THE ARMY'S CALL FOR MUNITIONS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2491, 18 June 1915, Page 5

THE ARMY'S CALL FOR MUNITIONS

CRITICISM It! THE HOUSE OF COMMONS WHO- WAS TO BLAME FOR THE SHORTAGE? London, June 16. .. Sir A. B. Markhara (Liberal member for Notts), speaking in the House of Commons, said that if Mr. Asquith's Newcastle statement § was made on tlio highest. authority, ho could only have . beoi referring to Lord Kitchener. For months after thp uar tho War Office 'did not take steps to organise the munitions. The Government ought to inform the House whether the MasterGeneral of Ordnance or Lord Kitchener was responsible. A captain who had returned from the front, in a speech before the Northwich Unionist Association, stated' that thousands had been killed through lack of ammunition. This officer was severely reprimanded by Lord •Kitchener, and was not allowed to Tejoin his regiment, yet military members of the House of Commons were allowed to taake similar speeches- in the House of Commons, and were not consured. ' Sir A. B. Markham was referring to 'the following statement which was "tnado b.v Mr. Asquith in the course of a speech at' Newcastle on April 21:— ; '"The Government has been onjy lately alive to the urgent importance of these matters, and has appointed Lord Kitchener's committee to deal with them. It : is untrue that there has been general slackness on the part of either tie employers or the' workmen. The situation is due to the unprecedented scale on which ammunition has been expended on both sides, the'shortage of skilled labour, the multinlication of plant and machinery, and the success of recruitiing." MR. LLOYD CEORCE AMD THE WORKERS. Aether private conference. (Reo. June 17; 10 p.m.) Loniion, June 17. ■ Mr. Lloyd George (Minister for Munitions) has had a further private conference with representatives of fortyone workmen's, societies, and discussed methods of. securing a sufticiont- supply of labour for the producing of munitions. AVAR BONUSES. (Roc. June 17, 10 p.m.) 11 : London, June 17. Board of Trade, statistics show that .War bonuses secured to. 1,987,444 workers, from January to May, a weekly increase of liearly 3s. fid; per head, exclusive of overtime. : . MUNITIONS CONTRACTS WITH MIDDLEMEN. AMERICAN AGENTS FOR BRITAIN; , London, June 16. The "Daily Chronicle" says that one , bf the most important problems with Which the new Ministry of Munitions is involved is a contract' by which the firm of Pierpont Morgan and Co. , acts , |as agent for Britain in all purchases of munitions in America. There is a growing desire for a revision of the - items of the contract. The belief is widespread that, however justifiable it might have been m. the early days of fthe war to- employ, middlemen, such a (course is no longer i>ecessary. SHELL-MAKING PLANTS IN AUSTRALIA. PLANS-AND SPECIFICATIONS j RECEIVED. . Melbourne, June 17. \ Senator 'Pearce (Federal Defence Minister) states that tho Government has received plans and specifications of shellpaking plants, and that certain firms ■ (ire considering them. IRISHMEN AND THE NEW COALITION iWELY THE NATIONALISTS STOOD OUT. vr ti. London, June 16. . Mr. John Billon (Nationalist member for East Mayo), speaking in the House of Commons, said that tie Nationalists resented the Government's reconstruction, and declined to join the Cabinet because it would be inconsistent with their independence. The Nationalists would sincerely aid the Government to bring the war to. a triumphant conclu- . :sion. Mr. Asquith said he appreciated Mr. _ Redmond's reason for not joining. Sir Edward Carson had also refused to ioin, and only accepted tho office of Attorncv- ' General under strong pressure'.

MR. ASQUITH ON HIMSELF

TRIED TO DO HIS BEST.

(Rec. Juno i 7, 6.10 p.m.) _ ' London, June 16. Tho Prime Minister. (Mr. Asquith), when referring in tlic House of Commons to the reconstruction, of the Ministry, said: "Let me eay, in the plainest possible terras, ..that I would not have been justified in what I hare done, under the pressure of any outside influence, temporary embarrassment, • or transient Parliamentary exigency." He assured "his colleagues and supported that there was no man more faithful to the great principles which for thirty years .had been his aim and inspiration in such servioes as he liad been able to render the State. He receded from nothing, abandoned nothing, sacrificed nothing. He supposed that there was enough of the old political Adam in their bosoms to sa.v that none of them nvuen liked it, and that there was in . . country, on both sides, doubt, suspiinon, and bewilderment for a moment. •He would say a- word about his own ±I bn ™c might think that, havuig had the privileco of serving in confidential responsilr.lity "and relations, with three successive Sovereigns, lie naa not satisfied his ambitions. Thev werG._welcome to their opinions, but the/little knew the truth. Like other people, he had tried to' do his be*fc ■It would be unorofitable, he addefl, to compare the military and international situation to-day with that which existed Ut the beginning of March. 'Die accession of Italy was a new fact, of immense importance. MR, JOHN RFBMOND ILL. ' / London, .Tune 16. Mr. John Redmond (Leader of the Irish Nationalist Party) is recovering from ptomaine poisoning. _ DESERTING 7ur ; ir> MOTHER COUNTRY. YOUNG IRISHIUTnY CROSS THJS ATLANTIC. London, .Tune 16. The arrival in New York of 300 young. Irishmen aboard an American liner has brought fresh attention to the apparently organised efforts to induco the Irish to avoid enlistment. All are wel! provided with gold. It is suggested that some agency assisted ■the emigration.—''Times" and Sydney J, Bun" services.