le Ages, are fighting for their hearths and homes
against trained troops. How has that been brought about? In a state of
war, war must be waged. But remember that this plan is not of today or
of yesterday; that it has been long matured; that the Germans knew that
they would have this to face; and that they were ready to take the
course which they took the other day of saying to Belgium, "Destroy your
independence. Allow our troops to go through, or we will come down upon
you with a might which it is impossible for you to resist." If we had
allowed that to be done, our position as one of the great nations of the
world and our honor as one of the nations of the world would in my
opinion have been gone forever. [Cheers.] This is no small struggle. It
is the greatest, perhaps, that this country has ever engaged in. It is
Napoleonism once again. ["Hear, hear!"] Thank Heaven, so far as we know,
there is no Napoleon.

I am not going to say anything more about the causes of the war, for I
do not desire to encourage controversy on this subject. But if I may be
allowed to say so, I should like to say that I read yesterday with real
pleasure an article in a paper which does not generally commend itself
to me--The Manchester Guardian. ["Hear, hear!"] In that article it still
held that the war ought not to have been entered upon; but it took this
view, that that was a question for history, and that now we are in it
there is only one question for us, and that is to bring it to a
successful issue. [Cheers.]

Sir, I have full sympathy far more than at any other time for the Prime
Minister and the Foreign Secretary. I can imagine nothing more terrible
than that the Foreign Secretary should have a feeling that perhaps he
has brought his country into an unnecessary war. No feeling could be
worse. I can say this, and, whether we are right or wrong, the whole
House agrees with it, I am sure, that that is a burden which the right
honorable gentleman can carry with a good conscience, [cheers,] and that
every one of us can put up unhesitatingly this prayer: "May God defend
the right."

Trade and Food Supplies.

I should like, if I may, to pass to another topic, for this is the only
opportunity I can have. Consider the conditions under which this war is
going to be carried on. I was pleased to hear the Prime Minister say the
other day in answer to a speech of the honorable member for Merthyr
Tydvil--he has developed it in describing the ter