The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-12-19


George. the British prime minister,
tonight before the Benchers OF Greys
Inn pronounced his latest word i'm the
new phase of the peace discussion
which was launched by the Marquis
OF Lansdowne's recent notable let
ter. Former Premier Asquith had fol.
lowed the Marquis of Lansdowne with
an utterance which coupled the pol
Icy OF the marquis with that OF Pres
ident Wilson and found agreement boz
tween the two. The premier indors-
cd President Wilson but found M
common ground i'm the paths os
President Wilson and the Marquis Of
Lansdowne toward peace:
IL was with painful amazement,"
the premier said. that he had read the
Marquis OF Lansdowne's letter. lie de-
clared the danger to the country was
rot from the very active minority of
extreme pacihsts but from "men who
think there IN a halfway house be-
tween victory and defeat"
Mr.. Lloyd George said he saw no
prospect for world safety i'm league
of peace I'm which the criminal was
stronger than the law. He saw the
critical stage of the war at the time
when Germany is straining TO strike
between the withdrawal of the Rus
slams and the entrance of the Ame~i-
cen democracy and said the destiny %
the world depended on what Great
Britain and America could accomplish
In shipbuilding during the next year
The speech was generally more re-
stricted'than Mr.. Lloyd Georges utter.
ances' usually are. The premier was
silent as regards a new and specific
settlement OF war aims which the Mar
quis Of Lansdowne had urged and for
which paeifists are making demands.
I'm his reference to the effect oc
Lord Lansdownes letter. the premier
said he did not fear the extreme paci-
fcrs. hut that there was an active mi
n0rity Of people .Ishsying themselves
with the view that the letter was
supposed to advocate and who thought
that they had discovered a leader i'm
the action OF enforcing the country
into n premature and n vanquishcd
peace. II warn the nation" said
the premier, Ito watch men who
fo A.l
tween victory and defeat. There is no
such halfway house These are the
men who think the war can be ended
now by. some sort OF peace-the set
ting up OF n league of nations with
conditions as To arbitration for dis
putes and provisions for disarma-
inent- and with covenant on the
pert OF all nations TO sign treaty
along these lines.
This Is the right policy after VIC
tory. Without victory IL would be II
farce Who would sign such a treaty?
I presume. among others. the people
who have so far successfully broken
the last Who would enforce the new
treaty? presume the nations that
have so far not quite succeeded i'm en-
torcihg the last.
ITO end the war entered upon ana
10 enforce treaty without reparation
for infringements OF that treaty
merely by entering into a more sweep
ing treaty would, indeed. be a farce In
the setting OF a tragedy.
We are not misled by mere words
like disarmament arbitration and
similar terms. You can not wage war
or secure peace by mere words. We
ought never TO have started unless we
meant. at all hazards TO complete our
task.
"Of course our enemies are ready TO
accept n peace leaving them some of
the richest provinces and the faires.
cities OF Russia in their pockets. 1t is
idle co talk of security under such
conditions.
we are confronted with the alter
NATIVES OF abusing ourselves In terror
before tho l0wlessness which means
ultimately world intimdated by
: SUCCESSFUL bandits or going through
with our task to establish righteous
ard lasting peace for ourselves and
our children.
III there was no prospect OF things
going better the longer we fought. j,
would be Infamous TO prolong the
war, but because l am firmly convlnc-
ed. despite some untoward events and
discowasins appearances. that we arc
nakine steady progress toward the
desired goal. would regard peace
oNertures 90 Prussia M the very mo-