Great Britain

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 14, 20 December 1915, Page 5

Great Britain

THE BOARD OF TRADE. PROHIBITION OF EXPORTS. United Press Association. (Received 8.5 'a.m.) London, December 19. The Board of Trade announces that the exportation of the following goods, 'except under license, is prohibited to •all destinations except British possessions and protectorates i "Wool and hniSfi fjitll kinds of yarns, jerseys, Cargloves, ami men’s underwear. The exportation of the folhivAngf except under license, is proiiilutel' to foreign countries in Europe ftiul the Mediterranean and Black Sea other than France and Russia, except through the Baltic, Italy, Spain and Portugal: Blankets and rugs, and all descriptions of cloths ot all kinds, except khaki clotlj, the exportation whereof is prohibited to all destinations. RUBBER FOR THE ENEMY. SEIZURE OF A STEAMER. (Received 8.5 a.m.) London!' i 19; The Foreign Office announces that out of three hundred, bags seized aboard the steamer Helligolav, 109 were filled exclusively, with . rubber, there being SOOOlbs, . which was con-' signed to a well-kflcpvn «>pemy forwarding qgent in Sweden.

TREATMENT OF PRISONERS.

REPRISALS BY THE FRENCH.

(Received 8.5 a.m.) Paris;, December 19. Germany is not complying with the demands concerning the prisoners’ food, and tho Minister of War has decided that the food of the German prisoners in France will correspond to that of the prisoners in Germany. CHRISTMAS IN ENGLISH HOMES. SOLICITUDE FOR OVERSEAS SOLDIERS.

(Received 8.5 a.m.) ■ London* DflfiSinbqr There has been a splendid response to the .Daily Telegraph’s (movement inviting Overseas soldiers in England to' spend ;i£h fifftmas / with y English families! The ’Yoing Melds. Christian Association took up the .scheme. Some families are inviting parties of fracn, and others want the Overseas |t ( ,‘ take the places of their own sons who at the front. Already half a million has been subscribed for the Y.M.C.A. work among the soldiers in the different war theatres,. whereof £20,000 was expended in Egypt and the Dardanelles, mostly among the Australasians. The Association is appealing for a further quarter of a million. M r J. J ' i rgd,; geneial secretary of the Association, hopes that Aus- ‘ Mpr SOLDIER-BOYS' Clf WIWMAaF: i ) ! TREE. I . J a v‘. ir • GATHERING I AT ANZAC 'club. (Received 10.25 a.m.)

London, December 19. A branch of £he Australian Natives Association gave a Christmas treat at the Anzac Club. There was a large attendance of Australian and New Zealand soldiers and their civilian friends. Lady Birdwood visited the Club, and, presented each man with a specially-designed Christmas card. A feature of the entertainment was a Christmas Tree laden with books, tobacco, cigarettes, pipes, arid 1 shaving outfits. The majority 1 oC the recipients were those who had been wounded.:

Lady Monro has made a widespread appeal for warm clothing, tobacco, and other comforts for the forces l at the Dardanelles and the Balkans.

THE CROUP SYSTEM IN BRITAIN, ji | j i;.|' LORD DERBY AT BOLTON, (Received 8.5 a.m.) ' London, December 19. Lord Derby, speaking at Bolton, disclaimed credit for the group system. Ho said he owed it to three Lancashire officers. All the estimates of the results were guesswork; even he himself did not know. Some people were saying that a conspiracy was afoot to induce Mr Asquith to break his pledge in regard to the married men,, but he did not know or care if it were true; he knew if anyone was determined to keep his pledge more than himself it was Mr Asquith. Lord Derby cop'eluded: We in this country do not treat pledges as scraps of paper. The pledge will be kept in its spirit and to the letter. • hi/ j { VICEROYSHIP OF INdIA. (Received 8.5 a.m.) London, December 19. The Daily Chronicle states that tehe position of Viceroy of India will shortly be vacant. NEW CROUP-CALLING. NOVEL SCENES IN BRITAIN. (Received 8.5 a.m.) London, December 19.. The proclamation calling up the recruits led to novel scenes in London and elsewhere. Bill posters went round, tliq streets in the forenoon af-

.fixing the proclamation, but they attracted little notice,, presumably bejcause the notification had-become aljmost a habit. Really, the nowspapiers in announcing that four groups would be called up gave the first in.timation; the news flew round, and every copy of the proclamation became a magnet for small crowds, a large proportion of whom read the j contents eagerly and with evident personal interest. The proclamation, which was dated the 20th was Issued over Lord Kitchener’s name in virtue of the Royal warrant. The four groups were directed to report, the date and place being specified, and later they ieceived instructions, but many oi those affected frankly, admitted they did not understand them, and lor such the War Office explanation was issued later and cleared up all doubts. It points out that the posters are sufficient notification, and informs the men what to do if they want their recruitment .postponed. The claims for postponement must- be delivered by the 30th. The men he'gin to present themselves as required on 20th January, receiving a fortnight’s warning, a fresh hatch being warned daily to prevent undue '■pressure on the recruiting officers, j Lord Derby points out that calling !up , groups is a novel task, and he (appeals to all to facilitate the woiking of this new machinery in our national life, in order that it may work as smoothly as possible.

GERMANY AND ECONOMIC PRESSURE. HOW TO SHORTEN THE WAR. • (Received 8.5 a.m.) London, December 19. Mr W. A. S. Hewins, member for Hereford, in the House of Commons, and . chairman of the Unionist Business Committee, in an interview re.-, gardng the debate on the 4th aJnu>ar y, said the whole German economic 'position was caused by the Central iEuripean Treaty system. Seventyfive per cent, of the German trade was done with the local European Treaty Powers and the British Empire, and the German war finance was based upon the security representing this trade, ( Of course, be horrified if the British Empire an-. Pounced that it i was determined make the system impossible, in tho future. Th'ere would be a panic if Germany wag copviuced; the resources pi thel Efnpire of the IffttUri wopld, he, ulsecl 'to benefit the British Empire, and the fear would naturally .shorten, the war. The Empire I could do This by making 'it (dear that Britain, after the war, intended to use her power for bringing this into iorce. Germany must consider her conception of the most-favored nation clause. The visit of Mr Hughes (Commonwealth Prime Minister) to London in the New Yea\- be ,the puejeus of ,an Imperial* lAxjnbroid Conference 1 for''the purpose of taking immediate action. yiwf „Q.v. ' . ■Sir Robert Borden (Canadian Prime Minister )| could easily- attend, and. gopth Africa should be represented. ® conference shofiCtfcke theMMtiative in fixing a .suitable tariff,’ ing preferential jiferms for the Eiftpire, with our enemies. Mr J that the Briiisif'tlpveroment has a*ready communicated io Australia nnd the Dominions concerning some of the problems to be discussed at such a conference, such as the destruction of Germany, including the control of the Empire metals, which aliens are taking, organisation of the Imperial food supplies, and the possibility of framing a British-Imperial navigation system.

MINER’S HANDSOME GIFT.

i I t (Received 10.25 a.m.) London, December 19. Lord Derby, at Bolton, inspected twenty ambulance cars which were portion of the Lancashire and Cheshire Miners’ gift, for which £32,000 had been subscribed.