The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-27
Change to Speed Up Making
of Munitions Vital.
He Declares.
"MIGHT TELL KAISER
WE CANNOT KEEP ON"
"CannOt Tell Troops That
the Men at Home Won't
Aid Them.

LONDON. Dec. 2S. - DAVID Lloyd
George, Minister OF Munitions. In -
speech before 1900 trade unionists In
Glasgow yesterday demanding that the
union rules De amended to permit an
increase In the output OF munitions, told
the workers In very plain terms tina
unless they modified their rules Great
| Britain could not go on with the war.
He said that in such an eventualtv the
| Cabinet might as we'll tell the kaise'
50, surrender.ng the mastery of the
seas and accepting the rule Of Prusstan
militarisn.
"I have often feared that the British
people think of this war as only pass
ing shower" Mr.. Lloyd George said. 81
have wondered Il they realize the tre-
mendous Issues involved. II Is deluse,
convulsion OF nature. II is a cyc!one
which u tearing up by the roots the
ornamental plants of modern society and
wrecking some OF the fiimsy trestle
bridges OF modern civilization. Il is an
earthquake which Is uphea|ing the very
rocks OF European life. II Is one OF
| those seismic disturbances in which
nations leap forward or fall generations
backward at a single bound. All this
chattering about relaxing = rule or re-
laxing n custom is out OF place You
cannot haggle with an earthquake
Hearers Interrupt speaker.
The Minister OF Munitions was inter-
rupted on occasions by shouts from Ma
hearers. They told him frankly they did
not trust the trade union leaders wh"
! had drawn UP the plan to amend ths
union rules.
Mr. Lloyd George continued:
I "E!ther We must tell the soldiers at
the front that We are sorry We cannot
get the guns to enable them 10 win
| throughout 1916, owing to the trades
union regula tions, or we must tell them
! that II they manage to hold out Tor
another year perhaps American workmen
| will help us get sufiicient supply ror
1917.
"Of course there is another aiterna-
tive we might tell the Kaiser frankly
! that we cannot go on, He might let
US off with auneXing Belgium, paying
an indemnity and giving UP British
colony or two. but ho certainly would
demand that Great Britain surrender
her command OF the sea. and Great
Britain then would he as completely at
the mercy OF prussian despotism as Bel
| gium Is to-day
/ Sees Hope of Democracy.
"The skilled workmen as well as the
others must realize that it is really
opening before them the greatest oppor-
tunity ever presented TO their class and
there will emerge after this war that
future hope which the great leaders OF
democracy OF all ages have pictured in
their dreams.
Mr. Lloyd George presented his plan to
amend the trade union regulations that
had been drawn up by committee on
which were seven trade union leaders.
I'VE don't trust the trade union lead
ers" cried several voices in the audience.
Whom do YOU trust, then Mr., Lloyd
George inquired.
"Nobody.' several voices shouted ia
reply
Mr.. LLOYD George went or To tell OF
new natioual gun and munitton fac
tories under construction by the Mum
-ious Ministry in different parts ~ the
Kingdom and of his need oi $4,000
skilled workmen to man them,
you won't get thcm.' one Of his
lr,errupters here broke IN.
81 have come here t. face 5000 Glas-
cow trade union men,, exclaimed tho
Minister "Win that gentleman veu-
ture TO go To Flttnd"rs aud face 5000
British soldiers in the trenches"
This retort provoked prolonged cheer
ing.
Mr.. Lloyd George told his heaters that
the Russian retreat was due. not to tho
s,ueriority OF the German soldiers hut
! 10 the aid given by tho German work.
men 10 rheir brothers in tho field. and
that similarly the French workmeu had
come to the aid of the French army. with
the result that France was able to face
and withstand the terrible German ma.
chine.
"France sets Example"
Unless the British workmen VIII
frankly, without cavillnG, follow the eN-
above all, do this without delay, victory
Is impossible" he said.
II cannot return TO PARLIAMENT and
through the House of Commons tell thc
men of the British army that the
skilled wo-knen at home will not sus-
pend their union rules to save the lives
of their fellow countrymen Oh the bat
t1eheld. British women have done
nobly. But If the men, fail 10 back
up tho Government there is left only
the alternatives have already re-
! ferred to.
II refuse ia believe. however. that
British workmen, whose patriotism has
already been manifested T the readi-
, ness with which they have given their
sons to fight their countrys battles,
will give me- an unravorabls answer in
this time OF need.
, Thine Is vital, time is victory. time Is
. life. There already have been $40, 900
British casualties. including more than