New Britain herald., 1918-01-05
WAR AIMS SUBJECT OF PREMIER'S TALK
 IN LONDON TODAY
Lloyd George Tells Union Men of England That Great Britain
 Is At Critical Stage
NOT FIGHTING TO
 CONQUER TERRITORY

CONQUER TERRITORY Declares This Is No War of Aggres-
 sion and That It Is Not the War Aims to Take ConssantinopIc Nor
 to Destroy Austro- -Hungary-His
 Speech.
 London, Jan. 5-Premier, Lloyd George addressing the Trades Union i today on the subject of war aims. said that only the dearest, greatest and most just of causes could justify the continuance, even for a day, of |'this unspeakable agony of nations We ought to be able to state clearly and definitely not only the principles for which we are fighting but their definite, concrete application 1 to the war map of the world
 ! We have arrived" he vert on tat the most critical hour of this terrible conflict and before ~ny government takes the Hateful decision as to the conditions under which it ought either 
 ought be satisfied that the conscience of the nation is behind these condi- i tions."
 1 MT. Lloyd George said that during the last few days he had taken. special pains to ascertain the views and atti- 1 tude of representative men of all sec i tions throughout the country on the 1 war.
 l He had read the statement of la- ! bor's war aims, he continued, and had l discussed the subject of war aims with former Premier Asquith and Wis., count Grey. Had the Nationalist Headers in Ireland not been engaged with the tangled problem of Irish I self-government he would have been l happy to exchange views with them. He also had consulted representatives 1 of Great Britain's overseas dominions. 1sssa4A a result of thsse .1igesassians, said 1 Mir. Lloyd George although the gov- ernment alone was responsible for the exact language he pSoposed using, there was a national aSreement as to the character and purpose of the na- ! tions war aims and peace conditions He was speaking, therefore, not mere i ly the mind of the government but the mind of the nation and empire 8s'We are not fighting a war of ag- gression against the German people, '' declared the premier. The destruc- l ton or disruption of Germany or the German people has never been war aim with us since the first day of the war to now. The British people nev- CT aimed at breaking up the German peoples or the disintegration of their state. Our wish is not to destroy Ger l e-it to turn her. aside from schemes fof military domin ation to- devote her strength to benefiCent tasks"
 The premier declared Great Britain was not fighting to take .Constanti. nople from Turkey, nor destroy Aus tro- HungarEss 4" lSss sf
 ''We are not fighting,,' he said, ito destroy Austria Hunary or to deprive Turkey of its capital or the rich lands in Asia Minor and Thrace where pre- dominant1y Turkish rule. Our view point IS that the adoption of a demo- cratic constitution by Germany would be the most convincing evidence that the old spirit of military domination ] was dead but that is a question for the German people to decide.''
 The basis of any territorial settle ment must be government with the consent of the governedsAhe premier asserted s4.
 Nobody who knows Prussia ana her designs toward Russia can doub1 her ultimate intention, MT. Lloyd
 George said. ''Whatever phrases she uses to delude Russia she does no
 mean to surrender any. of the Russian provinces and cities now occupied l Under one name Eors another they vii henceforth be part9of the Prussian do
 minions, ruled by the Prussian sword and the rest of Russia will be enticec or bullied into complete economic ant 4l ultimate political achievement. We 1 mean to stand by the French de
 mocracy to the death in the demand
 that the French make for a recon
 sideration of the great wrong of 1871
 when A1sace-LorrasnG was torn aWa'
 from them. This sore has poisonet 1 the peace of Europe for half a cen
 tury and until it is cured health,
 conditions cannot be restored
 , k The premier said democracy il < Great Britain would stand to the las F by the democracies of France ant
 Italy. .. .....
 We should be proud to fight to tht
 end" he declared, "side by side witl
 the new Russian democracy. S'
 would America, France and Italy. Bu
 if the present rulers of Russia act in ! dependently we have no means to ar
 (Continued on Seventh Page).