Evening star., 1921-07-31
Another War "Woufd Be Ter
ribIe Beyond Thought"
Premier Warns.
ADMITS PLAIN SPEAKING
OVER SILESIAN QUESTION
Britain Only Claims Voice in Yer.
sailles Treaty Interpretation.
Agrees On Troops.
By the Associated Press,

THAME, England. July -30.-Mr.
Lloyd George, the prime minister.
speaking at the unveiling of q war
memorial here today. referred opti-
mistically to the trend of the discus
over the Silesian situation. The two
countries. he believed. were on the
right road to an understanding, and
the preliminary troubles which were
causing the difficulty had been "ac-
commodated."
1t had been arranged for the allies
to meet in a few days to settle this
question. added the premier. and he
hoped the settlement would be final.
In introducing the subject the pre-
mier said:
1--WE have had some differences with
France recently over the interpreta-
tion Of one Of the sections of the
peace treaty. and we have talked very
plainly to each other. That Is quite
right. Plain speaking generally leads
to good understanding. Thoughts
working in concealment are danger
Gus. 1t is much better to have 1t out,
and we have both done so. with most
excellent results"
Britain Claims Only Voice.
The premier. after saying the pre-
liminary difficulties had been accom-
modated and announcing the forth
coming meeting of the allies. con-
tinued:
Great Britain only claims that she
must have a voice in the interpreta-
tion of the peace she made such sacri-
fees to win. She does not claim a
predominant voice or determining
voice. That would be so arrogant =
demand that no self-respecting ally
could possibly tolerate it. ~Ne only
ask for an equal voice, ane I'VE are
prepared to go even beyond that. We
recognize fully that the greater sacri-
fees of France give her asspsciai
claim for consideration; that her In
terests are more immediate in some
of these questions: that the danger IL
closer to her frontiers, more visible to
her eyes, and that historical causes
some of them very recent and very
fresh in her memory. make her ap-
prehensions more vivid and more
poignant than ours. ~
I'VE are willing to allow for all
that. I would only respectfully say
that these considerations, although
they give France better right to a
hearing for her case. are Of character
which is apt to defect calm judgment
The British empire has but one con-
Germ in all these questions-that the
peace so dearly won should be a real
peace, should be an immediate peace
A deferred peace Is half a war.
Taught Leison by War.
Let US have the peace which this
noble blood was shed to purchase
They did not die that the nations
should continue to hurl hatred al
each other and organize against each
other even bloodier conflicts than
those in which they fell. If Great
Britain seems to be always restrain
ing, always counseling patience
always urging moderation in the af-
fairs Of Europe, it is because this
terrible war taught us the value OF
peace. Our sole anxiety is lest the
allies, by the unwise, harsh use OF
their undoubted power, should ram
deeper and firmer into the soil those
roots of future conflicts which were
withering on the surface In the sun
shine of the great victory.
"If there is another war it will be
terrible beyond thought. The ma
chinery Of destruction during the war
was becoming more terrible year by
year. month by month. Just before
the bells of peace were set ringing
we had ready more horrible machin-
cry than the world had yet seen. and
I doubt not that similar devices were
perfecting on the other side. The
ingenious mind of man will go on
developing these horrors. and no one
can conceive what the next war
might be like. Europe might become
as the north of France.
eve must beware lest we bequeath
70 our children a legacy of concen-
trated hate whlch Will one oay eX-
plode, shattering their happiness and
leaving the world a wilderness and
man a gaunt wanderer amongst the
ruins of a civilization his folly has
DESTROYED. Should this happen. the
gallant young men of Thame will
have died in vain and millions more
Of brave men in the five continents
will have sacrificed their lives to no
good purpose.
.@rhat is the reason why, as the whole
might of the British empire was in
August, 1914. cast into war, today tho
same power is thrown into the scales
of peace" -.