Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-01-26
OUTLINES OBJECT
Of WAR COUNCIL
David Lloyd George Explains
Request of Dominion's Pre-
miers to Join.
ADVICE DESIRED, HE SAYS

| HUvIVE UCSIncO, TIE oHI y
| OTTAWA, January 26.-The follow
ing dispatch from London has been re-
| ceived by the Reuter- Telegram Com
pany agency here:
| Premier David Lloyd George has
given an important interview on the
subject of the forthcoming imperial
war council to the London correspond
ent of the Australian United Cable
Service. The prime minister said:
Il do not wish to interfere in any
way with the affairs of a great self
governing dominion, but we took the
step. of urgently inviting the domin-
ions premiers to lead In the war coun-
ell. despite the fact that 1t might cause
much inconvenience locally, because we
desired their advice and assistance in
coming to decisions about the conduct
of the war anu the negotiations of
peace.
Australia knows that 1 am no lingo.
My record contains no journeyinss into
flamboyant Imperialism, yet l regard
| this council as marking the beginning
of a new epoch in the history of the
empire. The war has changed us,
heaven knows 1t has taught us more
than we yet understand; it has opened
new age for US. and we want to go
| into that age together with our fellows
overseas, just as we have come through
| the darkness together and shed our
blood and treasure together.
Deals With All Questions.
| The empire war council will deal
with all general questions affecting the
war The prime ministers or their rep
resentatives will be temporary MEM
/ bers Of the war cabinet, and we propose
| to arrange that all matters of first rate
| Importance should be considered at
series Of special meetings. Nothing af-
| fecting the dominions, tho conduct of
the war or negotiations for peace will
| be excluded from its purview. There
Will. Of course. be domestic questions.
which each part of the empire must
settle for itself-Questions such as re-
cFuiting in the United Kingdom or
home legislation. Such domestic mat
ters will be our only reservation, but
| we propose that everything else should
| be, so to speak, on the table,
| Will the discussion include such mat
! tiers as the fate of the German colo
nes? was asked.
| That is one obvious question" the
premier replied. but there are many
questions of equal moment All the
different problems connected with max
| ing peace, as was stated in the govern
ments invitation, will be threshed out.
The war policy of the empire will be
clearly defined and of great impor-
lance is what l may call the prepara-
| ton for peace. That will involve not
! only rehabilitation. but such after-the-
war questions a the migration of our
people to other parts of the empire; the
settlement Of soldiers on the land.
commerce and industry"
You have not hesitated to depart
from precedent
Breaking Precedents, he Says.
We certainly have not" answered
the premier. But in there days we
cannot hesitate because are break
N; precedents. The empire has thrown
itself heart and soul into the war, and
we would be falling in our duties if We
did not take every possible step to see
that its leaders get together from time
to time.
You do not suppose that We think
that the overseas nations can raise and
place in the field armies containing an
enormous proportion of their best man
hood and not want to have q say, and
a real say, in determining the use to
which they are to be put? That seems
to us an impossible and undemocratic
proposition. That is why one of the
nrSt acts OF the new government was
to ask the overseas premiers to come
over. not to a formal imperial confer
ence. but to sit in the executive
cabinet of the empire. That is why we
have arranged for q representative of
India, which has rendered invaluable
service to our common cause, to be
present also"
This implies" suggested the CORE
spondent. that the conference should
meet as soon as possible
Certainly" replied Mr.. Lloyd George.
The war is not won yet and we want
to concert our efforts that We may
exert our maximum strength at the
critical moment. Further. we are most
anxious that during the last and most
trying phase of the war the British
empire may present to the world an
absolutely unied front. Up to the
present the British government has
shouldered responsibility for the policy
Of the war practically alone. 1t now
wishes to know that in its measures for
prosecuting the war to a finish and
in its negotiations for peace, it Will
be carrying out a policy agreed upon
by representatives of the whole en-
pire sitting in plenary council to-
gether."
What about after the war;" he was
asked.
Can Never Be Same Again.