MOTHER COUNTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 February 1917, Page 5

MOTHER COUNTRY.

NATIONAL SERVICE SCHEME. INAUGURATED BY PREMIER. m NEVILLE CTTAMT!EV!T.AIN T EXPLAINS. S THAI (HIT TALK BY THE PI;r...HKP, •■OUR PATRIOTISM! MUST NOT PiE LESS THAN GERMANY'S." Received Feb. 7, 8.10 p.m! London, Vol). 7. Mr. Lloyd George addressed a public •■ncotinjt at Westminster to inaugurate Mr. Neville Chamberlain's National Service scheme. Many members of the .House of Commons, London Mayor*, and prominent citizens were present, iiieludi"S representatives of'leading employees and trade unions. Mr. Henderson, who presided, s.iid that we needed to make a swift answer to Germany's latest- challenge. Military exigencies and national honor rendered it imperative that drafts for troops abroad should be supplied with unfailing regularity. Air. Neville Chatnbe ■lain said the Anny must be supplied with drafts of young, physically lit men, who '.alone could stand the terrilie strain of modern trench warfnre. His problem was to find substitutes, who would prevent the essential industries of the country from languishing. Mr. Chamberlain added that he had arranged a sclnine with the bishops, whereby the of the clergy mig'ht be utilised in ottfer work. The doctors must- be mobilised, and distributed over the civil population. Men already engaged in work of national importance would be asked to enrol, as they might ■be- wanted in similar work in other parts |of the country. He, proposed to utilise the local authorities as employment exchanges for tho enrolment, control, and distribution of labor, at a minimum wage of 25s weekly, including agnciil-' ture. The question was where could labor be found? He could not suddenly destroy the non-essential trades for such a destruction would interfere with the credit, of the country. The least essential trades must fall first. Germany means to starve, its out before herself. A starved National Service could deal the eneii-v a blow straight between the eyes, am! bring him to bis senses. Mr. Lloyd 0 eorge said that Britain had sent leiver men to the Army and Navy in proportion to the popluation than any of the Western Powers. France bad provided one in six. We were not shirking our contribution, for we were making a larger contribution in other respects. The Navy meant an enormous drain on the man-power available. If the present voluntary system failed, the nation must resort to compulsion. The community was entitled to the utmost and best help of every member who participated in its life, and if it failed to get the nec-essary stall' bv voluntary means, the Government would be guilty of the grossest dereliction of duty if it did not rc-sou to legislation. The submarine campaign was Germany's set policy, which bad been thought out for years, and which had been taught in the schools. We must build ships to protect our merchantmen in order to demonstrate that murder on the bigl; seas wa; futile. We could do it, but the nation must be. organised. Mr. Lloyd George concluded: ''Our patriotism must not be less than Germany's. Our country is equally worth fighting for. It is a rich land, both in the past and the present, and what riches the future holds depends upon the. people of to-day. (Cheers.) No man who shares in this inheritance lias the right to pass oil the defence of the country to bis neighbor." DARDANELLES COMMISSION REPORT. A SEPARATE MINUTE. Receive Feb, 7, 7.43 p.m. London, Feb. fi. All the members of t'ho Dardanelles Commission, except one, have signed the interim report. Lord Fisher and Sir Thomas Mackenzie signed, but also presented a separate minute. THE REPORT BEING PRINTED. Received Feb. 8, 12.50 a.m. London, Feb. 7. The Daily Chronicle states that the Dardanelles interim report is being printed. Lord Cromer signed the report iu his siek-room a few days before bis death. It remains for the Government to decide if the report is to be published. The- sittings of the Commission are to be continued. CANCELLING EXEMPTIONS. London, Feb. li. The Press Bureau states that Mr. Neville Chamberlain, iu accordance with t-lu; decision of the War Cabinet, is instiuctiug every Government department to cancel forthwith all exemptions up to and including 22 years of age, of men fit for general military service, but scheduling as temporarily exempt those employed in the production of steel, agriculture, mines, quarries, railway shops, transport, and.shipyards. VOLUNTEERS' PAY. Received Feb. 7, 7.45 p.m. London, Feb. 0. Mr. Neville Chamberlain's scheme provides for a subsistence allowance of 2s 6d per day for volunteers out of work, and a grant of fls Cd daily for four weeks. The "rate of pay for national volunteers is the rate for the work they do. This might be higher or lower than tho one tljfy are accustomed to, but, Mr. Chamberlain added, eac'h man must take his luck, tile same as the soldiers did. It was impossible to indicate at the present the lines whereon national industries should proceed. Certainly, there should be some restrictions of the less essential occupations, but sharing of machinery, plant and labor should enable trades to maintain their prosperity after tli#'war, '