MOTHER COUNTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 June 1917, Page 5

MOTHER COUNTRY.

RUMORED CABINET CHANCES. IXJUII PORTFOLIOS AFFKCTED. Australian Cable Association. London, June 2. There are many rumors of Government ?hiingcs. If Lord Cowdray resigns the chairmanship of the Air Board owing to business reasons, it is believed that Mr. Winston Churchill will likely be his successor. It ia reported that Lord Rhonda, president of the Local Government Board, is resigning owing to ill liealth. Sir Geo. Cave is accepting the Mastership of the Polls, and in addition may join the War Cabinet. The Daily Chronicle's parliamentary correspondent states that extensive reshuffling of Ministers is expected, involving at least four of the most important. Mr. A. Illingworth, Postmaster General, is regarded as a likely successor to Lord Devcnport, Food Controller. Dr. C. Addison, Minister of Munitions, will probably go, to the Home Office. Mr G. Hewart Roberts Labor member for Norwich, will probably get promotion. The Daily Telegraph states that at a meeting of the Labor party executivte, Mr. G. Hewart Roberts received an invitation to visit Petrograd or Stockholm. The executive asked Mr. J. R. Clynes, Manchester, to replace him. ALLIES' SURGICAL OPERATION

ME. KIPLING'S •iyiEWS. Paris, June. 3. Mr. Kipling, in an article in a Bordeaux paper, nays the French need not be overworried at the wholesale and systematic destruction in Northern France. Civilisation will not allow one country to assascsinate another with impunity. Germany will pay for all she has done in France. The Allies are bound to take vengeance, not as revenge, but as a surgical operation 1 needed by the Germans. LABOR AND SOCIALISTS' CONFERENCE. NO ANNEXATIONS, NO INDEMNITIES. FIERY AND FROTHY TALK. Received June 4, 7.25 p.m. London, Juno 3. The National Labor Socialist Convention opened at I»eds Coliseum. Mr. Smellie was accompanied by Messijj Ramsay Macdonald, Snowden, Jowett, Anderson, Arnold, ai.d Lupton, noted leaders of great trades unions, who had been invited. The proceedings opened with the Ringing of tlie "Red Flag" to a German tune. Mr. Smellie said they had come to talk reason, and not treason. It would be calamity for Russia to make a separate peace, but as it had been agreed that peace could not come from military action, why not begin to negotiate now? Mr. Macdonald's resolution congratulating Russia on the revolution, was carried. Mr. Snowden moved that peace terms acceptable to the conference must be based on no annexations or indemnities, and the rights of the nations to decide their own affairs. Mr. Snowden indignantly denounced the dastardly proposal to tear 400,000 square miles of Africa from Germany, and turning the Turks out of Europe. The representatives of the Seamen! and Firemen's Union then move.d to strike out the words "no annexation and no indemnitiy," and angry demonstration took place, until the chairman put a proposal to the meeting: "That no amendment be allowed." The proposal was carried. Mr. Bevin (Dockers Union) said: "1 am prepared to respond to tho Russian invitation, but what if the Germans refuse? Are you prepared to fight in order to compel them?" (Shouts of "No! No!") Mr. Bevin replied: "You cannot have your cake and eat it too." .Mr. Snowden's motion for the establishment of urban and rural district councils of Workmen's and Soldiers' Delegates was carried. Mr. Anderson moved a resolution demanding the co-ordination of working clasa activity and working strenuously ■for peace to be made by the peoples of the various countries, and the complete political and economic emancipation of international labor. Mr. Williams (Transport Workers' Federation), in seconding the resolution, corrected Mr. Smellie's contention that they had not come, to talk treason. He said that if any delegates had cold feet they had better leave, because the Concress had met for business. "We have," he said, "Hie right to speak for our own class. If tho Russian revolutionists had been concerned over the Russian constitution the Romanoffs would be enthroned still. We have congratulated our Russian comrades." The resolution was carried, there being only two dissentients. Mr. Snowden drafted a cablegram for the information of the Pctrograd Workmen's and Soldiers' Committee statag what the Congress had done. BRITISH PRISONERS. ' GERMAN GOVERNMENT BROUGHT ; TO REASON. Reecived June 4, 3 p.m. \ London, June 3. [ The Press Bureau Sates that arrange- \ ments have been concluded whereby tht German Government has agreed to withdraw all British prisoners of war thirtj kilometres from the firing line on th« '. Eastern and Western front. Two thou * sand Britishers have already been with- \ drawn. Germany has been asked to ant nounce when the withdrawal will b< . completed. -, f DISTRIBUTION OF WAR HONORS. London, June 3. A great concourse witnessed the King's 1 distribution of war honors in Hyde Bark > There was brilliant sunshine. Six hun • dred seats were reserved for the wound I ed, including 150 from overseas. £ !■ squadron of aeroplanes manoeuvred ovei tho park during the ceremony.