BRITAIN.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 September 1915, Page 5

BRITAIN.

NATIONAL SERVICE. PEELING OF THE CABINET. AS SEEN BY THE PBESS. ! Received Sept. 19, 10 a.m. London, Sept. 18. Though the evening newspapers repudiate the Daily News' startling assertions re national service, Mr. Thomas' threats continue to be the topics of prime importance. The papers plead for the promptest settlement, and demand that Lord Kitchener give a decision as to the necessity for compulsory service. The papers discuss Cabinet intrigue in all its bearings.

It is generally agreed that Mr. Lloyd George, Lords Curzon, and Selborae are heading for out and out compulsion, favoring : compulsory labor in factories and Workshops in addition to military service; that Messrs Churchill and Smith hold similar views, though less emphatic. Lord Lansdowne, Messrs Bonar Law and Chamberlain at the recent conference said that the compulsion problem first came to a-head in July, but the crisis was postponed. This means a compromise over ithe national register, which still is not fiflly tested, and the compulsionists are now anxious to force the pace, largely owing to the strong line which the voluntariate, headed by Mr. JlcKenti, Sir J. A. Simon, and Mr. JEtarcourt, have recently taken.

REDUCTION OF CABINET MOOTED. Mr. Lloyd George's preface and Mr. Harcourt's optimistic speech have accentuated the breach, and a section of the Cabinet is now in favor of a reduction of the Cabinet,- believing its constitution unweildy for the conduct of the war, and desire the reduction to take the form of elimination of voluntariata, and placing Mr. Lloyd George in supreme command. • AN ELECTION NOT WANTED. Weightier members, headed by Messrs Asquith and Balfour, only favor compulsion if it is found to be essential to victory, and are striving for a compromise to preserve the unity of the Government. •>:

The majority of newspapers ridicule the idea of a general election. It is understood that Mr. Churchill favors a referendum to avoid the turmoil of an election. The matter will be fully discussed in Parliament shortly, as it is necessary to amend the Parliament Bill to avoid an election in January. The Star protests against forcing Mr. Asquith, Sir Edward Grey, and Lord Kitchener to walk the plank in order to hoist the conscription flag. The Evening News is of opinion that Mr. Thomas, in all honesty, went overfar in threatening a stoppage. Trade unions will not fail the Government if it is decided that compulsion is essential to victory. It has been suggested that railwaymen and miners should be exempted from conscription, but Mr. Thomas, on behalf of the railwaymen, and Mr. Smillie, on behalf of the miners, have already repudiated this as & bribe.

"PESTILENTIAL NONSENSE." Received Sept. 19, 2 p.m. London, Sept. 18. Unionist newspapers generally ridicule the story of a Cabinet plot. The Daily Mail says that an eminent member of the Cabinet described it as "pestilential nonsense." The Daily News states that about onehalf of the Liberal members of the Commons oppose conscription, one-sixth favor it, and the rest wait for the Government's lead. 1 STRAIGHT SPEAKING. The Financial News, quoting Mr. Holm's recent speech, adds: 'This is what we all are thinking: Woe betide any English Ministry which in the hour of victory fails to put the Kaiser, Admiral von Tirpitz, and all the rest of the German offal into the ordinary felon's dock, and mete to theni the usual murderer's fate." MR. CHURCHILL SPEAKS. NOT A TIME FOR ART! I'ICIALm THREE DISAPPOINTMENTS Received Sept. 19, 2 p.m. London, Sept. IT. Mr. Winston Churchill, addressing the munition workers at Enfield, said it was difficult for a public man to speak on any topic at the present time. Many people were trying to make difficulties and create artificial diversions on matters which should be approached in a spirit of impartiality and goodwill. During the past Ave months the afTairs of the Allies had not gone as well as might have been hoped. There were three outstanding events, which had been not disasters, but disappointments. There were the series of resolute and costly attacks made on the Germans lines in France and Flanders, and although ground was gained the lines were not

pierced; secondly, we had gained invaluable grouiid at the Dardanelles, which led us towards a, decisive conelusion, but we had not gained the vantage points whereat we had aimed; thirdly, there was the invasion of RnsWft, and while Russia was re-arming and recovering lost strength, an unmistakable additional burden fell upon Britain. A SERIOUS SITUATION. The situation, he said, is a very serious one, and the war could only be carried to a successful conclusion if Britain utilised the whole strength of her human national capacity. If the great crimes that have been committed among the weak and helpless, and upon tie laws of peace, the customs of civilisation and dictates of humanity were allowed to go unpunished, the evildoer would emerge chastened perhaps, but with the faculty for harm intact. Then a period of unrest and a brief troubled peace can be the only interlude between this great war and another. Mr. Churchill dwelt on the immense Importance of every yard of ground at the Dardanelles gained by the heroic courage of our soldiers and the supercourage of our Australian fellow citizens. Success there would repay the heavy cost and loss we have endured.

SHORTAGE OF MEN. Received Sept. 20, 12.10 a.m. London, Sept. 18. . The Daily Chronicle says that Lord Lansowne's committe is making a schedule of trades and industries from which recruiting U prohibited. The list is attaining formidable proportions, and after all deductions the number of men available for military service will be found to be less than was commonly supposed ■THE RAILWAYMEN. Received Sept 20, 12.10 a.m. London, Sept. 18. The railwayinen's executive unanimously congratulated Mr. Thomas on his speech, and instructed him to immediately summon the committee if the Government introduces proposals for compulsory military service.

LABOR FOR MUNITIONS, JOINT COMMITTEE TO ACT. Heceived Sept. 19, 10 a.m. London, Sept. 17. The Munition Conference agreed that Mr. Lloyd George Bhould appoint a committee of employers and trade unionists to secure a maximum of skilled munition workers. The conference agreed to secure the suspension of all restricting trade union rules, and to assist in an investigation to determine the best amount of skilled labor that is necessary to enable machinery to run twenty-four hours a day; also to assist in the reorganisation of skilled labor, in order that semiskilled and unskilled males and females may be employed on a more extensive scale. COLLIERIES TO RESUME. Received Sept. 19, 5.20 p.m. London, Sept. 18. Workmen in the Standard collieries have decided to resume if the management does not oppose them.