MOTHER COUNTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 October 1916, Page 5

MOTHER COUNTRY.

Mansion house banquet. PPLONIAL STATESMEN ENTERTAINED. t CHAUTCDE. TO OVERSEAS DOMINIONS. deceived, October 27, ?J> p.m. London, October 26. There was a notable gathering at lhe Mansion House where the Lord Mayor gave a luncheon to three hundred overseas residents and visitors to meet the v aTiou9 High Commissioners and iApente-General. For the first time in tb® Mansion House history the luncheon Ois a purely Colonial function. * The guests included Sir Thos. Macken'fcie, Mr. Massey, Sir J. G. Ward, Sir Jas. and Lieut. Seddon. The Lord Mayor toasted the High romm : £9ioners, and Sir Thos. Mackenzie presented the Lord Mayor, on behalf nf the High Commissioners, with an ad;dr*ss (hanking him for his generous hospitality towards the overseas troops and his gracious reception of the Colonial representatives. BUT A LONG WAY TO GO. Mr. Bonar Law, in proposing the Lord iKnypr's health, expressed, on behalf of the British people, the debt of gratiAhde they wed the overseas dominions. IThi> war had shown that we were working as one. It wjis true we were winning, lit we had a long road to go. Our (victories in the past had not been won {■y wealth, or eve?i courage, but by kti'ying powers, and we must still rely }n that until victory came. CHANNEL TUNNEL SCHEME. TO BE REVIEWED. JN LIGHT OF WAR EXPERIENCE. Received Oct. 27, 5.20 p.m. Condon, Oct. 20. Mr. Asquith, replying to a deputa- ' Hot), promised that the Committee of Imperial Defence would review the Channel tunnel proposal from all aspects, in the light of experience gained fl>y the war. He added that in response to a deputation in 1913, he directed the aDefence Committee to reconsider the tunnel's strategic aspects, and the committee. in July, 1914, decided by a majority adversely to the scheme. He agreed with to-day's deputation that ithe war experience was a new factor of immeasurable importance foi statesmen, military and naval experts, and promised to refer the matter to the ■ iWar Committee or Defence Committee. V.C. HEROES. London, Octobei 20. Fifteen Victoria Crosses have been 'Awarded, including the following:— Colonel Campbell, of the Coldstream Guard?, seeing the first two waves of his battalion decimated by machineguns, took personal charge of the third line, and led the men until the. roaehinepms were captured. Later in the day jio r&llied the survivors of the battalion at a critical moment, turned the fortunes of the day, and enabled the division to capture objectives of the highest [tactical importance. Majol La Touche Congreve," for conspicuous bravery foi fourten days prior to his death. During preparations for the attack he continually led parties a thousand yards in front of the British line to acquaint them with the ground. Captain Chavase, of the Medical Corps, saved twenty badly wounded jnen from No Man's Land. Captain Archie White, of the Torfcshire Regiment, for four days and nights, by indomitable courage and skilful dispositons, he held a redoubt against counter-attacks, though short of supplies and ammunition. Private Clark, a Canadian. During the construction of a block in a captured trench, twenty-two Germans advanced. Clark, using a revolver and two German rifles, which were lyin« in Ithe tienchcs, scattered them, and pursuing, shot four. Private Hughes, Connaught P.angers, dashed out single-handed and captured a machine-gun. Private Thomas Jones, ot the Cheshires, went into the enemy trenches and, single-handed, disarmed 102 Germans in dug-outs. 'Private Kerr, a Canadian, though wounded, went along the parapet firing at pointblank range, and inflicted heavy loss. Thinking they were suriounded, sixty-two Germans surrendered, and •450 yards of'trenches were captured. A PENSIONS BOARD, Received Oct. 27, 5.35 pa. London, Oct, 20. I- the House of Commons. Mr. Asqiiith stated a Bill would be introduced shortly to establish a Pensions Board jaigr a Cabiaafc ifini«te£. .