never defeated militarily, and would have won but for economic difficulties, wherefore they would henceforth profit. Every time that a decision came to be taken, the Prussian sword would clank at the council table. What was the good of entering -on peace negotiations under those conditions? Peace would come when wo demonstrated to the enemy that the power lay behind the justice which would enforce the league's decisions. IMPERIAL WAR CABINET. THE SHIPPING OUTLOOK. Received August 9, 12.45 a.m. London, August 8. The Imperial War Cabinet concludes next week. The New Zealandei'3 sail a week later. Mr. Massey states that the shipping outlook has slightly improved, but that it is folly to hope for much in 1918, owing to the enormous needs of the Americans.—Press Association. GOVERNMENT ECONOMIC POLICY. TO BE ANNOUNCED IN .OCTOBER. Received 8, 2.50 p.m. London, August 7 Mr Bonar Law, in the House of Commons, said the Government's economic policy would be announced on the resumption _of the session in mid October. AN ALLEGED GERMAN FIRM. Loudon, August 7Mertons, a metal firm, has served a writ for libel on the Daily Mail.—Aus.N.Z. Cable Assoc.