The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1917-05-04
BRITISH PREMIER
ON WAR PROBLEMS
SPEEDY SETTLEMENT OF IRISH
QUESTION ESSENTIAL TO VIC
TORY, SAYS PREMIER.
Army Doing Great Work-Says Press
ing Need of Revision of Attitude
Toward Dominions of EN-
pire.

In an important speech at the Guild
Hall in London April 27 Premier Lloyd
George discussed the military situa-
ton, the Irish question and others of
the major problems with which the
government is engaged. The premier's
speech was in acknowledgement of the
comforting on him of the freedom of
the city of London. Referring to Ire
land, the premier said.
eve must convert Ireland from a
suspicious, surly, dangerous neighbor
to cheerful, loyal comrade. Settle
ment of the Irish question is essential
to the peace of the world and essential
to speedy victory in the war. I ap-
peal to the patriotism of all men to
sink everything for the c.,e purpose of
getting this question cut of the way. .
Mr.. Lloyd George paid a tribute to
the financial community, through the
help of which, he said, British credit
had survived the financial panic of the
early days of the war. This commun-
ity, he said, took an honorable and
leading part in the triumph of the last
war loan which was the most remark
After alluding to the organization of
the ministry of munitions the premier
said:
Tide Has Turned.
"Now, thank God, our men have a
real chance in the fight. The story
now is very different from what it was
in the early stages of the war. Be-
fore June, 1915, we lost 81 guns and a
considerable number of prisoners.
Since that date we have not lost a
single gun, while we have captured
400. Regarding prisoners, we have
taken at least 10 to one. The tide has
now turned. Victory is coming increas-
ingly nearer.
During the first 1S days of the
Somme battle we captured 900 pris-
oners and 81 guns. During the first
18 days of the Arras battle our cap
lures were $4,000 men and $50 guns,
while we gained four times as much
ground. This meant not only ulti-
mate victory; it meant victory is going
to be won at less loss, and our chances
are growing as our equipment is i'm
proving, and the Germans know it,
That is the explanation of the despair
which has driven them to black piracy
on the high seas.
Gigantic Problem.
"This is the next job we have to
deal with. Our problem is to feed a
population of 45,000,000 in a country
which is not self-supporting, to pro-
vide the necessary material and food
to equip our armies and keep the seas
free for the transport of the troops of
ourselves and our Allies. That has
had to be done against the swarm
of pirates moving unseen under the
trackless seas, since the Germans de-
termined to sink all craft indiscrimi-
nately without warning. There is no
doubt we have lost many ships, but
they brought America in and am per-
ectly satisfied with the balance Amer
lea, after great patience, came to the
conclusion there was no use of waving
a neutral flag in the teeth of a shark,
and she is definitely with us to put
down this menace once for all.
"The best brains of America and
Britain are concentrated on this prob
lem. There never was human prob
lem which was not soluble and I do
not believe this is an exception to the
rule, but we must proceed on the as
sumption that nothing could be dis
covered to put it down, and that is
where the public comes in"
More Land Cultivated.
Dealing with the governments effort
to make the country self-supporting,
the premier said that a million fresh
acres of land had been brought un-
der cultivation, which was equal to
producing two million tons of food.