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Show LLOYD GEORGE'S REPLY TO LANSDOWNE No man In England, in our opinion, 1 measures up to Lloyd George, the Brit-1 ish prime minister. Yesterday, before 1 a distinguished audience in London, the premier . discussed Marquis of 1 Lansdowne's peace letter, opening 1 with the statement that It was with painful amazement he read the letter, j and declaring no terms could be made with the triumphant outlaw. ! There is nothing weak in the makeup make-up of Lloyd George. "If there was no ! prospect of things going better tho longer we fought it would be Infamous to prolong the war," said the premier, "but because I am firmly convinced, despite some untoward events and discouraging dis-couraging appearances, that we are making steady progress toward tho de- ' sired goal, I would regard peace over- ' tures to Prussia, at the very moment when the Prussian military spirit is drunk with boastfulness, as a betrayal betray-al of the great trust with which my colleagues and I have been charged. The German victories have been emblazoned to the world, but her troubles trou-bles did not appear in the bulletins. However, we know something of them. The deadly grip of the British navy is having its effect and the valor of the troops is making an impression which will tell In the end. Persons who In the last fortnight have been organizing organiz-ing a nervous breakdown in the nation are the same ones who recently were organizing a hysterical shouting over the Flanders victories. "We are laying the foundation of tho bridge that will carry us into a new world. Let us maintain steadiness steadi-ness and sanity of outlook. "This is not the most propitious hour. Russia's threatened retirement i from the war strengthens the Hohen-zollerns Hohen-zollerns and weakens the forces of democracy, de-mocracy, but Russia's action will not lead, as she imagines, to universal peace. It will simply prolong the world's agony and inevitably put her in bondage to Prussian military dominance. domi-nance. "It would be folly to underestimate the danger from the release of the enemy's eastern forces. It would be equally folly to exaggerate it; but the greatest folly of all would be not to face it. "If the Russian democracy has decided de-cided to abandon the struggle against military autocracy, the American democracy de-mocracy is taking it up. This is the most momentous fact of the year, which has transposed the whole situation. situ-ation. There is no more powerful country in the world than the United States, with their gigantic resources and indomitable people, and if Russia is out, America is coming in with both j arms. "If it is the worst moment, it is because be-cause Russia has stepped out and America Is only preparing to come in. Her army is not ready and her tonnage ton-nage is unbuilt; but with every hour that passes the gap formed by Russia's Rus-sia's retirement will be filled by the valiant sons of the great American republic. re-public. Germany knows it and Aus-' Aus-' tria knows it. Hence the desperate efforts ef-forts to force the issue before America is ready. They will not succeed, but we must be prepared for greater efforts ef-forts and greater sacrifices. It is no time to cower or falter. "Great Britain's will is as tempered as steel and will bear right to the end. There must be a further drain upon our man-power In order to sustain sus-tain the additional burden until the American army arrives. "There is no ground for panic. Even now, after we have sent troops to Italy, It-aly, the allies have marked superiority in numbers in France and Flanders and considerable reserves at home. "Much greater progress has been made in man-power in the last few months than either our friends or our foes realize, but it is not enough to enable us to face the new contingencies contingen-cies without anxiety. The problem of man-power, however, does not end with the army. Victory now is a ques tion of tonnage. Nothing can defeat us but the shortage of tonnage and the advent of the United Slates has increased the tonnage problem enormously. enor-mously. Germany has gambled on America's failure to transport her army to Europe. The Prussian claim Is that autocracy alone can do things. "The honor of democracy is at stake, and" I do not doubt that the Prussians will be disillusioned, but both America and Great Britian will have to strain their resources to the utmost to Increase their tonnage. The fact that American tonnage will be absorbed in the transport of their own armies compels us to increase our responsibilities re-sponsibilities in assisting France and Italy with the transportation of essential es-sential commodities to heir shores. "In order to obtain the necessary men for this object, we must interfere to even a greater extent than heretofore hereto-fore with tho industries not absolutely absolute-ly essential to the prosecution of the war." |