The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-04-27
.LLOYD-CE SEEKS END OF IRISH PROBLEM Premier Says Settlement of Disputes Is Essential to
 World Peace VICTORY CERTAIN
 IN WAR, HE HOLDS Cites Statistics to Show That Allied Attack Is Crush
 ing Foe

London, April 27-In an important speech at the Guildhall today Pre- mier Lloyd-George discussed the mili- tary situation, the Irish question and other of the major problems with which the government is now engag. ed. The premier's speech was in ac. knowle dgement of the conferring on him of the freedom of the city o1 London. Referring to Ireland, the premier said:
 we must convert Ireland from g suspicious, surly, dangerous neigh Dor to a cheerful, loyal comrade. Set clement of the Irish question is es' sential for the peace of the world and essential to a speedy victory in the war; I appeal to the patriotism of all men to sink everything for the one purpose of getting this question out of the way"
 MT. Lloyd-George said the govern ment believed imperial preference could be established without involv. ing any additional cost of food. Such a policy, he added, would assist in development of all the resources ot the empire.
 MT. Lloyd-George paid a tribute td the financial community, through the help of which, he said, British cred. it had survived the financial panic of the early days of the war. This com. munity, he said, took an honorable and leading part in the ordering ot the last war loan, which was the most remarkable financial exploit ever witnessed After a1luding to the organization of the ministry of muni. tions the premier said:
 1'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 S4 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 l. The tide has now turned. Vfctorysffs coing in- creasing1y nearer.
 During the first Is days of the Somme battle we captured 11,Oo0 prisoners and S4 guns. During the first Is days of the Arras battle our captures were 18,000 men and 2s0 guns. while we gained four times as much gorund. This means not only ultimate victory; it means victory is going to be won at less loss, and our chances are growing as our equipment improve, and the Germans know 1t. That is the explanation of the despair that has driven them to black piracy on the high seas.
 This is the next job we have to deal with. Our minimum problem is to feed population of 45,0O0,000 in a country which is not self-supporting, to provide the necessary material and food to equip our armies and keep the seas free for the transportation of the troops of ourselves and our allies. That has had to be done against the swarm of pirates moving unseen un- der the trackless esas, since the Ger mans determined to sink all craft in- discriminatory without warning. There is no doubt we have lost many ships, but they have brought America in, and I am perfectly satisfied with the balance. America, after great pa tience, came to the conclusion that were 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 a human problem that was not solvable and I don't believe this is an exception to the rule; but we must proceed on the assumption that nothing could be dis covered to put it down, and that is where the public comes in."
 Continued on Page 13.)