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Show Great Britain, at Critical Stae in I War, Calls tor Men Up to 50 Years ! I Bex pi l Premier L!oyd George I Reports War Strength I on Somme Front. I AT CRITICAL PERIOD I I Fate of Europe and Lib- I erty Hanging in I Balance. Ill I LONDON. April 0. Premier Lloyd-George Lloyd-George told the house of commons today to-day that when the battle on the Somme front commenced the total combatant strength of the German army on the west front was approximately approxi-mately equal to the total of the Entente Allies. In the course of bis speech, the British Brit-ish premier said: I "We have now entered the mo? critical period of the war. There Is a lull in the storm, but the hurricane j is not et over. The fate of the empire em-pire of Europe and of liberty may depend de-pend upon the success with which the last German attack is resisted and countered." Entente Sacrifice Required. Mr. Lloyd -George said his manpower man-power proposal would involve an extreme ex-treme sacrifice by part of the population popu-lation of Great Britain. The Cambrai battle, be said, was a very trivial event when compared with the recent battle and. until the strain had relaxed, it would be difficult diffi-cult to find out exactly what had happened. hap-pened. The premier said the fighting strength of the Americans would be brought to bear immediately although it was impossible to put into France, at the moment, the number of trained Americans as a separate army that had been expected. The Americans would be brigaded with the allied j troops. Referring to the Turkish campaign, Mr. Lloyd George said two Turkish armies had been destroyed in Palestine Pales-tine and Mesopotamia. German battalions bat-talions had been sent to help the Turks in Palestine, thereby relieving the western front The premier said the fight mii;bt continue for seven or eight months Poi the British army and navy, he stated, almoot six million men had been raised already. Convention Reports Tabled. Premier Lloyd George announced in the house of commons this afternoon thai i he Irish conention report had been laid on the table today. I When an emergency had arisen which had made it necessary to put men of 50 ind boys of 18 into the fight for liberty, Mr. Llojd George declared, ' it was not possible to exclude Ireland from conscription by a parliament in which Ireland was represented and which had committed the county to the war without a dissenting vote. The character of the quarrel in which the country was engaged, the prtmier said, was as much Irish as English. j When Mr Lloyd -George referred to Ireland. Alfred Byrne. Nationalist member from Dublin, shouted: "We won't have conscription In Lro-land!" Lro-land!" H An uproar followed. |