WAR MEMOIRS OF DAVID LLOYD GEORGE 1917

IMPERIAL WAR CABINET AND CONFERENCE 51
or three hundred thousand coming on — boys of seventeen;
she can do that next year, and that is about all she can do.
Then Russia. Well, Russia is Russia. You never can tell what
she can do; and the trouble of Russia is that if she could
put men in, she has not got the lines of communication, the
transport, which would enable her to make use of those men.
And, therefore, the winning of this War in the real sense of
the term, depends upon the efforts which the British Empire
is able to put forward.
You will have figures circulated which will show exactly
what we have all done — Great Britain, Ireland, and the
rest of the Empire. We are relying upon getting a good deal
more assistance from India, especially in the breaking up of
Turkish power. I am sure that the resources of India, which
have been willingly and enthusiastically placed at the disposal
of the Empire in this struggle, will be available for
any further efforts that it may be called upon to make; but
undoubtedly it would enable us to concentrate far more
upon the struggle in the West if India were to be able to
undertake the larger share of the effort which is to be made
in the fights in Mesopotamia and Egypt more especially.
Efforts have been made to secure more labour from India —
because in that respect we have a great scarcity. There is a
great shortage of labour behind the lines in France, and this
struggle is becoming very largely a matter of making roads,
constructing railways, and generally making and improving
the access to the front, so as to enable us to bring up our
ammunition and men. There, undoubtedly, India could
render us enormous assistance in the way, not merely of
helping us with labour for that purpose, but, subject to what
the War Office say, I personally think there are many men
now engaged upon work behind the lines, and altogether
right up to the lines, who I think might be replaced by men
from India. I think we might incorporate into our armies