New-York tribune., 1918-03-28
Reading Sure
America Will
Not Finch
Allies Faith in Ultimate
Victory Unshaken,
He Declares

All. appeal for American reinforce
ments was cabled to America Yesterday
by Lloyd George, Prime Minister of
England, and was read last night by
Earl Reading, British Ambassador to
the United States, at a dinner in his
honor given at the Lotos Club. The
men who heard the age-the gath
ering included Governor Whitman, for
mer Justice Hughes, President II bben
of Princeton, and hundreds of others
of prominence-stood and pledged the
needed help in sincere cheers.
From start to finish Lord Reading
was halted again and again by the ap-
plause and cheers of the members of
The Lotos Club
A score of Union Jacks and Stars and
Stripes made up a glowing background
tor the speaker. But none was needed.
1t was not an after dinner speech that
Lord Reading made. His gestures, his
manner and his voice all bespoke some
thing of the strain and stress that have
been upon the British Ambassador dur
ing the last week.
"lt is WE'LL" he said, "that we face
facts. | do not believe that either you
in this country or we in ours are ever
the worse off for knowing the facts,
even though they may be unpalatable.
We have had during the last few days
conflicting currents Of anxiety which
have no doubt stirred you as they have
stlrred our people to the depths. We
haTe had an enemy who has concen-
trated his attacks upon our forces with
the object of driving us to surrender
OF large bodies of troops and to break
our lines so as to compel on our part
the acceptance OF a peace at the dicta-
tlon Of Germany.
The attacks have been heavy; we
have been driven from positions which
we held. The enemy has been enabled
by withdrawing masses of troops from
Russia, assisted by the artillery which
ne has got, not only from there, but
from Austria, all flung upon that part
OF the line which was held by British
troops
Deeds of Valor Lauded
Deeds of valor have been done;
heaps of prodigious valor have been
accomplished daily. Many of them,
alas! must remain unsung But in the
end the epic will be written which will,
l verify believe, prove the record of
one of the glorious chapters of British
arms"
Lord Reading was interrupted here,
Tor his audience was on its feet Some
OF them we're on their chairs. Many
were waving napkins, and all were
cheering who weren't giving shrill rebel
yells.
"our men have been compelled to
weight of numbers Of nen and guns"
the British Ambassador continued. az
have no hesitation in saying to YOU.
speaking as | do as an Englishman and
as the representative Of my nation, that
we have wthstood the attacks Of tho
enemy; that we have held our line ,1n-
der circumstances which may we'll re-
dound to the credit Of any nation (and
here his voice was lost in another
volume of chccring). In particular.
"hat mas hcld our people together i,
ne dogged determination, the grim
tenaclty OF our people"
What War Means
Lord Reading then produced tho
message from Lloyd George and read
1T slowly, letting each word sink into
the consciousness Of all. When he fin
lshcd and the applause and chcerinr
had subsidized. he said:
Possibly it is difficult for you mem
bcrs Of this club, and, indeed the
American people, with all your sympa-
thy and with all your constituencies. to
understand exactly the feelings of we
British who have been in this war so
long; who have lost 80 many; who have
all suffered in the same way, and who
are all anxious at the present moment
rs to the lives of those who are doing
battle on the front at this moment, Il
is difficult, indeed, to picture to your
selves what all this means to us; but
you are about to i"ern it. You have
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