Evening star., 1918-01-05

l<iOyQ 1eOESe SdIu tndt
the last few days he had taken special
pains to ascertain the views and the
attitude of representative men Of all
sections of thought in the country. He
had read the statement OF labors war
aims. he continued. and had discussed
the subject of war aims with former
Premier AsQuith and with viscount
Grey Had the nationalist leaders in
Ireland not been engaged with the tan
gled problem of Irish self-government
he would have been happy to exchange
views with. them. He had also con-
suited representatives of Great Brit
aims overseas dominions.
National Agreement.
AS result of these discussions. said
Mr. Lloyd George, although the govern
ment alone was responsible Tor the
there was q national agreement as to
the character and purpose OF the ma
tionss war aims and peace condittcns.
He was speaking, therefore. not mere
" tho mind Of the govsrnment. put the
mind Of the nation and the empire.
1--WE are not hghting . war OF aEgres-
sion against the German people, de-
clared the premier. The destruction
or disruption OF Germany or the Ger
man people has never been war aim
with us since the first day of the war
to now. The British people never
aimed at breaking up the German peo-
pie or the distntegration OF their state.
Our wish Is not to destroy Germany
great position in the world, but to turn
her aside from schemes of military
domination to devote her strength to
beneficent tasks.
As to Turkey and Austria.
The premier continued with the
declaration that Great Britain was not
fighting to take eLConstantinopie from
= -f.tn IL N
I'VE are not lighting" he said. ito de-
stroy Austria Hungary or to deprive
Turkey of it's capital or the rich LANDS
in Asia Minor AND Thrace, which are
predominantly Turkish.
"Our viewpoint the premier de-
clared. "is that the adoption of demo-
cratic constitution by Germany would
be the most convincing evidence that
the, old spirit of military domination
was dead: but that is a auestion for 'he
German people to decide
The basis of any territorial settle
ment must be government with the
consent Of the governed, the premier
asserted.
AS regards the German constitution,
Mr. Lloyd George said Great Britain
was not fighting to destroy it, although
II considered a military, autocratic con-
stitution a dangerous anachronism-
Basis Of Settlement.
After his reference to the desirability
of the adoption of democratic consti-
tntion by Germany he continued:
..The days of the treaty of Vienna are
long past We can no longer submit
the future of European civilization to
the arbitrary decisions of few ne
gotiators striving to secure by chiean-
ery or persuasion the interests of this
or that dynasty or nation. Therefore
government with the consent of the
governed must be the basis OF any ter
ritoria1 settlement.
Referring to the pronouncement made
on December 25 by Count Won Czernin,
fbe Austro- Hungarian foreign min
ister, at the Brest-Litovsk peace con-
ference, the premier said:
.It is impossible to believe that any
nermanent peace could be erected on
such a foundation
Mere lip service to the formula of no
annexation. no indemnity and self-de-
termination is useless.
For Independent Poland.
pren,ier Lloyd George said that an