, 1914-12-16

MI. MacQaIDdId, L dIlluIIIcHlhIJ anu ran
cial Secretary to the Admiralty, addressing
the first of a series of meetings at which he
has been delegated to express the thanks OF
the Admiralty to the Shipyard and Engineer
ing Works employees engaged IN Government
contracts, said that men IN o~veralls, just as
much as those who fight for their country
in Khaki or blue, stand between this land and
a group Of savage, relentless md rnth.ess
militari8ts. Continuing, he said "Wlthout
your work the vaiour of the soldiers w'uld
avail nothing. BY your patriotic response
to the heavy and continuous strain imposed
upon You since the war You have assisted
materially in increasing the strength and
readiness Of tire fleet" He EXPORTED them
to continue lhe.. efforts, in the assurance
that. by so doing, they were best serving
the country.
A a meeting in London of the Unionist
Cha rmen and Agents, Nj. BOnar Law read u
lro.ar from Lord Lansdowne and himself
10 MIR. Asquith, dated August 2nd, which
SAID: Lord Lansdowne and | feel 1T Our
duty to inform you that in our opinion, as IN
that of all our colleagues whom we have
been able to consult, it would be fatal to
the honour and security of the United King
oom to hesitate in supporting France and
Russia at the present j%uncture, and we offer
our unbesitaiing support to the Government
IN any measures they may consider neces'
sary for that object. Mr.. Law, addressing
the meeting, said Before the war, pnrty
passions were iufamed to such an extent
that | saw no possible outlet which would
not be disastrous to the country, but III a mo-
ment the whole situation was changed. In our
country lhele has not been q single instance,
since Parliamentary Government was miro
duced, Where the Government, engaged IN
conducting q war. has not been hampered
and barassed by the Opposition. This was
tue in the wars OF Marlborough, true IN the
struggle with Napoleon, and also true IN the
lust WA in which this country was engaged.
/ think possibly we have made q mistake III
criticising the Government too little, but |
prefer a mistake made in that direction. l
now look forward with hope and complete
confidence. Germany has failed, she has
not crushed France, she cannot crush France,
and already the Russians are on her from
tiers. We have u terrible struggle before
ms. but the final result cannot be doubted.
The greatest honour that can come upon us
as a Party is that when the war is over we
can truthfully say: 1--WE nothing common
did, ~ mean, upon that memorable scene.
Referring to the devotion ard courage Of
the people, he said, not only on the field OF
battle has our national souudness been
shown, but in our zeal in recruiting. The
statements about our slowness to join the
coloms have done us great harm abroad, but
they are entirely uniustitied. The marvel
lous thing is not that SO few failed to join,
but that so many have joined. Never in the
whole history Of the world has an army such
as we require been raised by voluntary en-
listment. That system tailed in the Ameri-
can Civil War, but it has not failed here,
and We have got SO far that | am sure we
will ge5 all the men we need.
Washington, Dec. 15th-The German
Emnassy has issued the following statement: