MOTHER COUNTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 March 1917, Page 5

MOTHER COUNTRY.

IMPERIAL WAR CONFERENCE. POLITICAL AND FISCAL AUTONOMY. / London, March 10. The Manchester Guardian states that, lin connection with to-rlay's first Imperial Conference, Mr, Lloyd George writes .that the Imperial Cabinet felt it was imperative that the whole of the Empire should assist in arriving . ascertain impending decisions regarding war and peace, which must be of decisive importance to the future of all peoples of the Empire. Yet these meetings are merely evidence of still greater changes tVe war will produce in interImperial relations, the full nature of which will no 4 be apparent, and the full consequences of which cannot be dealt with until sfter the war A 9 long as they enjoyed this within the Imperial pale they were content, but they will not accept a unity which thwarts their characteristic natural development. Any unification threatening the autonomous nation? 1 life o; the Motherland or of the Dominions would defeat itself. Politico.; autonomy must carry with i f fiscal economy. Mr LJoyd George suggests that If the Foreign Secretary became a member of (he Imperial Council thi-i would give the Empire representative? greater authority over the Foreign Secretary than even the House of Commons exer-ipes. If the represents ti"fs expressed dissatisfaction at hi 3 policy, i*- would be as effective as any const i*utions)l power under a mere formal srrangement. Mr Massey writes: "Wc have waited our rational strength fur over half a century by allowing hundreds of thousands of emigrants to go to countries outside the Empire. We should now encourage our own people to occupy the Empire's unoccupied lands. In matters of trade also we have seemingly considered the interests of every country but our own."

WAR FINANCE. A VOTE. OF SYMPATHY, London, March 10. 7a the House of Commons, Mr Bonar Law said the daily war expenditure between February 11 and March 31 was £7,260,000. The average daily expenditure for the ydar e...'iiig March, 1917 r was six' millions. The total oatunated amount advanced to the Allies and Dominions was 904 millions. Mr Bathurst announced that the Food Controller would shortly issue a drastic order dealing with the hoarding of food. Mr Lloyd George moved a rote of sympathy with the Royal Family on account of the death of the Duchess of Connaught. Mr Asquith seconded the motion, and paid a tribute to the Duchess for her philanthropic and benevolent works. Rarely had the qualities of a.great lady been combined in a single person to such a degree. : . THE GERMAN DESTROYER RAID. ADMIRALTY REPORT. BRITISH DESTROYERS TORPEDOED. A. & K.Z. Cable Association and Router. Received March J}o, 0.25 p m.' London, March 19. The Admiralty reports that enemy destroyers shelled the undefended coastal town of Ramsgate on the night of March 17-18, and hurriedly escaped in the darkness. It is impossible to ascertain the damage inflicted on them. The enemy engaged "and torpedoed one of our destroyers eastward of Dover. She returned the Are, but the result is unknown. There were eight survivors, but all the officers were drowned. A second British destroyer was torpedoed while picking up the survivors, but wa3 I'not seriously damaged. A British mechantman was also torpedoed and sunk.

NAVAL AND AERO RAIDS. GERMAN OFFICIAL REPORT. Received March 21, 1-2.55 a.m. Berlin, March 20. Official.—A naval aeroplane on Saturday afternoon bombed the harbor and gasworks at Dover. Our naval forces on Saturday night again broke into the Straits of Dover and the mouth of the Thames. They sank an enemy destroyer, heavily damaged another, and torpedoed and sank a merchant ship of 1500 tons near the North Foreland. Gunfire sank two enemy guardships.

INTERESTING INCIDENTS. SEIZURE OF GALLIPOLI IN 19\4 1 CONSIDERED. Received March 20, 10.45 p.m. London, March -20.. A supplement lias been issued ""tS the Dardanelles report. It deals with some previously 1 excised .portions, and shows that Mr, Churchill concluded in August, 11)14, that Turkey might join the Central Powers at any moment. In conjunction with the late Lord Kitchener, lie considered the seizure of Gallipoli without delay by a Greek army, which would enable the British Fleet to enter the Sea of Marmora. General Calhvell, Director of Military Operations, issued a memorandum regarding the difficulties of the project and the Admiralty's suspicion that the Dardanelles forts were getting short ,of ammunition at the time of the bombardment. This was subsequently confirmed. Commissioner Roche adds a minute that Sir John Elliott, British Mil)' ister at Athens, telegraphed in March, 1'915, that M. Venizelos proposed to offer the co-operation of three divisions in Gallipoli. The King had already been sounded thereon. The Minister also heard from another source that', the /Kiug wg»ted war. u '