AUSTRALIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 April 1916, Page 5

AUSTRALIA.

LIFE IN VIENNA. / AUSTRALIAN LADY'S OBSERVATIONS. Sydney, April 13. Miss Julia Maxwell has arrived, after 4'/. years in Vienna. She says that when she left in December the Austrian? were certain the war would end in March. When war was leclared, soldiers leaving for the front were smothered in flowers. Lately it has been very different owing to the dread of the Russian winter. There was a pronounced shortage of meat and white bread, but coffee, cocoa, and tea were plentiful and cheap as ever. They were importfll from Holland and Sweden. She experienced no difficulty in leaving, the country. | CONSCRIPTION UNNECESSARY j SAYS DEFENCE MINISTER. Melbourne, April 13. Replying to a deputation of the Australian Natives' Association urging conscription, Mr. Pearce said lie held that the strongest argument for conscription was that the State :ould exercise discretion as to whom' it :ent and who would remain. He did not think more men would be sent than under voluntary enlistment. Referring to the war census and the fact that 120,000 single men between IS and 45 refused to enlist, he thought that at present plenty of men were available, and that conscription was unnecessary. FURTHER CASUALTIES. I RETURNED TO DUTY. Received April 13, 8.45 p.m. Sydney, Ajjri I 13. List 162.—Killed in action: Gunner G. W. Hebbrew. Ill: Privates 11. W. Carson, G. T. Buckley, W. J. Wheatley, A. Kellan, T. J. McKnight. Returned to duty: Privates E. Spearman, J. Caldwell, J. McQuillara, J. McCullough, W. A. W. Gudgeon, L. J. Simpson. Pronounced out of danger: Private J. E. Considine. A feature of the list is that 408 men altogether are announced as having returned to duty,