GENERAL ITEMS.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 February 1916, Page 5

GENERAL ITEMS.

THE WEB OP THW Hl'* PLOTS IN MADAGASCAR. Paris, February 19. It is reported that a grave German plot lias been unmasked in Madagascar, aiming at the poisoning and massacring of many French officers and men, high oflicials arid settlers, and then arming the natives and inciting them to rebellion. It is hoped that France will be obliged to retain a large army on the island. German Consular documents have been discovered stating that influential natives are pro-German, and that it would be easy to stir them up. Two hundred arrests have been made. Th.e natives generally remain friendly.

NOTES FROM THE TIMES,

TRYLMI TO DECEIVE NEUTttALS. Times and Sydney Sun Services. London. February IS. Germany is distributing through the Swiss post sample copies of a new sheet called "The Political Correspondence of Central Europe," and is inviting subscriptions. The paper is allegedly neutral, and is published in Zurich. It is printed, in parallel, columns, in AngloFrench, Italian and Spanish, and is especially promising subscribers in neutral countries moderate, impartial, truthful war news. The specimen copy betrays ita Herman authorship, as it is packed with impudent, lying articles, special telegrams and false/news, which it is inviting newspapers to reproduce. AN UNSINKABLE CRUISER. Rome, February 19. The Naval Journal publishes "details of a new German ironclad that is alleged to be totally unsinkable. She is of the Dreadnought cruiser type, and is fitted with triple skins, her armor being stuffed with non-resisting material, rendering her invulnerable to torpedoes and shells.

THE WAR ON PAPER. - MORE BARTLETT VIEWS. Sydney, Feb. 19. Mr. Ashmead Bartlett, 111 a lecture, said that tlie value of Erzerum as the first decisive victory in the war cannot be overestimated. Referring to flallipoli lie said that the certain check was only temporary, and we would iind ourselves in possession of Constantinople this year or next. CHILD LABOR IN AGRICULTURE. Times and Sydney Run Services. London, Feb. '2O. The Trade Union Congress sent a deputation to wait on Mr. Henderson protesting against the introduction of child labor in agriculture. Mr. Henderson stated that the policy of the Government was to employ 'children, under strictly defined conditions, only when all efforts to obtain adult labor failed. Already eight thousand children were exempted from school for agricultural employment. The Board of Education strongly deprecated this, believing it unnecessary, and was using its utmost powers to prevent improper exemptions.

PRISON'S CLOSED. In the House of Commons Mr. Herbert Samuel stated that seven prisons, and portions of two others, were temporarily closed, owing to the reduction in prime. They had been lent to the War Office to accomodate military prisoners. The closing of five others was under consideration. THE TURKS' FAILURE. "*"*' M. Naudeau, writing to the Paris Journal from Petrograd, says that the fall or Erzerum leaves Asiatic Turkey exposed to Russia. Erzerum was the only real fo'-lrc-i* h\ southern Turkey, commanding all the roads to Armenia. Mesopotamia ggd Persia, - <