Evening star., 1917-05-25
BLOWS AT U-BOATS
PROVEEFFECT|VE
British Food Situation Has
improved, Says Premier
Lloyd George.
GRATEFUL FOR u. S. AID

By the Associated Press.
LONDON. May e5. 1880 p.m-'The
successes against submarines have re-
suited in distinct improvement in our
food situation" said Premier Lloyd
George today in the house of commons.
The premier said more effective blows
had been dealt the submarines during
the last three weeks than in any corre-
spending period of the war.
Ship Losses Reduced.
The shipping losses for May, the pre-
mier said, probably would show a re-
duction from the April figures. In
speaking Of the success of the anti-sub-
marine method he said:
I'VE owe a very considerable debt OF
gratitude to the great American people
for the effective assistance they have
rendered and the craft they have placed
at our disposal. Now that the American
nation Is in the war it is easier to make
arrangements for the protection of our
mercantile marine than it was before"
Mr.. Lloyd George asserted there was
no danger to the country from starva-
ton, but that the utmost economy OF
foodstuffs was still essential
"The submarine menace need cause
no fear that the war is going to be lost
for that reason he declared.
Disappointment for Germans.
'T see that today the Germans are
depending mainly on submarine war
fare for success" said Mr.. Lloyd George.
"An can say is that if that is their
main hope of success it is doomed to
disappointment. l say it with full
sense Of responsibility and on behalf
Of the government, after full consid-
GRAFTON of the whole facts. That does
not mean that the people need not
hat 70 M
their land. 1t means that if every one
does his duty the German hope of tri-
umph In the war based on submarines
Is the greatest miscalculation in the
whole series of miscalculations of that
hated empire. II every one does his
duty patriotically, each in his own way
to the common stock. then I say the
submarine is not going to defeat u.s."
British Labor Situation.
In reference to the labor situation
Mr.. Lloyd George said the government
had taken steps to deal with the pres
ent labor unrest In the country and
prevent 1t in the future. The termina-
tion Of the engineers strike afforded q
sSSa opp9fsanity ,fe for ,.Dts the
had ended. but there had been great
unrest in certain quarters.
1Ae government have their views AZ
to how that has been fostered," he
continued. but at the same time there
sisted the designs Of those with ui-a
terror motives. The government there
fore appointed a commission to in
quire into industrial unrest and re-
port upon the operations Of war emer-
gency measures regarding labor"
It was proposed to divide the coun-
try into seven areas, Mr.. Lloyd George
continued. and to appoint separate
commisson for each of these areas. The
government hoped to obtain the serv-
ployer and an impartial third person to
constitute each commission.
Food Prospects Better.
Turning to the food supply the pre-
mier said:
there is distinct improvement in
our food prospects as a result of the
improvement in the submarine sttua-
ton. It Is very difficult, however, to
give favorable answer which would
net be mischievous. If I were to say
there is no danger of starvation Of the
people / would be saying What's the
good OF cutting up our grass land, and
what's the good of rationingT
The people must not rush from one
extreme to another. We must appeal
to the common sense of the nation. 1
say, after taking counsel with my ad-
visers and~After going into the figures
very carefully, that if the nation econ
omizes and Is not guilty Of waste, If
those who have got lands favorable for
the production of food make the best
use Of them. il the workmen turn out trac-
tors to enable us to plow. if the army
helps with the men available-if, in
fact, we all behave like reasonable hu-
man beings who want to save their
country from disaster, privation and
distress-the submarine menace Is not
one that need cause us any fear that
the war is going to be lost for that
reason"
Decrease in Insurance.
NEW YORK, May 25-Refecting an
optimistic feeling over the success re-
ported to have been attained in the last
two weeks in combating the sub
marine menace. war risk insurance on
outbound vessels to the United King
dom showed a marked decrease today
in the London market. according to To-
cal underwriters. A general reduction
of about 1913 per cent from the higher
quotations of early May prevailed, and
in some instances a reduction of so per
cent was recorded.