The Washington herald., 1917-02-24
TO FIX
BRITAIN'S FATE,
PREMIER AYERS
SAYS Life or Death of Emp re
Depends on Successes oi
Ruthless Warfare"
WILL COMBAT BLOCKADE
Outlines Measures to Meet Germanys
Attempt to Starve Her Enemy
Into Submission.
OBy the international News seryice.)

CBy the International News serSiee.j
London, Feb. a-Premier Lloyd George
in the gravest speech Of his career, In the
house of commons today sourded warn
ing that the success or failure OF Ger
many's U-boat campaign will mean life OF
death for the British empire.
There Is no sure way to victory SAID
he. without huRting the submarine IRON
the deep.
''If we take drastic measures We car
cope with the submarine menace, but II
the nation is not prepared to accept dras-
tic measures for dealing with the menace
disaster Is before US.
Far from raising "cry in the wilder
ness" wall over what is and migh,
have been, the premier, after thus open
ing the nations eyes as to the danger
that confronts it, promptly set about to
proclaim a schedule OF sweeping, con-
structive methods to remove the menace.
Save tonnage:
cut down imports;
Boost home production
These were the remedies he offered.
Tells How to Apply Remedies.
lIr did not stop there. He told, in great
CO.. j.. how these remedies were to become
receive. now and Immediately, ruthless
o., and promptly as he put 1t.
II Wis imperative, he said, that the ma
should know what the conditions
20 o.. that the stocks of food at present
.Ec lower than ever, and that hand-in-
and with the enormous increase in the
Temand Of tonnage IS going an alarming
GrcrCase in tonnage.
IN fOOdstufIs alone, he said, he proposed
10 sava 10000 tons of shipping yearly.
md as for luxuries and unnecessary
90. t.cIpS. not another ton or bale or case
mast be imported hereafter.
Not e day. not an hour, must be lost
iu putting the nation in shape to support
Itself, TO cultivate every inch Of soil. As
= to show how much in dead earnest
he was. the premier added:
There are still a few weeks to SOW
spring wheat, oats, and barley, to induce
the farmer to plow up pasture land i'm
mcdiateIy."
Then he gave series OF stringent regu-
Iltions affecting imports. food prices,
wages and farming capacity, concluding
with the promise:
House Crowded to Capacity.
If such a program is carried out, Eng
land can face the enemy's worst, and
tnat is what We ought to be prepared
to face"
\ house crowded to its capacity lis
tened to the premier's speech. OF ap-
plause there was little. The premier
gave his audience little occasion for that
Straight from the shoulder. facing the
issue squarely. he drove his points home
one by one, speaking in a calm. measured
voice. Now and then when hand-clapping
threatened interruption, he stihed at
tempts at applause by raising his voice as
If to say, Wait, I am not through yet"
1t was a different Lloyd George from
the one that two short months ago ad-
dressed the same house, answering Ger
many's orfer of peace. There was moth
ing of the famboyant. Srandiloquent to-
day about the man charged with the
greatest burden of responsibility in Eng
lands history No stormy OvatiOns greet
ed or interrupted his speech. But the
sum and substance of his message was
the same: We will hold out to the
bitter end