BRITAIN.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 April 1916, Page 5

BRITAIN.

EA&TER CONGRATULATIONS. , .BETWEEN KING AND CZAB. - ?/". , ' Received April 25, 5.5 p.m. London, April 24. The fting and the Czar exchanged telegrams on the occasion of the happy coincidence that both nations were celebrating Easter on the same day, and expressing confidence in the ultimata •ncttM of their combined efforts.

IN DEFENCE OF LLOYD GEORGE. •CLEARER THAN HIS CRITICS." April 25, 7.30 p.m. ' V ' London, April 24. Jfv i\ Q. Kellaway, M.P., who is acting as secretary to Dr. C. Addison (Parliamentary secretary to the Ministry of JSlimitions), in a letter to the press, defenß» Mr. Lloyd George who, he claims, saved the liberal Party twice from dis4jit4fc in twelve months. He points out that 'iit the early stages of the war the money position was most serious, and no one c£n deny that Mr. Lloyd George saved the position. Similarly, When the shortage of munitions cropped uj>, he converted the country from Lands' End to John o' Groats into a great arsenal. Mr. Lloyd George'has 3MW brought the Cabinet to realise that ir the: Germans arc to be beaten the Government must organise the whole of the availitte manhood of the country. Anti-Lloyd Georgeans hope to drive him Ottt of the Cabinet, but even if they succeed they cannot prevent him being tl« real leader: of the nation. His onV crime is thit he has seen ant sooner than his critics.

THE CONTRABAND CONTROVERSY.

REPLY TO AMERICA. Received April 25, 11.35 p.m. London, April 25. Sir Edward . Grey, replying to an American Note quotes Admiral Jellieoe'a opinion that.it is impossible to confine the search of vessels to the actual spot where they may be encountered, owing tol'the size of the Cargoes, the danger of submarines, and the subterfuges employed to conceal contraband, and thug it is necessary to take the ships to port. The French Minister of Marine concurs With Admiral Jellicoe.

Sir , Edward Grey adheres to the incontestable right to intercept contraband under any circumstance, and, regarding Prize Courts, he denies the existence of international procedure. Each nation has a law unto itself, and the old rules are .unworkable, hence their Abandonment.

CABINET COUNCILS.

ANOTHER SUGGESTION. Received April 25, 5.5 p.m. London, April 24. Lord Headley, in a letter to the newspipers, suggests legislation to enable the Premiers of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, anil South Africa to attend all Cabinet Councils, as they will have a refreshing and rejuvenating influence oit the deliberations. "1: ' ' THE ORDIER FOR SECRECY. VNPOPULAR WITH THE PRESS. % London, April 24. • The Tiirtes says that nearly all the troubles during Mr. Asquith's adminis- ' tration srang from a want of candour. The Order-in-Council in which it seeks refuge clouds everything in deeper mystery. The. Daily Telegraph says that in the attempt to»destroy the Government the campaign of invective has been carried to the extjfeme. The writer hopes the Government will firmly hold to its resolutions' to mafntain the secrecy of the Cabinet; but if Ministers fetter writers and speakers they must keep a rigid guard on their own expressions. The Daily. Mail says the order means that the Premier has no hope of inducing Ministers to hold their tongues. If t&erf is any Cabinet leakage it must be due to the) indiscretion of talkative Jfinbteri . • - * INDEPENDENT LABOR PARTY. fROTEST' BY PRESIDENT. ,5 - ■■: London, April 24.

ference at Newcastle, there wore 400 delegates. Mr. Jowett, M.P., president, declared that the party refused to assist the Government in a war of adventure which was bound to be disastrous whatever the result of the military operations was. He protested against men being compelled to fight whether or not they believed in the justice of the war. He predicted that the war would be followed by industrial strife if the skilled workers were dragged down to the level of unskilled men, and women's labor cheaper than that of men, or if the capitalists were so enriched that the workera were weaker than before the war.

BLUE BLOOD AT THE PLOUGH, WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE. | London, April 24. An increasing number of women are assisting in agriculture. The Marchioness of Londonderry and the Countess of Feversham have joined the \vorkers. The latter has been ploughing. COMPULSION. PRESS CORRESPONDENT'S VIEWS. t Times and Sydney Sun Services. London, April 24. Dr. Shakwell, the noted Labor student, writing to the Times on the> question of compulsion, stated that the "unions could acquiesce if they were convinced that victory was impossible without compulsion. They were not yet convinced because they were stuffed with | optimistic delusions. They were not told the facts, and everything was censored. Thinking the war was nearly over, they regarded compulsion as a dodge to smash the unions. The workers did not need encouragement about the war; they only required materials for forming a right judgment. A well-informed anti-compulsionist, in the Manchester Guardian, comments that the crisis has ended in a complete victory for the compulsionists. The re-opening of the Derby scheme means nothing more. The Asquith-Henderson group, are satisfied with six weeks' postj ponement which will inevitably be folI lowed by conscription for married men.

The sudden announcement of the settlement has created a good deal of scepticism about the reality of the crisis experienced. Lobbyists state it was stage management to frighten the Radicals and Laborites, by raising the spectre of a general election. Another section believes that Asquith's statement was partly designed to save the Wimbledon seat for the Government. It resulted in thousands not voting.

It is believed the measure will not apply to Ireland, the simple reason being that Ireland refuses to have compulsion.

A THREATENED STRIKE. London, April 24. The Operative Association of Cotton Spinners of Lancashire are balloting whether to strike for 10 per cent, advance in wages. •