TO-DAY'S TASKS.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 October 1920, Page 5

TO-DAY'S TASKS.

NECESSITY FOR PEACE. [ PREMIER ON THE COALITION. Ej Telesraiih,—Press Aasu —Copyright, Received Oct. 9, 6.5 p.m. London, Oct. 8. Mr. Lloyd George, opening the autumn political campaign at Llandudno, had a rousing reception from a typical Welsh audience. He put up a vigorous defence of the Coalition Government. The Premier eaid that if the Coalition was a sin against Parliament, "then Mr. Asquith, who was the author, was a Jehoshaphat." (In II Chronicles, chapter 20, versa 37 reads: "Then Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the Lord hath broken thy works.") "Every country that engaged in the war, except America, had adopted the coalition system in order to save the State. America came in late, her assistance waa crucial and determining, hut her los» of life was only equal to that of the plucky Commonwealth of Australia. "We are still in the zone of hurricanes," proceeded the Premeir, "and that is why I am in no hurry to get back to party wrangles. I would not take tho responsibility before God of quitting the helm of the ship of State. My advice to my countrymen is put on. your sou'-westers. We want peace on earth, goodwill toward men, not merely in Russia and Poland, but here in our own factories, workshops, and mines. The world cannot he rebuilt on rocking foundations." The Premier said that before the war the number of strikers in Britain in a year was 800,000, and the number had swelled to 2,500,000 in 1919. Whatever happened, Mr. Lloyd Ggorge said he was determined never to surrender the rights of the community to the minority. This would mean the end of democratic government and the beginning of'JSoviet government. There were signs of "reason and commonsense prevailing in the coal crisis, but everybody must resolve to produce to the utmost. He waa glad Mr. Smillie (the miners' leader) had courage to tell the miners what their duty was. The Premier asked his Liberal friends to realise the difficulty of making peace with Russia, whence a poisonous atmosphere was emanating. In view of the unsettled position, the middle course was the only safe one. Mr. Llovd George did not refer to the Irish crisis in detail, hut he ventured to predict that Home Rule would be passed by the Coalition Government. — Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.