LONDON, Sept. 28, 1916 (UP) - There is no end of the war in sight.

Any step at this time by the United States or any other neutral in the direction of peace would be construed by England as an unneutral, pro-German move.


The United Press is able to make these statements on no less authority than that of the British man of the hour, David Lloyd George, secretary of state for war.

"Britain has only begun to fight; the British empire has invested thousands of its best lives to purchase future immunity for civilization; this investment is too great to be thrown away," was the Welsh stateman's size-up of the situation.

More than at any time since the beginning of the war, there is evidenced throughout England a popular suspicion toward America, a suspicion that did not exist a year ago.

This feeling appears directly attributable to the notion generally entertained by the man on the streets that President Wilson might be induced to butt in for the purpose of stopping the European war. A similar suspicion of Spain is also manifest.

Lloyd George was asked to give the United Press in the simplest possible language the British attitude toward the recent peace talk.

"Sporting terms are pretty well understood wherever English is spoken," he replied with a half smile. "I am quite sure they will be understood in America.

"Well, then, the British soldier is a good sportsman. He enlisted in this war in the sporting spirit - the best sense of that term. He went in to see fair play to a small nation trampled upon by a bully. He is fighting for fair play in international dealings. He has fought as a good sportsman by the thousands. He has died like a sportsman. He didn't squeal and certainly he never asked anyone to squeal for him."


The secretary for war, who looks, acts and talks more like an American business man than any other Englishman in public life now, continued:

"Under the circumstances, the British, now that the fortunes of the game have turned a bit, are not disposed to stop because of squealing done by the Germans, or for the Germans, by probably well meaning, but misguided sympathizers and humanitarians.

"For two years the British soldier had a bad time. He was sadly inferior in equipment. On the average he was inferior in training. He saw the allied cause beaten all about the ring, but he didn't appeal to either the spectators or a referee to stop the fight, on the ground that it was brutal.

"He took his punishment.

"Even when beaten like a dog he was a game dog. When forced to take refuge in a trench, when too badly used up to carry the fight to the enemy, he hung on without whining, fought off every attack, bided his time, endured without wincing, worked without flagging."

Lloyd-George's eyes snapped.

"And at this time, under these conditions, what was the winning German doing?" he asked. "Was he worrying over the terrible slaughter?

"No! He was talking of annexing Belgium and Poland, and while he was remarking the map of Europe without regard for the wishes of its people, the British people were preparing to pay the price we knew must be paid for the time to get the army ready.

"It is one thing to look back on the pounding the British soldiers took the first two years of the war, but a different thing to look forward as he did and know the beating couldn't be avoided during those months when it seemed the finish of the British army might come quickly.


"Germany elected to make it a finish fight with England. Now we intend to see that Germany has her way. The fight must be to the finish - to a knockout."

Dropping his colloquialisms, Lloyd George continued in a more serious vein.

"The whole world, including neutrals of the highest purposes and humanitarians with the best motives, must know that there can be no outside interference at this stage.

"Britain asked no intervention when she was not prepared to fight. She will tolerate none now that she is prepared, until Prussian military despotism is broken beyond repair.

"None of the carnage and suffering which is to come can be worse than the sufferings of those allied dead who stood the full shock of the Prussian war machine before it began to falter.

"But the British determination to carry the fight to a decisive finish there is something more than the natural demand for vengeance.

"The inhumanity, the pitilessness of the fighting that must come before a lasting peace is possible, is not comparable with the cruelty that would be involved in stopping the war while there remains a possibility of civilization again being menaced from the same quarter. Peace now, or at any time before the final complete elimination of this menace, is unthinkable."

"But how long do you figure this can and must go on?" Lloyd George was asked.

"There's neither clock nor calendar in the British army today," was his quick reply. "Time is the least vital factor. Only the result counts.


"It took England 20 years to defeat Napoleon and the first 15 of those years were black with British defeat. It will not take 20 years to win this war but, whatever time is required, it will be done, and I say this, recognizing that we have only begun to win.

"We have no delusion that the war is nearing an end. We haven't the slightest doubt as to how it is to end."

"But what of France, is there the same determination there to stick to the end, the same idea of fighting until peace terms can be dictated by Germany's enemies?" Lloyd George was asked.

The war secretary turned his chair slowly to gaze out over the khaki-dotted throng in Whitehall. There was a fall moment's pause and as the chair swung around again, the reply came in a voice and manner impressively grave.

"The world at large has not yet begun to appreciate the magnificence, the nobility, the wonder of France," he said. "I had the answer to your inquiry given me a few days ago by a noble French woman. She had given four sons - she had one left to be given to France. In the course of my talk with her, I asked if she didn't think the struggle had gone far enough. Her reply, without a moment's hesitation was:

"Yes, France will stick to the end.

"With the British it will be the sporting spirit that will animate the army to the last, fair play the motive - fair fight the method. With the French it will be that fiercely burning patriotism that will sustain the army to the end, regardless of when the end may come."


"And Russia ---- ?

"Will, go thru to the death!" interrupted Lloyd George. "Russia has been slow to arouse but she will be equally slow to quiet.

"No, there are and will be no quitters among the allies.

" 'Never again!' has become our battle cry.

"This ghastliness must never be re-enacted on this earth, and one method at least of answering that end is the infliction of such punishment upon the perpetrators of the outrage against humanity that the temptation to emulate their exploits will be eliminated from the hearts of the evilminded amongst the rulers of men."

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(This United Press interview with David Lloyd-George, the directing force behind Britain's armies, asserting that the war must go on "to a knockout," is the first statement given by him to American newspapers since he succeeded Lord Kitchener as secretary of state for war.)