Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-02-24
Success of Allied Cause De-
pends on Ability to Solve
Tonnage Problem.
PRESENTS HIS PROGRAM
FOR HANDLING SITUATION
Wants Home Food Production
Increased and Nonvictual
Imports Curtailed.
MEANS ENORMOUS SACRIFICES
Conditions Drought About by Short
age "r F"od Stocks and German
Submarine Menace.
~, A..crintcd prcss.l

n, Associated Prcssl
LONDON. February 23.--David Lloyd
George. the British rrimc Minister, to.
day presented to tho House Of Com
mons. in sr.cch lasting an hour and
h2if his program for coping with
ih" problem Of shortage Of shipping
Spar".
tn" s"c""h was II serious and grave
effort. The Premier giving his audience
little opportunity for enthusiasm. and
"ndcavorjng to concentrate attention
on the serious situation with which the
nation is faced owing to tho shortage
"f food stocks, and tho German sub
marine monacc
The Prcmicr's program for dealing
with tn" situation was under two
h""d% III" first to increase home food
production. and tho second the curtail-
mcnt OF nonvictual Imports.
Under tho first head Lloyd George
outlined a scheme for speeding up the
farmer by guaranteeing him good
prices for his commodities over period
OF years. thus inviting him to plow
and SOW every inch Of available land
He announced that the landowner
would nc actually forced to cultivate
his land
The speeding up of tho lcisurcly
British farm labcrcr--who has been re-
rardcd the poorest paid laborer in
En-land-was provided for ny the Pre-
micr by guaranteeing him a minimum
wage Of - shillinss per week. instead
Of II to IS ShiilinEs
TO ItEDlCtI DEMANDS :; SPACE
ny SEVERAL MILLION TONS
Lloyd George said he expected to
reduce tho demands on cargo space by
several million tons Toodstuffs. OF
which iG.on000o tons were imported
lnst year viii he cut down nearly
l.on"."ro tons by Topping off certain
luNurics. Paper users must get along
with only haIf the present supply, thus
saving Gio.0oO tons. Certain savings
ais" will be effected in the import of
orc. which now amounts to S,000.O0O
toms annually, and in lumber, which
iS ( 0nu 600 tons.
lie said that tho success OF the allied
causc depended on the ability to solve
til" tonnage shortage. which was now
affecting tile ordinary needs of the ma
tion ani military cxigcncics. The sit
nation. he declared called for the
Eravcst measures.
The Premier said there was no sure
way To victory without hunting tho
submarines from the deep
Enormous sacrifices were necessary
from the British public said Lloyd
George. He stated the government
proposed to dispense with all non
essential importations to save tonnage
There WAS crowded house at the
special meeting held to-day to listen
to tho rrcmicr's statement on tho re-
Stricti"n of imports and the cncouracc-
mont of acri"ul,ur". Among those In
tn" diplomatic gallery were Premier
Borden. Of Canada: Premier Massey, of
.i...~
Of allied nations and the dominions
The Premier said the ultimate sue.
cess OF the allied cause depended on
the solution of the tonnage difficulties
with which they were confronted Be-
fore the war. British tonnage had been
just adequate, and since that time there
had been ;tn enormous increase In the
demand for tonnage
More than i.0Uo.0O tons of British
shipping had been :llucatcd to France
alone. and II very considerable amount
had been set aside for Russia and Italy.
IN addition. a considerable amount had
been sunk
NATION VI! ST. REALIZE:
WHAT CONDITIONS ARE
Lloyd George sud that for some time
there has been Il shortage OF tonnage
required FOR the general needs Of the
nation. ana even Il Slight shortage In
the t"nnaSc for military purposes. The
nati'n should realize absolutely what
the conditions were.
III We take drastic measures" he
cont rucd. we can cope with the sub
in;ir!n, menace. but if the nation is not
vrrpar,G To accept drastic measures
for dealing with the menace, disaster
is before us
III" government is hopeful Of find
ihS means Of dealing with the sub
marine. but we should be guilty OF
toll! If We rested TRANQUILITY upon the
expectation OF realization Of that hope.
We lirrc to deal ruthlessly and prompts
ly with the tonnage problem nv meas
Ircs which impose great sacrifices upon
the country.
iGcrc arc three sets OF measures:
First by the navy, as described by Sir
Edward Carson Ofrst Lord of the Ad-
miralty); second. the building of mer-
chant ships; third dispensing with un.
n''e"Ss ry commodities from abroad.
aud pr"du lion of as much rood az
pCSS,hln ~ 'aome."
The stocks Of food in Great Britain
at the present time are lower than
They ever have been before Lloyd
George said. II was essential for the
life OF the nation. he declared that
every possible effort be made to in
crease homc production.
The opinion was expressed by tho
Premier that food prices were not like
ly to decrease for n long time after
the war. inasmuch as Germany would
then be heavier purchaser than ever
before. Therefore. II was safe TO grant
to tho farmers minimum price over a