BRITAIN.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 January 1916, Page 5

BRITAIN.

THE COMPULSION BILL.: THE DEBATE CLOSED, ! - .- London, January 25. Tie Military Service Bill was carried m the House of Commons without any demonstration. It has been read a 'tint tine in the House of Lords. Sir John Simon, on the third reading, justified voluntaryism and the opposition to the measure to the end, otherwise the Government would not realise that opposition existed in the country. • Mr. Thomas, secretary of the RailWaymen'g Union, similarly, insisted that luge sections of trades unionists wera .opposed to compulsion. Mr. Sonar Law, closing the debate, , naomnted on the changed tone of the debate since the Bill had been Introduced. . The suspicion that the Bill •wwild be used'to secure industrial compnJsktt bad been removed. The Govern'lMpt -was delighted with the restraint ./Shows jby all sections of the House. He * UOM4 that every member of the House futiA do his best to prevent industrial irOUOle if it threatened. jiSOTSSED HOUSE OP LORDS. V j,. -JJASSES SECOND READING. >*■ ■ ■•' s—=h »■ '■ ii- <■ t, ■ -. V Beceived Jan. 26, 5.3 p.m. , . ~ __ London, Jan. 23. to the -House of Lords, Lord Lans--555?' on the second reading of the Muttaiy Service Bill, said that it was ; aged on expediency, rather than prinvcJWe, hd<l was recommended bv an nwasmous Cabinet and an almost unanimous Howe of Commons. There was no need to apologise for a homeopaitiiic <"*• °f compulsion, though doubtless a wOKening of the industrial army meant * '"J*?" of the fo"""**! position and * diminution of power to give the Allies the assistance for which they naturally relied on us. . !0» Bill passed the second reading.

WRD DERBY'S VIEWS. \ Received Jan. 26, 8.15 p.m. London, Jan. 25. i*rd Derby says that 650,000 single mtt) unaccounted for in his report was the minimum number, and until they were accounted for it would have been perfectly impossible to fulfil Mr Asqyith's pledge. The marrieds were coming ir. in large numbers. The single men were in larger proportion to the marrieds, but not to an extent to jmjtify anyone thinking that the numbW left were gtill a negligible quantity. He was more frightened of the Government thin of other tribunals, in reducing,>the number available. Since the report was issued four lists of those in reserved occupations had been issued, and he could not help being apprehensive ■when he knew that one hundred 'thousand badges had been issued in four ijays. When the Bill was introduced he feared that litany fish would escape the net, Dut he now thought there was less danger of their escape. Lord Derby added: It would have l been of no avail to introduce industrial compulsion ! h the guise of the Military Ser vice Bill. He believed that the Bill would meet the emergency, and -would not make u great industrial disturbance. It would be worked so as to bring men to the army as required, and as inidustrv could spare them. He believed that ifc.Waa impossible for the Governraent to frame a bill more simply for carrying out its pledges and more fully meeting tho requirements of the military authorltite.

OTHER OPINIONS. Lord Halftone did not think that the Bill trenched on any large principles. The Government had wisely restricted it as far as possible. Lord lJussell opposed the Bill on the ground that compulsion would diminish )he country's glory. The Archbishop of Canterbury wholeheartedly supported the Bill, which he believed to be a plain, straightforward andvigorous measure to meet an extraordinarily difficult situation. Lord Curzon said that no one would like to see a permanent measure more than himself, but it was obviously out ! of the question to revolutionise our who]e system in the middle of a great z w»r, and force upon the country a general system of compulsion. Lord Lansdowne said that as matters stood we were not wholly masters, and the situation was distinctly of interest Jto industry. We should emerge vic- . toriouely, but it was also necessary victory should not be long delayed. The Government had endeavoured to hold the balance as fairly as possible between the army and the Commons. He regretted that Ireland had not claimed her right to inclusion. Lord Middleton said he regretted that Ifa Qwenwwnt bad not yjhown »<>«»»

courage find spread their net a little , wider. He asked whether the course of the war was not marred by >the Government "s progress along the line of least resistance. Those who were associated with him had great difliculty in considering what course they should adopt, but eventually it had been decided not to attempt to amend the Bill, but to leave the responsibility dn the Government. . ( WEfeD FOR PROFESSIONAL ARMY. LORD HALDANE'S VIEWS. Received Jan. 27, 12.55 a.m. London, Jan. 20. Speaking on the Military Service Bill, Lord Haldane said he thought the Government might have gone further, and make appeals to married men and Ireland. He doubted whether it was possible to introduce compulsion permanently, but while India and the Domi* ions were unable to provide for their own defence it was necessary, to raise a professional army for the purpose. THE FOREIGN OFFICE. , ANOTHER COMPLAINT. Times and Sydney Sun Services, Received Jan. 20, 5.10 p.m. London, Jan. 23. Lord Headley, speaking in London, said that the nation was dissatisfied with the Foreign Office-not backing up the Navy and apparently attempting to interfere and lessen sea power. He cited the recent new statistics as a proof of over squeamislmess towards the Huns.

THE WAR IN PARLIAMENT. / .VARIOUS ITEMS. Received Jan. 26, 5.5 p.m. London, Jan. 25, Mr. Bonar Law was cheered in tlio House of Commons when he announced that New Zealand, by the end of June, would have raised sixty thousand men. Replying to a question, Mr. C. Roberts said that the Indian Government had taken statutory powers to work the Herman-owned wolfram mines in India, an 4 would prohibit export except to the United Kingdom. The House of Lords passed the Parliament Registration Bill. PEACE ADVOCATES. MAKE USELESS APPEALS.

London, January 25. Soldiers converted a peace meeting at Bishopsgate into a recruiting meeting. The peace speakers were heckled and gTeeted with a torrent of howls and hisses. A tumult followed, the soldiers calling for three cheers for our men in the trenches. Then a lance-corporal asked the chairman to appeal for recruits, and the chairman acquiesced. BELGIAN' SPIES. London, January 25. Two Belgians were remanded at Brentford on a charge.of having been found near a military station with a camera. Evidence showed that the prisoners had been seen near a gun station. ENEMY TRADING. London, January 25. Basils Panderi, the London partner of a Greek shipping firm, has been charged with trading with the enemy. The prosecuting counsel said that defendant cabled ■ £3OOO to his brother at the Piraeus, knowing that the latter would eend it to Constantinople. Defendant pleaded ignorance of the law. He was fined I £450.