BRITAIN'S FOOD SUPPLY

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2932, 18 November 1916, Page 9

BRITAIN'S FOOD SUPPLY

DEBATE CONTINUED IN HOU& OF COMMONS MR. CHURCHILL ON U v- BOAT- PIRACIES IMMUNITY "OF ARMED ;.■,.-, VESSELS-:'•, Australian-New Zealand Cable Association. (Rec. November 17, 9.40 p.m.) London,November...l6- . In 'the House of. Commons the de-' bate on the food supply -control was continued. Mr.. Winston Churchill said that tha shortage of labour was' due to indiscriminate valuator? recruiting on a gigantic scale, which every form of social pressure enforced. He warned the House against any. exaggeration of the submarine menace'. The Admiralty had a- great anti-submarine organisation, and. was able ta.cope with.' the danger if that were properly used. It _ was a. noteworthy fact that armed : ships .enjoyed great immunity from attack as compared with.unarmed ships. Four-fifths of the armed ships beat off while four-fifths of the unarmed vessels perished. He asked why the Government could not take over the shipping, and also utilise native labour, and' thus decrease ■ the congestion at : the ports. He believed that the time would come when there.would be something like universal service, not only for the Army, but" for industry. It was essential to take drastic measures before the pacifists intervened. . Mr. Runciman, replying "to the question on the shortage .of ships',' said that 'that' was really due to the Navy's requirements. The food shortage had been largely caused !by the "failure of the North .'American harvest. Regarding the complaints of delay in grappling with the food problem, the Minister said he believed that publio opinion had hitherto been unprepared for drastic control, hecause it would cause trouble. He did not favour State control of shipping, because the workwould not, bo so efficiently done. Motion Adopted. Mr. Hewin's motion -was adopted:— • "That it is the Government's duty j.o adopt further methods of organisation to increaso the na- ■ tional food, supply, and so v diminish the risk of shortage in the event of the war being prolonged." '. ACCELERATED INCREASE IN RECENT PRICES WHEAT FROM INDIA , London, November 16. The Board of Trade's "Labour Gazette" states, that the average retail food prices oi Noveraoer 1 were 5 per cent, higher {than for the previousmonth. Compared with July, 1914, the prices had increased •by 78 per cent: '■ The Wheat Commission has arranged with tho Indian Government to sane-, tion the export of 400,000 tons of wheat to Great Britain,' France, and Italy. The shipments -will be made in November, December, and January. ANGLO-NORWEGIAN FOODSTUFFS . AGREEMENT Chrlstlania, November 16. ■ The "Morgenbladt" states that a. British and; Norwegian agreement has been completed, seouring Norway' 6 imports for 1912-13. THE ENEMY'S, FOOD SUPPLY VON HINDENBURG COMPLAINS Amsterdam, November 17. General yon Hindenburg, in a letter, to.the Chancellor. (Herr von BethmannHollweg), complains that the workmen'in the factories receive insufficient food, "Many of the authorities," he says, "do not realise that we are; fighting for our very existence. It is. Bible for the worker's'to-'remain fit for', their duties if they-are insufficientlynourished." .-'.■-.'■■.'.■ EXPLAINING AWaTtHK SLAVE RAIDS GERMANS BLAME THE BRITISH BLOCKADE. (Beuter's Telegram.) Amsterdam, November 17. General von Bissing, Governor-Gen* eral of Belgium, in an interview with ) a correspondent of the "New York Times," explained . that the deporta-' tion of Belgians was really the fault, of the.British cutting,off war materials and supplies and prohibiting the export of produce". . Consequently unbearable conditions were created which necessi- ■ tated-the employing'of-Belgian workers' jn Germany, which was no hardship for. Belgium. THE MAN-POWER PROBLEM LUXURY TRADES TO BE RESTRICTED (Rcuter's Telegram.) l London, November 16. Mr. Bonar Law, in the Houso' of Commons, announced that the Government was seriously considering restrict, iug the number of men available for labour .in. connection with luxury, trades. - ''-' THE NATIONALIiOBILISATION IN . GERMANY London, November 16. The "Morning Post" correspondent at Berno states that Bavarian; newspapers are protesting to., Berlin .thai., tho political and military authorities are mobilising the civilian population of the Empire without consulting the Federal Council or the Reichstag, and insist that the separate German States should be:consulted. ■ .'.'-.... The Berlin Bourse is alarmed over, the compulsory war service regulations for civilians and the report'that tho army, authorities are . limiting profits on army and navy contracts to 10 percent. , . THE SLAVE. RAIDERS FIVETRAINsLOADS EVERY DAY. Australian-New Zealand Cable' Association. (Rec. November .17..9.30 p.m.). v London, November 16. , A wireless message from Amsterdam states that despite Cardinal Mercier's protest, the deportation of Belgian civilians continues, especially of railwaymen. Five train-loads of deported men- traverse the frontier station every day. They include lawyers, teachers."clergy, peasants, and labourers. ,/ , .