MOTHER COUNTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 April 1917, Page 5

MOTHER COUNTRY.

FIRING HEARD NEAR COAST. NO ENEMY SEEN! FANTASTIC GERMAN REPORT. I A. and N.Z. Cable Asso. and Router. Received April 1, 5.5 p.m. London, March 31. The Admiralty reports that during the night of Mar* 2S-2!) firing was observed off the shore from Lowestoft. Patrols went at full speed to the scone, but nothing was seen of the enemy, who made off. A Berlin official report states: On the night of llareli 2S-2A parts of our naval forces cruised in the .barred zone on the south coast of England. Beyond the,armed British steamer Maseotte, which wa,s encountered eight miles east of Lowestoft and sunk by gunfire, no enemy fighting forces nor merchantmen Were sighted'. Seven men of the Maseotte were taken prisoner. The Admiralty points out that the only British vessel named Maseotte is unarmed, so that the above presumably ■refers to the patrol trawler Maseotte.

THE SILVER-BADGED MEN. QUESTION OF RE-ENLISTMENT. A STRONG AGITATION. 1 —— Received April 1, 5.5 p.m. London, March' 3£ There is considerable feeling evinced among the public against the bringing back to the fighting line of men who have received the silver badge donoting that they had been discharged from the army on account of wounds. Many consider that the age limit should be raised before the woundeds are reenlisted. Mr. J. L. Macpherson (M.P. for Ross and Cromarty) stated in the House ol Commons that out of , half a million men who were discharged during the first eighteen months of the war it is estimated that at least 00,000 are now ■fit for service. Brigadier-General H. P. Croft, Rt. Ron. R. MeKenna, and Rt. Hon. Winston Churchill are among the members of the House of Commons .who are actively agitating jn the matter.

MILITARY SERVICE BILL. , DISCUSSION IN COMMITTEE. London, March 30. Tne House of Common;, in committee, discussed the Military Service Bill. The Government declined to exempt all agricultural workers, but Mr. Bonav Law said that, as food production was at least as important as getting soldiers, agriculture .would receive special consideration. Several members Btrongly denounced there-examining of discharged men, especially those incapacitated on active service. Messrs. McKenna and Churchill disputed the Government's, figures as to the probable results of the re-examina-tion, and considered the Government was over optimistic. Mr. Macpherson promised complete estimates. WOMEN'S FRANCHISE. .

THE GOVERNMENT'S PROPOSALS. London, March 30. Women representing all trades, professions and occupations waited as a deputation on Mr. Lloyd George, who explained that the Governing intended leaving the question of « omS"s vote an open question in the Hou&e of Commons. The Bill would include the proposal of the Speaker's Conference. The majority of the Government supported the inclusion of women's suffrage. The House of Commons would decide whether the age be 30 or 35. < Once women were on the register he had no doubt men would be satisfied to give them the vote on the same terms as themselves. [The conference proposal was that women who are ratepayers or the of ratepayers' should have the vote. The age was unsettled, but 30 or 35 suggested.]

WAR CONTINGENT ASSOCIATION. STATEMENT BY HIGH COMMISSIONED. WAR CONFERENCE BUSY. ; Australian Cable Association. London, March 31. Sir T. Mackenzien, chairman of the New Zealand War Contingent Association, statcs«that the balance at the end of March was £7002 for general com-" fort.<|. and £21,000 for the Red Cross. This is in addition to .£2OOO in hand for comforts. General Richardson holds £IOOO for comforts for hospital patients, but he deprecates any systematic attempt by the association to cater for fit men, whose care should devolve upon the military authorities, with small supplements from the High Commisisoncr's fund subscribed in London. Some members of the association dissent from General Richardson's view. The association expends '£2ooo monthly on soldiers' personal comforts. The War Conference sat this morning and the Cabine. in the afternoon. Owing to pressure of war business, there is practically little chance of the Conference considering the Dominion Commission's report.. The overseas delegates hold consultations on Saturday with the heads of certain departments. ADMIRALTY CHANGES,

A. & N.Z. Cable Association & Reuter. Received April 1, 11.30 p.m. London, March 31. Admiral Sir A. A. Callaghan replaces Admiral of the Fleet Sir A. D. Fanihawe, the latter retiring owing to the age limit. Vice-Admiral Brock has been promoted to Admiral, and Sir George Patej has been absorbed into the es- ' "