Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-04-28
Lloyd George Points to
Need Of Foodstufs and
Prays for Solution Of the
Problem Of Submarine
Confident of Dsposng of "Swa of Pirates When Ameri-
and British Inventors Put Minds TaskMust Feed
Population of 100000 Country Not Sefsupporting

pirates moving unseen under the track
less seas, since the Germans determined
to sink all craft indiscriminately with
cut warning There is no doubt we have
lost many ships, but they brought Ameri-
ca in and I am perfectly satisfied with
the balance. America, after great pa
tience, came to the conclusion there 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 problem. There
never was a human problem which was
not soluble, and l don't believe this an
exception TO the rule; but we must pro-
coed on the assumption that nothing
could he done to put it down and that Is
where the public comes in
Dealing with the effort of the govern
ment to make the country self-supporting
the premier said that as result Of the
guarantees to the farmer and the farm
laborer a million fresh acres of land had
been brought under cultivation which was
equal to producing two million tons of
food.
II do not say that the war is going to
continue through 1915 Mr.. Lloyd George
went on, "but we must take no chance.
We have taken far too many. If the
German knew that by holding out until
the end of 1918 he could win he would
hold out, but if he knows that the longer
he holds out the worse it will be for him,
peace will come much earlier
Must Husband Resources
The premier said tie government
was taking steps for the harvest of
1918 and that if the plans were car
ried out there would be 100000 acres
| Of land under cultivation and the gov
eminent could guarantee that without
! ton of foodstuffs coming from abroad
no one would starve. But the country
! must help in outstanding foodstuffs.
1--WE have got to economic our ship
| ping until we have discovered a meth
i Cd of destroying this ocean basilisk,"
said the premier. He then outlined the
! steps already taken in this direction,
! by which 100000 tons of imports
would be cut off. He added that the
; shipping controller had made arrange
ments under which Great Britain
would get perhaps four times as many
new ships this year as last. He contin-
ued:
THE Germans think we are done for.
! but they do not know the race they
! are dealing with. Iam confident that
| it our present program is carried out
| the submarine campaign is beaten"
| Dealing with the question of future
| government of the empire, Mr.. Lloyd
George said:
when the reconstruction time
| comes l hope and pray that we will
not dive into dusty pigeonholes in
searching for precedents for our pro-
! grams There is a great need for re-
/ vision Of our ideas and our attitude to-
ward that great commonwealth of ma
! tions called the British Empire. The
! dominions have established claims to
real partnership. Effective consultation
must be the basis Of our future Co
| operation. Oar experiment OF an impe-
| rial conference must be incorporated
| into the fabric of the empire. 1t will
mean fuller development of the vast
| world wide resources under the Brit
| ish flag. The system Of preference car
be established without involving any
! addition to the cost of our food"