MOTHER COUNTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 February 1917, Page 5

MOTHER COUNTRY.

THE WAR LOAM ELEVENTH HOUR RUSH. GREATEST TRIUMPH IN WORM'S HISTORY. STORED GOLD BROUGHT TO LIGHT. JEWELLERY SENT AS GIFTS. EMPLOYERS ASSIST WORKERS WITH STOCKS. ' Received Feb. 18, 5.5 p.m. London, Feb. 17. There was a great eleventh hour rush for the victory war loan. The stock exchange describes it as the greatest financial triumph in the world's history. Eager crowds surrounded the banks throughout the day. A feature was the considerable amount o£ gold disclosed, that had apparently b'e,en hidden in stockings. Hundreds of Women sent the Lord Mayor jewellery to sell as gifts for the Exchequer, including valuable necklaces, diamond rings, and watches. Most of the gifts were anonymous. Before the loan was issued the grcHt banks had arranged whereby the money which the' Chancellor of the Exchequer required would be forthcoming, but the response of the public was so great that the banks will not be called upon to make any direct subscriptions, though they have made large loans to approved clients. There was an immense number of middle-class subscriptions, particularly in the war savings certificates. Large employers of labour throughout the country have taken up. large blocks of stocks for the benefit (f their employees, who will repay by weekly deductions from their wages. MR. HENDERSON OPTIMISTIC. THE BLOW FOR FINAL VICTORY. ALLIES' SUPREME TASK. Aust. Cable Assn. Received Feb. 18, 5.5 p.m. London, Feb. 17. Mr A. Henderson (member of the War Cabinet) speaking at Manchester, said that be shared to the full the feeling that the next few months was going to teßt the Allies as never before. He was confident that they had got the mcaBure of their opponents. The great Allied leaders would be bitterly disappointed if, during this summer, they do not strike such a blow as will lead to final victory. SHORTAGE OF POTATOES. RECORD PRICE OF DOMINION BUTTER. Received Feb. 17, 7.30 p.m. London, Feb. 14 The shortage of potatoes is the firstsign of the 1 lack of food in Britain. Statisticians are suggesting a "potatoes day." . Butter has reached a record. New Zealand butter is realising 228s per cwt. DUTCH MINISTER AT BERLIN. TAKES CARE OF BRITISH INTERESTS. A. & N.Z. Cable Association and Reuter. Received Feb. 17, 7.30 p.m. London, Feb. 34 'Press Bureau, official: The Netherlands Minister at Bucharest has proceeded to Berlin, where ho will be attached to the Dutch Legation, with a special staff, to take care of British interests. Four Dutch doctors will shortly inspect the camps of British prisoners of war. BRITAIN'S WAR BILL, WILL PROBABLY REACH £6,000,000,000. WAR LOAN OVER £800,000,000. Received Feb. 17, 7.20 p.m. London, Feb. 14 The Nation (a weekly review), discussing Britain's tremendous commit-, ments, states that when the new void of credit for £550,000,000 is exhausted at the end of May, the war bill will reach £-1,182,000,000. The national debt win tlien be £4,200,000,000. The conclusion of the war will not bring immediate relief. It is probable the total indebtedness will be six thousand millions, whereof a thousand millions will have been advanced to our Allies. The nation will be called on to pay £250,000,000 in interest yearly, in addition to' a £100,000,000 sinking fund and pensions. The Nation estimates the new war loan subscriptions at over six hundred millions sterling of new money. FOOTBALL MATCH POSTPONED. London, Feb. 115. 'The proposed tour of the New Zealand Rugby football players from the trenches to Britain has been temporarily abandoned, as permission has been withdrawn.

[The New Zealand team was to have played an unbeaten team of the Army Service Corps at Richmond on Safcur-

THE FISHER INTRIGUE. AN ADMIRAL'S OUTSPOKEN REMARKS. DISASTER TO NAVY IF FISHER t RECALLED. Received Feb. IS, 5.5 p.m. London, Fob. 17. Hon. Sir H. Molix, Admiral of the Fieet, addressing his constituents at ■Portsmouth, referred to the movement to bring hack Lord Fisher to deal wilh tlie submarine menace, and declared that if Lord Fisher had wauled to stop the Dardanelles expedition he could have done so, by threatening to resi»n. Admiral Meux said lie knew what the feeling of tlie Grand Fleet was, and it would he an absolute disaster to the Navy if Lord Fisher were brought hack. People disliked Lord Fisher's society, because he goes about boasting of the number of officers he has rui'iod. It was, he said, necessary to say these things, otherwise the intrigue would continue to centre round Lord Fisher's name. PREMIER'S SPEECH POSTPONED. Received Feb. IS, 5.5 p.m. London, Feb. 17. Mr. Lloyd George's speech, which was to have been delivered on Monday, has been postponed until completion of negotiations with the Dominions. ADVANCE IN MEDICINE, London, Feb. 10. Colonel Copeman, at a meeting of the Institute of Health, said preventive medicine had achieved a triumph since, the. outbreak of war. Prophylactic ex amination bad given marvellous results in saving life- and preventing typhoid. There had been no case of typhus in either the British or French armies. Surgeon-General Sir Alfred Keogh declared that there had been marvellous progress in medical science and immense ki.owledge had been collected. The Times' political correspondent se.ys if the Government accepts Imperial preference it will carry the bulk of the Liberal opposition. Public opinion and the pressure of events have settled the issue in advance. X . . . ,