NOW MADE IMPREGNABLE

Taranaki Daily News, 18 December 1915, Page 5

NOW MADE IMPREGNABLE

ALLIES WILL HOLD IT m WESTERN OFFENSIVE EXPECTED L 4 PREPARATIONS ON EASTERN FRONT By Cable—Press Association—CopyrtgM.

BRITAIN. THE WAR IN PARLIAMENT. ' QUESTION'S ANSWERED. London, Dec. 16. In the Hottse .of Commons Lord Robert Cecil said the immediate object of the 'Allies was to regularise the military position ind deny Bulgaria and the Central Powers any direct or indirect control oVer Salonika. This he believed was in accordance wijkji Greece's wishes. He hoped negotiations would soon be satisfactorily concluded. DQrd Robert Cecil, replying to the question whether large shipments of food through the United States Post OfDoe had Germany, said the Government had communicated with Sir C. A. Spring-Rice, British Ambassador, ;4«id other steps were being taken to deal with thfc matter effectively. The Attorney-General and the English law o&ers hare suggested the reduction of their emoluments in war time to £lO/000 per annum, and the change is now in operation. Mr. MoKenna said the capital wealth of the United Kingdom was roughly estittiated at 15,000. millions and the annual The, Speaker; Mr. Lowther, presiding at the., meeting of the Parliamentary Association, said that the inter-parlia-mentary bonds with the overseas were rather-flimsy and should be drawn closer. I*l*l Islington ssaid he hoped the AsWciitton Would prove the foundation of * closer .political organisation in different parts of the Empire. . ~lxtrdt. Btickmaster (Lord Chancellor) has that no King's counsel mould be appointed during the war period, principally to avoid injustice to ifany who are serving In IjH_ara»y.

, ffe MUNITIONS ACT. ) 1 V FIRMS EXTORTIONS. ' > London, Dec. 18. Mr. IJoyd George, speaking on the Munitions Amendment Bill, which is intended to rtfnedy certain defects in the Act, said the Government had been able to BAve 10 to 20 millions in taking over the 1 whole metal trade of the country and controlling the workshops. Strikes were almost* unknown. The Munitions Act had succeeded in preventing strife and ditscjbsion. Dr. Addison, m the House of Comomns, said that the Munitions Department was recently paying £3O a ton for certain articles. It wag dissatisfied and called for the firm's books to prove the cost 6f production., As a result the price was reduced to £2O, saving five millions sterling;,on a singtt contract in a very short time. 1

RRUTALITT TO PRISONERS. PALTRY GERMAN EXCUSES. London, Dec. 16. A Foreign Office White Paper says : : that- the German authorities state that Ma' [or Vandeleur, who escaped from Crefela, and reported that 57 officers and men were packed for thirty hours without,food in an unventilated horse-wagon, containing several inches of manure, was made to travel in a cattle-truck owing to his ill-bred behaviour in refusing to speak to German officers. The German authorities say that the British soldiers of flie standing army are fit for no particular employ except the f, care of horses and farm work. They are frequently lazy, obstinate and arrogant, and there are many fights between the English and other prisoners, who mutually avoid each other. Denying that the soup is dreadfully unappetising, the Germans gay that possibly it is less palatable than England's extravagant fare.

A CONTRAST. BOW BRITAIN TREATS HER (PRISONERS. .Received Dec. 17, 5.5 p.m. London, Dec. 10. The Australian Press Association representative accompanied the African, Dutch, and Scandinavian journalists on an inflection of the prisoners' camp at Doxchetser barracks. Khaki figures perched on scaffoldings and sheltering in sentry-boies from the drizzling rain, and the- networks of barbed wire, were the only signs of imprisonment. Some of these 3408 men have been in England * year, while jthers were captured at Loos. They are quartered in long dormitories, some holding a hundred men, »n4 there is smaller accommodation in six of eight huts-each holding thirty. They are heated by stoves and coal fires. The men have four, blankets each, and gjfa liberal diet, including half a pound of iresh beef daily; They are not compelled to.work, and volunteers for necessary work are paid. Except for parades at U o'clock in the morning and 4 o'clock h the afternoon for counting, the priMpbtt, tin unrestrained.

AN ECONOMIC WAR. GERMANY'S TRADE TREATIES, Received Dee. IS, 12.15 a.m. London, Dec. 17. By request of the Unionist Business Committee, Mr. Asquith has fixed January 4 for a debate on the advisability of immediately consulting the Dominions with a view to bringing the Empire's whole eoonomic strength against the enemy, in co-operation with Britain's allies. The promoters urge that steps be taken to defeat Germany's system of trade treaties.

SIR JOHN FRENCH. RETIRES WITH HONOR. PRESS TRIBUTES. Received Dec. 17, 9.50 pjn. London, Dec. 17. The Daily Telegraph says that Sir John French's conduct of the war has been wholly admirable. He kepi the reins in his own hands with masterly vigor. Sir Douglas Haig is a brilliant ,aoldier and a great staff officer, who will now have splendid scope for his ability.

The Daily Chronicle says that Sir John French's special genius was probably seen to the best advantage in the 1914 campaign. He is essentially a fighting man, and the command of a relatively small army with whom he could ibe in touch would be more congenial to him than the direction of a million men. He retires with the country's respect ami gratitude.

EARNED A NATION'S GRATITUDE. Received Dec, 18, 12.10 a.m. London, Dec. 17. The Times, in a leading article, says that whatever Sir John French may do hereafter, he Is already assured of the lasting gratitude of the nation, and has the distinction that he has made no conspicuous mistakes. The Daily Mail says that Sir John French was not responsible for the deadlock on the West front. He was handicapped by inadequate equipment.