Great Britain

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 87, 15 July 1916, Page 5

Great Britain

employment of interned

ALIENS AND PRISONERS.

Press Association —Copyright) Austin -

lian and N.Z. Cable Association. London, July 13

Mr Samuel announced that iour thousand interned aliens were employed on useful work, but there had been some difficulty in getting people to employ them. In the House of Lords, Lord .Newton (Paymaster-General), replying to a question, said many prisoners .were employed at timber camps, quarries, road making, and bag making. Numbers had also been sent to work in France. Tho employment of civilian prisoners was a more difficult task. He had tried to induce the Marquis of Crewe to employ them, bat was confronted with the threat of a strike by something like a hundred thousand men. Unless a more intelligent spirit prevailed, the end of the war would find thousands of aliens still behind barbed wire enclosures, demoralised and broken in health. THE PORT OF LONDON. London, July 14. Owing to the cost of the war bonus to their employees, the Port of London authorities are raising tho dock dues and charges for shipping and goods on July 24. MEN AND MUNITIONS.

London, July 13

Mr Lloyd George, addressing the Munitions Conference, whereat France, Russia, and Italy were represented, insisted that the complexion of events had changed since the conference in 1915, when the Champagne offensive had just failed in attaining its objectve, and the Russians had been pressed lack hundreds of miles. Now the Russians were overwhelmingly victorious, md had struck terror into the hearts sf the foes. The immortal defence of Verdun, the brave resistance of the Italians and the combined offensive hi the East and West, had wrenched die initiative from the enemy’s hands. Our prospects had improved because :he equipment of the armies had been mprovod enormously. Then-, the Russians had faced a hailstorm of iron with flesh and blood, and the British were condemned to inactivity because their munitions were unequal to a sustained attack. The navy had ibsorbed more than half the metal workers of the country, occupying the energies of a million men. We had to create an army and arsenals out of nothing, but we were now; turning nit hundreds of guns and howitzers monthly, also twice as much ammunition in a single week, and three-lold ho number of heavy shells as wore ired in the grand offensive in September, though that supply was the result of many weary weeks of accumulation. The new factories and workshops had not yet a third of their full capacity, but the output was increasing with great rapidity, The main difficulty was the labor supply, and when the readjustment was solved the supplies would soon be overwhelming. r i he success of French munition making proved that the present offensive had been followed by an appalling expenditure at Verdun. The lesson of the present war was that more ammunition means more victories and fewer casualties.

TRICOLOR OAY.

WIDE BRITISH CELEBRATIONS.

Press Association—Copyright, Austra-

lian and N.Z. Cable Association

London, July 14

Remarkable Empire-wide arrangements were made to celebrate "ho French National Fete-day. Tricolors were selling everywhere on behalf of the Croix Rouge (Rod Cross) md the organisers expect to raise ~£IOO.OOO.

There were many special matinees. Other features included a British Workers’ League monster demondr atiou.

Queen Alexandra sent a special nessage commending the noble enter>rise to the people of the Empire. The Daily Chronicle publishes a series >f messages from the Overseas Doninions, including one from Mr Massey, expressing homage to France.

M. Poincaire (French President) in i. message to the British people, excesses France’s unbounded admiraion of the deeds of Bri ain’s glorinis navy, and of the wonderful development of the Empire’s mighty resources. He also sends affectionate Greetings of lasting brotherhood to he United Kingdom and Dominion's Overseas.

AUSTRALIAN TRIBUTES. Press Association—Copyright. Sydney, duly 14. Similarly with other parts of the Empire, the Commonwealth has seiz'd the opportunity of the French feteday to honor our ally with a great lisplay of tricolor flags. Ihe princioal features were a Requiem Mass for French soldiers and military parades. At meetings in town halls resolutions were carried expressing appreciation of the valor of tiie French. At official luncheons, speakers eulogised France. The. Red Cross Society donated ciooo to the French Society, and the woolbrckers on the Sydney exchange subscribed £3244, which tjiey have prescti' cd to the I* re—ch League ui Mercy..