New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-06-20


tional Government will oct otherwise
than in tho interest Of the Nation.
Nor need II be doubted that any error,
If error there should be, will be for
given to a Government that will gov
ern.
VIII the Government Govern!
The question whether It will govern
is really the question whether II will
organize National Service and mobilize
the Nation. And 10 mobilize the Ma
tlon means TO mobilize not only armies
but war industries. That is truth
which cannot be too often repeated. 1t
is probable that strikers do, or threat
en-, more harm than slackers The
problem Of compulsory service in the
armies is simple when compared with
the problem how TO compel workmen to
work. But that also has TO be faced.
Trade Union rules are no longer to be
the law Of the land. They are so many
restrictions upon output. They limit
the full working capacity of the la
borer. In a war, and when munitions
Of war are urgently needed, as they are,
a Trade Union has no more right than
q seditious Press has. The right to be
lazy or the right to be drunk are not
rights of war.
Mr.. Lloyd George as Leader.
June At was hoped that Mr.. Lloyd
George, speaking last night at Man
chester, would announce the adoption
by the Government of National Service
a a Government policy. He made
wonderful speech, clear statement OF
the facts which must form the basis
Of such q policy; but the policy itself
still waits. What he did was to de-
clare that it will be adopted and en-
forced when II is needed. And the elev-
enth month Of the war begins to-day
He asks Lancashire, one of the great
manufacturing centres, for quarter
Of q million of shells q month. Lanca-
shire answers that she will give him q
million a month, which is just 100000
more than the Germans fired in single
Gay at Przemysl.
But Mr.. Lloyd George makes II plain
that he puts shell-making before re-
cruiting, and that he means. first OF
all, TO put war industries on war
basis. That is the voice of patriotic
good sense. 1t may well enough be
that there are men enough for the mo-
ment. 1t is certain there are not and
cannot be shells enough for a great
many moments to come. If there had
been, says Mr.. LLOYD George, the Ger
mans would have been turned out OF
France and Belgium before now and
Germany itself would have been in
vaded. That is more than any Of the
papers have said, which. like The
Times" and Daily Mail" have been
abused for stating part OF the truth.
Ii comes TO this, therefore. The Ma
tional Government, by the mouth of
Mr.. LLOYD George, stands pledged 70
National Service in principle. He
affirms the moral duty Of each citizen
10 give his best 70 the State. He prom
ises TO turn that moral duty into
legal obligation as the necessity arises.
I make no doubt that Mr.. Lloyd George
is himself convinced that the necessity
has already arisen. What he means US
TO understand is that he has not yet
converted all his colleagues; perhaps
not even the Prime Minister. But the
movement is irresistible. He well says;
zone cannot argue under shell-hre.
One can only decide"
And since last Saturday the casual
ties to the British forces number near
lv 1000 And yet there are journals
there are even Ministers-who still
argue under a rain of German she'll
fire which in less than week has cost
the nation IL, 900 British soldiers:
G. ". S.