Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-02-15
LLOYD GEORGE
DARES CRITICS

Teut0ns' Peace Offers,
Challenges Liberals.
| EDITORS Note-Although yester-
! days dispatches from London
touched on the situation revealed in
the following delayed dispatch. this
is presented in its entirety today
because it details the events in
yesterdays important parliament
1 tary session more fully than did
] the cablegrams which preceded 1t.
London, Feb. 12-CDelayed) Par
Lament reassembled today on tiptoe
with curiosity as to how Premier
Lloyd George would meet President
Wilson's latest declaration and the dis
satisfaction manifested by a section OF
the press and public over the Versailles
council, and also as to how far H. H.
Asquith, the former premier would re-
spond to the demand of the extreme
wing of his followers for the abandon
ment of the policy Of benevolence to-
ward the government in favor of active
I Opposition based on disapproval Of the
general war policy and especially the
enlargement Of the functions of the
supreme war council.
| VIEWS DIFFER WIDELY
The house of commons was not dis
appointed, for the sitting proved unus-
ually exciting. It could hardly be said
that Mr.. Asquith rose to the expecta-
ton of the most eager Of his party, but
the temper of large section Of the
members seemed to show that such
tactics would meet with considerable
support.
Perhaps the most notable thing was
the contrast in the speeches of the
premier and the former premier with
reference to President Wilson's speech.
While Mr. Asquith endorsed fully the
prsident's view, Premier Lloyd George
did not even mention Mr.. Wilson's last
speech and declined to see In Count
Czernin's statement any nearer ap-
proach to reasonable terms than in
that Of Count Won Hertling. Moreover,
the premier regarded the German
chancellors demand that Great Britain
give up her coaling stations as proving
that the controllers of German policy
are in no mood to discuss reasonable
terms OF peace.
PREMIER CHALLENGES CRITICS
Declaring absolutely that he would
not yield on the matter of revealing
more about the Versailles conference,
Premier Lloyd George challenged the
house, II dissatisfied with the gov
ernment's conduct of the war, to put
another government in its place.
The question of enlarging on the
status of the Versailles council led to
a little scene between the premier and
Mr.. Asquith. Throughout his remarks
about the council, the premier was sub
jected to running fire Of heckling,
punctuated. with loud cheers from ex-
ltreme liberals. many Of whom in subse-
iquent speeches, made strong attacks
on the premier regarding his alleged
connection with the press.
hEckLERS ARE PERSISTENT
Lord Hugh Cecil, member of Oxford
university, admitted the premier's
speech was reassuring, but said that
the weakness Of the government lay in
the existence of condolences between
utterances in the press and certain
lines of governmental action. He hoped
the government would not fail to sup
press, II necessary, even the more in
fluential journals acting contrary to
the national interests. Admiral Sir He'd
worth Meux invited the premier to get
rid of his private secretaries and also
the press, which, he declared, is hang.
ing around his neck like an alba
tross"
6oNAR LAW HARD PRESSED
VUhi1o ho Uo,.oS1lo.
under discussion the premier also was
met by constant cries of Don't d.
vulge!" At one point, Andrew Bonar
Law, chancellor Of the exchequer, in
terposing to deny that Field Marshal
Haig or General Robertson had been
dismissed or resigned and being close
ly pressed by heckler, added las far
as / know"
During the year 1917 there was
built in Great Britain 1,163,474 tons
Of shipping and 10000 tons were Sc
cured abroad, Mr.. Bonar Law an.
nounced.
ANSWERS CRITICISMS
During 1917 the national service de.
partment put into the army S20,645 ad-
ditional men and placed in employment
at home 731 900 men and 8O4,0 900
women, Mr. Bonar Law stated. He
made these announcements in replying
to criticisms Of the governmental home
policy.
The chancellor explained that Pre-
mier Lloyd Georges estimate Of Great
Britain's ship construction was not
realized because the government has
arranged to have large quantity OF
tonnage built in the United States and
when that nation came into the war
she preferred, "as we would have" to
take the tonnage herself. The ton.
mage is there, however the chancellor
pointed out.
British guns available in France,
said Mr. Bonar Law, had increased by
80 per cent and the supply OF air.
planes had been multiplied 2k times
in 1917 as compared with 1916.
The house then adjourned and thus