New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-20
Lloyd Georges Answer to Germany

offer other than those better than those,
surer that those which she so lightly
broke, and meanwhile we shall put our
trust in our unbroken army, rather than
in broken faith.
For the moment do not think it would
be advisable for me to add anything upon
this particular invitation. formal reply
will be delivered by the Allies in the course
of the next few days.
Army Like Fine Steel
An absolutely new army. The old had
done its duty and spent itself in the
achievement of that great task. This is
new army. A year ago it was ore IN the
earth Of Britain-yea, and of Ireland 1t
became iron. It has passed through the
fiery furnace and the enemy knows that it
is now fine steel.
An absolutely new army. New men,
new officers, taken from schools; boys from
schools, from colleges, from counting
houses. never trained TO war, never
thought Of war; many, perhaps, never
handled a weapon of war; generals never
given an OppoIluHi1S VI h"'S S'
masses of men.
They have faced the greatest army in
the world, the greatest army the world
has ever seen. the best equipped, the best
trained-and they have beaten tnem'
beaten them, beaten them.
Battle after battle, day after day, week
after week, in the strongest intrenchments
ever devised by human skill, they have
driven them out by vaor, valor which Is
incredible when you read the story OF 1t.
Old Cabinet Top-Heavy
have no doubt that the old Cabinets
we're better adapted to navigate the par
liamentary river, with its shoals and SHIFT
ing sands, and perhaps for a cruise IN
home waters. But Cabinet Of twenty
three was rather top-heavy for gale
do not sag that this new craft Is best
adapted for parliamentary navigation, but
am convinced that it is best for war
Il is true that in a multitude of coun-
seIlors there is wisdom that was written
for Oriental countries in peace time. You
can't run war with Sanhedrim: That
is the meaning of our Cabinet Of five and
of its members doing sentry duty outside
manning the ways and defending the
council chamber against attack while we
are trying to do your work inside.
You can't have absolute equality in
sacrifice in war. That is impossible. But
YOU can have equal readiness to sacrl-
fee from ALL There are hundreds OF
thousands who have given their lives;
there are millions who have given up
comfortable homes and exchanged them
for daily communion with death. Multi
tudes have given up those whom they
loved best.
Let the nation as whole place its
comforts, its luxuries, its indulgences, its
elecances on the national altar consecrated
bv such sacrifices as these men have
made. Let US proclaim during the war
a national Lent. The nation will be bet
ter and stronger for it-mentally and
morally. as we'll as physically. 1t VIII
strengthen its fibre and ennoble its spirit
Without it we shall not get the full benefit
of this struggle.
Nation Must Take Burden
Our armies have driven the enemy out
Of the battered villages of France and
across the devastated plains of Belgium
They might hur HIM across the Rhine IN
battered disarray. But, unless the ma
tion as a whole shoulders part of the bur
den of victory it won't profit by the trl-
umph for il is not what nation gains,
but what it gives, that makes it great.
II in this war ! have paid scant heed
to the call of party, it is because real
lied from the moment the Prussian can
non hurled death at peaceable and IN
offensive little country that challenge
had been sent to civilization TO decide an
issue higher than party, deeper than
party. wider than all parties, an issue
nnon the settlement of which will depend
the fate Of the men in this world for gen
eratons, when existing parties VIII nave
fallen like dead leaves on the highway.
Those issues are the issues | want to
keep in front of the nation, so that we
shall not falter or faint in our resolu-
tions.
There is a time in every prolonged and
fierce war when, in the passion and rage
of conflict, men forget the high purpose
with which they entered 1t. This is a
struggle for international right, interna-
tional honor, international good faith
the channel along which peace, honor and
good will must flow among men.
The embankments laDoriously built up
by generations of men against barbarism
have been broken, and had not the might
of Britain passed into the breach Europe
would have been inundated with food
of savagery and unbridled lust Of power.
The policy of common front must be
reality. 1t is en- the other side. Austrian
guns are helping the German infantry and
German infantry is stiffening the Austrian
arms. The Turks are helping the Ger
mans; Austrians and Bulgarlans mix with
all. There is an essential feeling that
there is but one front, and we have got to
get that more and more, instead Of having
lr.a.r.a. -ldn and harn