THE EMPIRE'S THANKS.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 August 1919, Page 5

THE EMPIRE'S THANKS.

TO NAVAL AND MILITARY FORCESLLOYD GEORGE'S EULOGY. GREATNESS OF DOMINIONS' SHARE. By Tolosriiiih.—rresH Assn.— Copyright. London, August (i. Mr. Lloyd George, in moving the refiolutiuii ot" thanks to the forces, opened with a glowing eulogy of Marshal Foeh, find said the wai would have been Won by the valor, endurance, and resources pf the Allied armies without Marshal t'oeh's leadership, but only his gonitis made victory in 1918 possible, The declaration pf war was a chal-. lenge to tho nobility of our race; no pation could have disregarded it without losing self-respect and being a despised people. We owed our thanks to Mr, Asijuith and Sir Edward Grey for making the decision which saved the land from shame.

One of the most thrilling events in the history of the world was the rallying of millions of men to the flag. That- episode would always lie associated with the great name of Lord Kitchener. He doubted if in any war such multitudes of men had displayed such sustained character-

W hat was true of the battlefield was equally true of the. sea. The mercantile marine faced horrors even worse than those oi the battlefield; 13,000 had fallen Victims to the cruellest and most dastardly piracy ever perpetrated. Everywhere, on land and sea and in the air* t il- si rain on heart, nerve, will, and courage of the men was beyond anything described in the history of tile world, it was a matter for just, pride that. Britain fought better, displayed greater daring and more endurance and delivered more vigorous, mightier, and more terrible blows in the last year of the war tlmn ever before.

The Premier also paid mi eloquent tribute to the women and auxiliary services, and, after reference to the Dominions and India, paid a tribute to the industrial workers, to Whom we owed the celerity, efficiency, and completeness with which otir armies were equipped. The House was deeply affected when the Prime Minister referred lo the men and women who were racked with the strain of nnxietv and grief. Only in the great Day of Judgment would they know how much agony had been brought to millions of homes, and the measure ot silent heroism displayed.' He believed that those who had shown such great qualities would show (hem again to save the Motherland from danger if the need came through more subtle, nnd therefore more formidable perils. In the course of his reference to the Dominions, Mr. Lloyd George said it was only necessary to peruse the dazzling list, of victories gained by the Sallant overseas troops in order to realise the greatness of their share in the happy issue. "We rejoice," he said, "as much as they tlmt the Dominions, through their soni' valor, have won a prominent place in the fraternity of nations." After tho House had agreed to the vote of thankd to the forces, Mr, Lloyd George, in moving the money grants, pointed out that the pensions already voted amounted to OR millions annually, and were incomparably the most generous in Europe. Tt was a- difficult and delicate task to choose the names for money grants. lie paid a glowing tribute to each recipient, especially mentioning the great organising work of Lord Jcllieoe.

The German account of the bnUle of Ypres showed that Field-Marshal French won against overpowering odds, and from that moment the fate of the German military supremacy was irretrievably doomed.

Mr. Adamson, on behalf of the Labor Party,- moved the reduction of the vote of £585,000 to ,€200,000, on the groiuid that the monetary rewards were out of proportion to those given to the rank' and file.

Lord Curzou, in the House of Lords, proposed a similar motion of thanks to the forces, nnd Lord Crewe paid a tribute to Lord Kitchener as the only British Minister who ever laid down his life in war,

The House of Lords passed the motion standing.