Great Britain

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 87, 18 March 1916, Page 5

Great Britain

THE ESTIMATED CASUALTIES.

OVER FOUR MILLIONS. Unitkd Press Association. London. March 17. A reliable statistician estimates the casualties to February, 1916, at 540.300 killed, 2,111,000 wounded, 648,000 taken prisoner, at the Russian front; 1J 7.900 killed, 265,900 wounded, and 80,000 prisoners in the Balkans; 63.7000 killed, 118,700 wounded, and 30,500 prisoners in the Italian campaign, totalling approximately 4.100.000, whereof nearly 1,500,000 of the wounded have returned to the fronts. It is estimated that over 400,000 Hungarians have been killed. THE RED CROSS. London, March 10. Subscriptions from the meat trades towards the Red Cross Fund have reached £IO,OOO. Lord Kitchener, writing to Mr Gordon Campbell, says he is glad of the opportunity of testifying to the great value of the services that the British Red Cross and Order of St. John have rendered. The Army Medical Corps has done admirable work, and these societies have carried . out a beneficent task in helping the sick and wounded, and have established a strong claim to the army's and the community's gratitude, and their activities are worthy of the fullest support. ■.

PICTURE FILMS EXPORT PRO-

HIBITED.

London March 16. An Order-in-Coimcil prohibits the exportation anywhere of cinematograph films, acetic acidj gramophone records, photographic paper, films, and plates, and radium and tungsten. WELSH COAL TROUBLES. :'< ..;,; } .j Lqndon, March 16. ' •:The difficulties in the Welsh coal fields are believed to be settled for the duratipn- of. the W"4 ..conference, jof and miners agraod. that only unionists should be employad. The most saajtgiyine : lflfbor Readers ■ hardly expected fthe; .conoejsipn. ENLISTMENT OF MARRIED MEN London, March 16. (The Government has postponed the capling up of married tmen, aged. 27 to 35, the call for whom, was intended to be issued this week. SIR JOHN SIMON'S VIEWS. London, March 17. •In the House of Commons Sir John Simon,-declared that it was urgent that the Government should state the size of the army whereat it aimed, in order to avoid damaging the nation's business. • 1 "financial'' stability 2 ' -of the nation .was, t now admitted, but eohscription hild l liad ?dMa#oMMn| T*S stilts. Lord Derby had grossly iterated the numbers of the unemfst* ed and his figures were. ridiculous. Tljere had never been any statistical .basis for the introduction' of conscription, which had;proved ne'ther businesslike in operation nor fruitful tn results. Any chance of' compulsion becoming popular had been destroyed by. the ineptitude of its advocates and administrators. Co-ordination in all services and industries was necessary if the country was to put forth its utmost strength. Married men had been given to understand that immense reservoirs of unmarried men and slaikers were yet available. Mr W H. Long declared that the people of Britain would read Sir John Simon's speech with dismay, but it represented the view of a minority.

THE CALL TO HONOR. London, March 16. Another mass meeting of married men at Tower Hill jeered the antouncement that Mr Asquith would •lot receive a deputation. They decided to form a Married Men's League and insist on the pledge being carried out. Married men are arranging for a demonstration on an immense scale at Hyde Park on Saturlay. A conference of the Government an"! the War Office discussed the recruiting situation, and it is understood Miat married men from 36 years upvards will not he required to serve, "robably unmarried men over 40 will shortly be enlisted. An active campaign canvass for unittested married men is beginning immediately. REPLIES TO QUESTIONS. London, March 16. In the House of Commons Mr Tenmnt, in answer to a question, said >a could not say what would be the Government's action in the event of I-ttested men refusing to respond to -he summons. It was improper to anticipate' such an unfortunate and

illegal act on the part of any attesteds.

Replying to Sir A. B. Markham, Mr ■• Prettyman said that the Government was considering the' possibility of the introduction of labor to Britain from the overseas dominions and colonies for the purpose of relieving ill shortage of men for munition making and essential trades. In the House of Lords, Lord Sandhurst stated that hundreds of thousands of steel helmets had been issued. 'l'he Government intended that every "Tommy" should be helmeted as rapidly as possible.

THE IRISH GUARDS. THEIR SPLENDID ACHIEVEMENTS. THE SHAMROCK AND WHAT IT STANDS FOR. London, March 17. There was a spirited sale of Irish flags and shamrock in London in aid ol the Irish Soldiers' Fund. The Queen distributed Queen Alexandra's shamrocks to the Irish Guards. The King inspected the Guards and paiib! a tribute to their splendid achievements in the first campaign, whereby they fully maintained the high traditions of the Guards Brigade, He; recalled their heroism during the Mons retreat and the critical days'" at Ypves when, aVCavan Avrote, the survivors showed the enemy that the Irish Guards must be reckoned with,' however hard hit. After 28 days' incessant fighting against heavy odds,the first battalion came out less than a company strong and with only four officers. ■ ■ , . ; ... ■ "In this glorious tribute to the loyalty and endurance of the Irish," said His Majesty, "you have shown that the shamrock stands for loyalty, courage, and endurance in adversity. May it carry you to victory!' ?