News From England

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 312, 11 June 1915, Page 5

News From England

THE HARVEST. i - SOLDIERS* HELP WANTED. ' (Times and Sydney Sun Services.) Received June 10, 5.10 p.m. London, June 9. The Chamber of Agriculture has urged the War Office to send soldiers experienced in farm work under non-commis-sioned officers, urgently to assist farmers in harvesting. It is imperative that agriculture should be regarded as a war industry. ORGANISING VOLUNTEER LABOR. "*?" . PATRIOTIC ACTION" OF ENGINEERS' SOCIETY. I THE COTTON TROUBLE. London. June 9. A committee lias been formed to organise 4000 men employed at Smithfield # market who volunteered for service in time to work in munition feirories. The Engineer!,' Society in the Glasgow district has notified the branches that members must recognise the munitions .agreements in the broadest spirit possible and do their utmost to accelerate the output of war material. The Clyde cotton mills engaged in war contracts are not involved in the threatened lock-out. ' GUESTS OF TFTE KINO. Received June 10, 11.40 p.m. London. June 10. The King and Queen are daily inviting twenty convalescent officers to tea at Buckingham Palace, some being accompanied by nurses or near relatives. CONTROVERSY IN PARLIAMENT. (Received June 10, 11.50 p.m. ■London, June 10. The Campbell controversy is less iacirte, and there is no personal question. Mr. Campfbell offered to resign and placed himself in the hands of bis political friends. The Ulstermen only desire )hat the Unionists shall hold one of the higher Irish offices. The Nationalists were more amenable.yesterday. J THE BRITISH LOSSES. , FIGURES UP TO LAST MONTH. ', London, June 9. i Mr. Asquith, in the House of Commons, said that the casualties among the British expeditionary forces in france and in the Mediterranean to the end of 'May were: Killed, 3327 officers dnd 47,013 of other ranks; wounded, 64«8 officers and 147,432 of other ranks; missing, 1130 officers and 5-2,017 of other ranks. The naval figures were incomplete, but would be given on Tuesday. The casualty list included .111 officers :ftlid 2650 men, of which 2002 were in France and 569 in the Dardanelles. QUESTION ON AN ELECTION. GOVERNMENT'S DECISION ■UNCERTAIN. j Received June 11, 12.15 n.m. London, June 10. 'Mr. Asquith, in the House of Commons, said he was not yet in a position to announce tlie (lovenunet's decision in regard to a g- i :'..! election. * The British Weekly hint* at the probability of the Government a-king the country for a fresh mandate. . The' Dairy throniele protects at the Idea of a gvueral eleetiou, because of the wretched wrangle over t'.ie Irish .office. •~ The newspapers generally believe the difficulty will be settled. ; THE MUNITIONS PROBLEM. ARMY OF WORK!:?." r ;EADY. EXL3UY KNOWS OF •■: Ml FIT. AciiviTV wi:.;.. >.v:\: i.ivr.-. IbveiYcd June 10. i;. ; l| p.m. Tn the IToii-c of .!..■:'- !. , I C-o/er. moving the Munition- F'.'.'l .-1 ; i''\e tuition Lii.l pro'.ed tl ;'■ :'■■ • ::■■ a"i.._y_oi 1a1,,,,-. ,kii!.-d «:.-! ..-: '• '■ v.-- v.-, :!.>!- to be ii-'d .U'l ■•'■■' '[■ \ ■}-■- " ";'<• front, and is rei".,;i,v; i -' ■v. .;-! ;■■ .■was not re.ealn.g .. m - - What every Gorman ,fr. ■■.•'■ ;«■■ that the UreneV ■'- :: - - a'.,!i". 1-;!1 tb.-ir tvnehe.- witb :■ l. v • ::,■• and lE -,,,,,„t of -evert- ;:.. t ■ •; ■■;;■■ ■ Wc lield ours j'l'ii- ■■]■' ■' '■ .' '" ■ The iirst system v,- c". ■-. ■■:■■ in :!'!'- munition, and the --■c.-,v. , >»cn-no m

life. It ought to be publicly announce( broadcast that every slack, wasted u ; in the factories meant so many lives Jr' the (.'overnment and public men gen '■rally spoke the whole truth more, then would le much less diiliculty ingettin' leeruits. The necessity ot ga ought also to be realised. As the Germans chose a wicked method ol warfare, and had ibeconie outlaws, tliex must be treated as vermin and stamped out. Lord Curzon, replying to the whole tie bate, said active steps were being taken for the production of gas. j London, June 0. j The Munitions Bill passed the Houst of Lords and received the Royal Assent. Lord St. Davids regretted that liu Bill did not give power to requisition men as well as workers. He dissociated himself from tlie attacks on the great working classes. Ho said the upper classes had come wonderfully well out of the trial, but there were still idlers among them. Even among the members of the House of Lords'"there were men who had never done a day's , work for themselves or anybody else since they were born. Their sons were still hanging round theatres and musichalls. 'WJjile that was so it was no use .going to workmen and talking of conscription or compulsory service. Men who refused to work should be made to fight. The Times, in a leader, says: "There is not the least doubt that the action of the House of Commons with regard to the Munitions Bill reflects til;; strong, clear, decided desire of the country. .The criticism is mostly from irresponsibk quarters. It is idle to tell the masses of this self-governing democracy that the Government is going to establish a dictatorship to impose slavery] on the workers and transplant G.'rman militarism in our soil. They are too sensible and well-informed to 'be deluded by windy rhetoric of this kind.'' Hundreds of City hu.:-ir:°ss and professional men have enrolled as a Volunteer Munitions Brigade, to put in tln-ir. week-ends' at Woolwich Arsenal munition making. GENERAL HOME ITEMS. London, June 9. Mr. Balfour, in announcing the sinking of the submarine, made a statement that arrangements were being made whereby the treatment of submarine prisoners would be identical with thai of other prisoners. This did not indicate any change in opinion as to the character of the acts wherein the prisoners were concerned. Their practises were not merely a flagrant contradiction of tlie laws* of war, but were most cowardly and 'brutal. \Ye must reiuem■berj however, that the attacks 011 defenceless vessels were not the only violations of the laws of Immunity of which the Germans were guilty. The Government, therefore, was of opinion that the submarine problem could not .be treated in isolation, and the general question of personal responsibilit-. could be reserved until the end oi the war. Professor J. 11. Morgan has narrated ,the genesis of the Army Sentries Suspension Act, giving a sentenced soldier a clianc-e of redeeming his character. A isergeant who lost his nerve wa- sentenced 'to five years' penal servitude for cowardice. 'Before the sentence could b : carried out the Prussian Guard attempted to break through. The .sergeant fought with such bravery that it was prol>ablc, but for his sentenc \ he would have received the Victoria Cross. His sentence was quashed. Mr. Asquith, questioned as to whether the Government had decided to adopt compulsory military training for yjiunL' men not required for other 'Govcrn.ment work, replied in the e. A Parliamentary correspondent say? the House of Commons was in ail ugly temper. 'Members have not displayed such passion since the beginning of the war. Liberals. Nationalists, and Sm-ir'l isfe joined bitterly in denouncing f" application to labor of the com p'.fNnv) measures which Mr. Lloyd gested at Manchester may ultima tel.* he .neee.ssarv. Though Mr. Campbell h:n a crept"d i u position of Lord f n! iieluiM [the appointment is not iinaliy ratified The Nationalists' meeting di'pla've ! tlx | greatest hostility to Mr. Campbell.