The Prime Minister, speaking at Newcastle on Friday week, defended
the Coalition Ministry as the only possible alternative to government by Mr. Asquith's Liberal group or the Labour Party controlled by Mr. Ramsay MacDonald. His Unionist colleagues had, he said, stood " a two years' test of conversion " by helping to carry great progressive measures, and he should continuo to trust in their loyalty. In a second speech he declared that the German residents who had abused our hospitality should be expelled from the country. Germany " must pay the costs of the war up to the limit of her capacity to do so," and will not be allowed " to pay in such a way as to wreck our industries " by " dumping cheap goods." The German Emperor must be held responsible for his crime against humanity in planning the war and invading Belgium, which, in the opinion of some of our greatest jurists, was an indictable offence. As for the ' U '-boat outrages, " the pirates must receive the punishment of piracy." The Germans responsible for the ill-treatment of our prisoners must be brought to account.
