THE INDEX to Volume XXIV., completed by the last number of THE LIBERAL MAGAZINE, is now ready. A copy will be sent post free to any subscriber on application to the Liberal Publication THE LIBERAL YEAR BOOK FOR 1917 is now almost ready, and will be published immediately. Orders for quantities (at special rates) and for single copies can now be sent to the Liberal Publication WE shall be very grateful if present subscribers to THE LIBERAL THE DIARY OF THE MONTH. (1) Mr. Lloyd George on the Effects of the War. "Before the war we had a good many shortcomings in our business, our commerce, and our industry. The war is setting them all right in the most marvellous way. You ask great business men what is going on in the factories throughout Great Britain and Ireland. Old machinery scrapped, the newest and the best set up; slip-shod, wasteful methods also scrapped, hampering customs discontinued; millions brought into the labour market to help to produce who before were merely consumers. I do not know what the National Debt will be at the end of this war, but I will make this prediction. Whatever it is, what is added in real assets to the real riches of the nation will be infinitely greater than any debt that we shall ever acquire. The resources of the nation in every direction developed, directed, perfected, the nation itself disciplined, braced up, quickened, we become a more alert people. We have thrown off useless tissues. We are a nation that has been taking exercise. We are a different people. I will tell you another difference. The Prussian menace was a running mortgage which detracted from the value of our national security. Nobody knew what it meant. We know pretty well now. You could not tell whether it meant a mortgage of hundreds of millions, or thousands of millions, and I know you could not tell it would not mean ruin. That mortgage will be cleared off for ever, and there will be a better security, a better, sounder, safer security, at a better rate of interest. The world will then be able, when the war is over, to attend to its business. There will be no war or rumours of war to disturb and to distract it. We can build up; we can reconstruct; we can till and cultivate and enrich; and the burden and terror and waste of war will have gone. The best security for peace will be that nations will band themselves together to punish the first peacebreaker. In the armouries of Europe every weapon will be a sword of justice. In the government of men every army will be the constabulary of peace.' (2) Mr. Bonar Law on the Effects of the War. "Political party landmarks have been swept away by the tide of war. That does not matter. There will be parties after the war, for no country is without them; but they will not be quite the same parties, and what they will be is something which at this moment does not interest me. But this illustration is useful to turn our minds for a moment to something which is more important. The Prime Minister the other day, in his speech at the Guildhall, drew attention to the great revolution in our industrial life which has been brought about by the war and the necessity of increased production in consequence of the war. Old machinery has been scrapped, old customs have been swept aside, and when the war ends, conditions will, I hope, have full play in the future life of this country." And on Voluntary Methods. "I believe in voluntary methods, and I am sure that in this case they will succeed. I believe in that even in regard to men. So long as we were getting the numbers that were necessary, in spite of the disadvantages, I believed in it when many of my friends had thought we should have taken other methods. I believe in it in regard to money, and here the necessity of these other methods would be bad for the country; but it would be worst of all for those who have money and have not given it freely in the service of the country. I do not believe for a moment that any such steps will be necessary, and I need not say that if they ever were, in considering the amount of the levy to be made either upon individuals or institutions, an account would be taken of the contributions which had already been made voluntarily." Arthur H, Clar fad 9-13-44 50869 THE DIARY OF THE MONTH. 1917. January 2.-Invernesshire By-Election consequent on the elevation of Sir John Dewar (L) to the Peerage (as Lord_ Forteviot). Unopposed return of Mr. T. B. Morison, K.C. (L). Number of Registered Electors—10,407. Representation unchanged. 6. Mr. Prothero at Bedford on Farmers and the War. Lord Haldane at Perth on Education after the War. 7. Mr. Barnes at the Browning Settlement on War Pensions. 8. Mr. Prothero at Holborn Town Hall on the National Food Supply. 10. Lord Haldane at Huddersfield on Education after the War. 11.-(1) Mr. Lloyd George, Mr. Bonar Law, and Mr. McKenna at the Guildhall on the New War Loan. Admiral Jellicoe at the Fishmongers' Company on the Work of the Navy. 15. Mr. Henderson at Croydon on Conditions of a Mr. Long at London Bridge Hostel on the 17. Mr. Long at Plymouth on the War Loan. Mr. Prothero at Newport on Agriculture and the War. 18. (2) Mr. Bonar Law and Mr. H. Samuel at Lord Rosebery at Edinburgh on Memories of 20. Mr. Neville Chamberlain and Mr. Hodge at 33 33 1 (1) Mr. Hodge on Tariffs Against Germany. war. "Previous to the war, like the silly beggars we were, we thought Free Trade meant the prevention of war, that so long as we had the open door Germany would never risk the loss of her trade by indulging in We wanted cheap commodities, but I think the war has dropped the scales from our eyes. Once we were blind, now we see that three million tons of steel were coming into this country from Germany. I am having that leakage stopped now. I am going to have no more German steel in this country whilst there is an idle furnace in this country. When every furnace here is occupied, then I might let a bit in. How silly we were in the past to have an open door as against a closed door. I think we want to give them tit for tat in the future. It used to be said that no trade union leader believed in a policy of that kind. We cannot say that to-day. We have had our eyes opened, and we are beginning to realise the true inwardness of things.' (2) Mr. Prothero on Taking Men from the Land. "It was a staggering blow to me when I found that the War Office were going to take 30,000 men away. Sixty thousand men had been refused exemption by the tribunals, and were on the land by the leave of the War Office, which might be cancelled at any moment. In the first place, Lord Derby reduced the demand to 30,000. That is to say, that 30,000 are not going to be taken up. And the War Cabinet has decided that no more than these 30,000 are to be taken from the land without their express sanction and approval. What would they get instead? They had 15,000 men promised from one source and 15,000 from another. They would be placed on the land within the next few days, so that practically there would be no gap in agricultural operations.' (3) Lord Derby on Why Men were Taken from the Land. " "There are often cases when the War Office is held up to blame, and there is a particular case which has created somewhat of a disturbance on the calling up of some agricultural labourers. I mention that because you should know the full facts. Mr. Prothero said he was staggered. It may have been because he is new to his office, but his office cannot have been staggered. Indeed it was I who ought to have been staggered if there had been any qustion about taking these men. We had in the autumn of last year no less than 60,000 men employed in agriculture, whose claims for exemption have been rejected by the tribunals, and who, therefore, rightly belong to the Army, but I was allowed, with Mr. Lloyd George's permission-he was then Secretary for War-to lend those men to agriculture till the beginning of the year. But it was only a case of lending. Of course I quite understand that a borrower is very often staggered when asked to repay his debts. This was only a question, not of repaying the debt, but of repaying only half the debt that was owing, and I want you clearly to understand that it was not done until after consultation with Mr. Prothero. It was done with his consent and with the official sanction of the War Cabinet." (4) Mr. Long on the Future of German Colonies. "Let no man think that the struggles for these colonies have been in vain. Let no man think that these colonies will ever return to German rule. It is impossible. Our Oversea Empire will not tolerate any suggestion of the kind. We have been able to rectify mistakes since the war began, and it now rests with the people of this country to help to an early and satisfactory peace, and to take care that they prepare before the war ends to face that other bitter and ruthless contest in trade and commerce which will follow hereafter." 1917. January 21.-(1) Mr. Hodge at Rotherham on an Inconclusive Peace and on Free Trade. 22.-Dr. Addison at the Mansion House on Women and War Work. 23. Mr. Hodge and Sir Gordon Manchester on the War Loan. Hewart at Annual Labour Party Conference at 24. Mr. Bonar Law at Bristol on the American Note and on National Resources. Mr. Hodge at Manchester on Employment after the War. (2) Mr. Prothero at the National Farmers' Union on Farmers and the War. Deputation to Lord Rhondda on the Treatment of Venereal Disease. 26.-Lord Derby at Middlesex Guildhall on the Territorials and Home Defence. Lord Rhondda at Newport on the War Loan. Mr. Hodge at Manchester on Tariffs. Mr. H. A. L. Fisher and Mr. Barnes at Bradford on the War Loan. Lord Selborne at Alton on Peace. 27.-(3) Lord Derby at Liverpool on the War Office and Sir E. Cornwall at the Faculty of Insurance on 30.-Lord R. Cecil at Nottingham on the Blockade of Germany, Mr. Henderson at Norwich on No Drawn War. 31.—Mr. Balfour at Sheffield on the War Loan. (4) Mr. Long at Westminster City Hall on the War Loan and on the Future of German Colonies. Sir George Cave at Mortlake on National Service. |