THE HUN AT BAY

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15750, 17 November 1916, Page 7

THE HUN AT BAY

« ALL CIVILIANS TO MOBILISE. PREPARATIONS TO ASTONISH EUROPE. A FOOD CONTROLLER FOR BRITAIN. BLOODY BATTLE AT BEAUMONT-HAMEL TROOPS HAND-TO-HAND FOR TEN HOURS. (3rd YEAR—lO9th DAY.)

BRITAIN'S PART.

A FOOD CONTROLLER. DRASTIC! MEASURES POSSIBLE EFFORT AT ECONOMY.

(By Cable. — Press Association. —Copyright.) (Australian and X.Z. Cable Association.) (Received November lGth, 7.10 p.m.) LONDON, November I^>.

Jn tho House of Commons, Mr W. A. S. Hmvins moved that it was tho Government's duty to adopt further •methods of organisation to increase the national food supply and so diminish the risk of shortage in tho event of tho Avar being prolonged. He otated that we wore i'aoed with a permanent increase of prices which might last for many years. Tho problem, primarily, Mas ono of production. Wo should adopt a national agriculture policy. Mr W. Runciman, President of the Board of Trade, said that tho strain this country would have to bear' in 1917 was primarily one of food supplies. Tragic as it might be. it would be more severe for Austria and Germany. He declared that it was n °t necessary to stimulate the production of wheat in Canada or Australia. Canada's crop was abundant, and transport was easy. Next year we would hav© to depend upon Australian supplies. The fact that wo had commandeered a largo fleet at artificial rates had been at the base of the prob- j lent of transport. It had also on- | couraged Australian production. Tho food problem was shared by France and Italy. The Government regarded tbe whole shipmont of wheat for the Allies as ono problem to be dealt with by ono requisitioned fleet'. Ho exported that the half-year's production of shipping would approach 500,000 tons. Ho was arranging for pooling the engineering efforts on the Tyn e and elsewhere, and was bringing back hundreds of skilled workers from tho front. In a normal year wo could build up practically the whole tonnage lost since the Avar. Germany knew that we had chartered neutral ships, hence her submarine warfare.

The Government wa« taking powers to prevent undue profits on the part of potato-growers and milk-sellers. It would be necessarv to dispense with some forms of food especially with elaborate confectionery food. A controller would be necessary to co-ordin-ate activities. Powers would bo taken to proscribe the purposes for which articles shiuld be used, and to prosecute persons wasting or destroying food. If a voluntarv effort at economy failed, then drastic measures would be necessary. He proposed to prohibit the milling of fino white flour, thus raising the yield by Si per cent. The Government was taking powers to regulate tho market, to prevent cornering, and to deal with tho' sale and distribution of articles in order to bo in a position to act immediately. If the necessity arose the Government would use food tickets. It did not propose to fix minimum prices, but would ask for power to fix fair prices. Ho had been told that the country wanted to be governed. Ho aeked tho House to give the Cabinet the power to govern ifc.

Sir Edward Carson said that the House expected moro drastic proposals. Tho country should bo told that the difficulties were duo to the reduction of tonnage by submarines rather than to illegitimate profits. He hoped that the Food Controller would be a dictator with power to snub 3>epartments if they failed to do what he required.

Mr G. C. "Wardle, on behalf of Labour, welcomed the proposals, and expressed the opinion that the country's resources ought to have been organised at the outbreak of the war. He expected that Mr would ibavo to go yet farther in this direction.

ilr Runciman later explained that a Bill would be passed at the earliest possible moment embodying the Government's proposals. Some were immediately practicable under existing powers, notably those relating to milk contracts, potatoes, stocks of flour, and milling wheat. The Food Controller would be appointed immediacly a' suitable ma.n was found. He would have drastic powers. The Board of Trade would regard him as the most essential man in the Empire. As demonstrating the necessity for treating big ship-building centres as one concern, he cited the fact that sixteen vessels in the AVearside yards were awaiting engines. He had arranged to concentrate upon the most advanced vessels, and hoped that at the

end ot the. year no vessels would lie half-finished. Mr Runciman said he regarded new construction as the most important part of the shipping problem. There was a temporary steel shortage, but he hoped, as tho result of tho action of tho Minister of Munitions, thero would p be ample supplies available at tho New J Year. WIN THE WAR FIRST. i } THE TALK OF REPRISALS. CANNON NOW ONLY AUTHORITY. (Australian and N.Z. Ca-ble Association.) 5 - lleeeived November 16th, 5.55 p.m.) ' LONDON, November 15. In the House of Lords Lord Sydenham asked the. Government for a de- [ finite declaration of its policy on behalf of the Allies with regard to the • monstrous proceedings of German submarines. There was an uneasy feeling in the country that the, submarine menace was more serious than tho authorities admitted. Ho would like the Government to make a declaration that it would exact a ton of shipping for every ton lost. The Government should also give greater freedom of action to the (fleet. Lord Beresford said that the Foreign Office had entirely taken over the i naval policy, and hod handicapped the Navy's work. Wo had abandoned tho policy of attack, and had .substituted that of tho defence of the mercantile marine. There was a great danger that our food and material supplies would bo placed in peril. The Board at tbe Admiralty must be strengthened by the introduction of how blood and of younger mon fresh from the sea. Lord Crowe said it was useless to say that we would exact this or that as j reparation unless we were able to imI pose (ho terms of peace by obtaining I a complete victory. The onlv voico which could speak with authority now was the voice of tlie cannon on tho Allied fronts. The misdeeds of their submarincs .w e.ro only a small parf of German crimes. Thero was the sinking of the Lusitania, the murder of Nurse Cavell, the murder of Captain Frvatt, and tho Belgian and tho Polish atrocities. Before anything could be done we must complete our victory. Tho Government was making tho necessary preparations to arzn the mercantile marine. The Admiralty had been singularlv successful jn the destruction of submarines, but the difficulties of dealing with them had increased THE EMPIRE'S NEED. EVERY WORKER REQUIRED. ("Tha Times.") LONDON, November 15. Colonel Rcpington states: "Britain must reply to Germany's phenomenal mass levy by granting statutory power for tho use of tho whole of her manhood, and ultimately womanhood. Half measures aro no longer possible "if we want to end the war." He advocates compelling the return of British citizens from abroad. , INDIA'S RESOURCES. (Austj-a-lian and N.Z. Cailo Association.) LONDON. November 15. In tho House of Commons Mr Austen Chamberlain, Secretary of State for India announced that he was in 1 communication with the Viceroy regarding the possibility of further developing tho militarv resources of c India.

HEAVY CLOTH ORDERS

LONDON. November ]o. Tho War Office. is placing orders for khaki cloth in the West mills estimated at 10,000,000 yards. =