The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-12-20
BRITISH PUBLIC
SET TO THINKING
Mobilization of Labor Was the Feature
of Lloyd Georges Speech that
Called forth Greatest
Attention.

london. Dec. 20.-The British public
bad much TO reflect on this morning. inc
most important point in the domestic
nrogram foreshadowed by the premier
was general moblizst tion of labor. Lead
ers we're dubious Of the success OF the
scheme. feeling that the outcome ue'
pends entirely on how the workmen take
+ IF there is hostility in the rank ana
file of organized labor, labor leaders pe-
Heve the scheme will fail.
The fact that the premier passed
STRAIGHT from Ireland to the imperiai
oo,ference suggests that he hopes to hnh
solution of the Irish problem IN TINS
conference. The government probapiy
will require the whole eight weeks ol
the parliamentary recess to produce .he
mea sures foreshadowed which also IN
clude more drastic dealing with excess
rrofts and increase in food production
lovd .Ceorge's address was as folloWs'
II appear before the House oi 0Gmnlp ;b;ItY that
90 saIl unon the shoulders of any living mhn'
as chief adviser of the crown IN tne ino9s -
gantic war in which this country ash wa ;ts
an,,seed "A war upon the events OF wheh ies
dast;nv denends 1t is the greatest war eve,
waged the burdens are the heaViest 10. 10 - "a
been cast upon this or any other couht.s, .ss, -
the issues the gravest that nave ~" 80 .S,er
TO amy conflict in whieh humanity
involved. ,,o,,.-r,csnt
have been suddenly accentuated Dy ,he "e1ra It .
ration made by the German chancellor. ihe
staten,ent made by him in the Reichstag mas
been followed by a note presented ny tng ne on.S- nv
Cd States without note or comment me an
swer given by this government VIII De given III
fun accord with all our allies
| Naturally there has been an interchange OF
views not upon the note, because u mas phs
recently arrived but upon the speesh antil wa,,n
impelled it, and as the note itself Is praetir
callv only reproduction or parapnrase ~
the speech the subject matter OF the note hse,i
has been discussed informally between tne a.. a..
lies. / am glad to be able to state that we
each separately and independently arrived az
II am very glad that the first answer given
70 the statement of the German chancellor was
o;van bv France and Russia. They have the
! ,,nn,,rstionable right to give the first answer
to such an invitation. The enemy Is stun on
their soil and their sacrifices have peeh tne
"'Tbe answer they have given has already
anpeared in the papers. and l simply stand
here to give clear and definite support 10 1he
statement they have already MADE
| "Anv man or set of men who wantonly or
without sufficient cause proong terrible CON
I hict like this would have on his soul CRIME
| that oceans could not close.
ION the other hand, it Is equally true thas
any man or set of men who from sense OF
WEAKNESS or despair abandoned the struggle
without achieving the high purposes 1or wmIcn i,aa
we entered il would be guilty of the costhest
act of poltroonery ever perpetrated py any
| statesman. / should like to quote the words OF
| Abraham Lincoln under similar conditions;
1--WE accepted this war for an object
| and world object and the war VIII emo
| when the object is attained under God
hope it will never end until that time
Are we likely to achieve the object by ac-
cepting the invitation of the German chancei-
lor? What are the proposals ihere are
none. = .,
proclaiming herself victorious, without any
knowledge of what proposals she proposes 20
make into a conference is TO put our heads
into a moose with the rope end in the hands oil
Germany. -,
.'This country is not altogether without ex-
! nerience in theA matters. This is not the first
| time we have fought q great military despotism
overshadowing Europe, and it won't be the
! first time have helped TO overthrow mill
4 tary despotism. We have uncomfortable
| historical memory of these things and can re-
call one of the greatest of these despots whose
+. favorite device was To appear IN the garp OF an
angel of peace either when he wished time 10
| assirnilate his conouests to reorganize his
forces for fresh conouests or, secondly, ~hen
his subjects showed symptoms of fatigue and
war-weariness, an appeal was always naoe ln
the name of humanity. He demanded an end
10 the bloodshed at which he professed himself
horrifed although he himself was mainly re-
sponsible.
| our ancestors were ttAeh h 1.SS ~ - -
| terly they and Europe rue IL The time was
devoted TO organizing his forces for a deadiier
attack than ever upon the liberties of Europe
| Examples of this kind cause US 70 regard
this note with considerable measure OF remi-
niscent disquietude-
| I'VE feel that We ought 10 know before We
can give favorable consideration TO such an
invitation that Germany IS prepared 20 seeede
10 the only terms on which il Is possible peace
can be obtained and maintained in Europe
Those terms have been repeatedly stated BY al
the leading statesmen Of the allies They have
been stated repeztedly here and outside. To
quote the leader Of the House last week
'Rerzrztion and guarantee against
/ r,petition 50 there shall be no mistake. and
IL is important that there should be 10
/ rris-ake ia : matter Of life or death 20
l millions.
let me repeat-Iouplete restitution
full rruzrafiou and efiectual guarantees
-sDsd the German chancellor Use sinEle
phrase 10 indicate that be prcpsrea =