MOTHER COUNTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 November 1917, Page 5

MOTHER COUNTRY.

PRISONERS AND GUNS BRITAIN'S ACHIEVEMENT.

Received Nov. 1(1, 8 p.m. Reuter Service. London, Nov. ifi.

in the House of Commons, ll'r. Forster stated that since the war (he l!ri:..vli armies on all fronts hnd taken M(i,OCO prisoners and over SOO guns, of which 101,ii24 prisoners and 51!) guns wcr:> taken on the West front since Jul)' 1 last year.

The' llritish armies in all theatre? had also conquered or reconquered 128 000 square miles. With Palestine returns still incomplete, they had taken ;i0,197 prisoners and' 180 guns.

SEDITION AND DISLOYALTY.

GRAVITY OF IRISH SITUATION'. Received Nov. 10, 8.35 p.m. London, Nov. ].">. In the House of Lords, Lord Chaplin enlled attention to the gravity of (he situation in Ireland. Sinn Feiners were preaching sedition and disloyalty, and holding out inducements for the establishment of a separate republic. The Government ought to 3t.op the campaign out. of consideration for the Irish Convention. He condemned the Government's want of action. It was a mockery to ask the Convention to sit while Devalera was going about preaching deliberate and cold-blooded incitements to rebellion.

Lord Wimborne, replying, said lie could not recognise Lord Chaplin's gloomy picture. Despite the inflammable material the greatest danger was the importation of arm--, or a hostile landing. Owing to the steps taken neither possibility was likely. The House must not make' overmuch of the illegal drilling of the Sinn Feiners, who were not pro-Germans. The idea of Ireland becoming an independent republic must always remain a dream.

NEXT IMPERIAL CONFERENCE. DATE RESTS WITH THE DOMINIONS Received Nov. 1,0 8 p.m. London, Nov. 15. Mr. J Norton Griffiths asked whether, in view of the many changes of aspect of the war, the Government would consider the advisability of summoning an Imperial conference d'uring the next three months.

Mr. Bonar Law said it was difficult for Prime Ministers of the Dominions to leave their work. The Government realised the importance of keeping in the closest touch with the Dominions, and would be guided by their views in fixing the time for the next conference.

BRITISH JEWS.

SETTLEMENT OF JEWS LN PALESTINE.

Received Nov. 10, 8 p.m. Reuter Service. London, Nov. 15. A meeting of loading British Jews decided to form a league of British Jews, with the object of upholding the statue of British subjects professing Judaism, and also to facilitate the settlement of Jews in Palestine.

ROYAL VISIT TO WALTON HOSPITAL London, Nov. 15. The Kinjj and Queen visited Walton Hospital. Sir Thomas Mackenzie and his daughter Mary received their Majesties and introduced Colonel Mill and the staff. Their Majesties visited all the wards and showed keen interest in every soldier. The King expressed gratification at all lie had seen, and commended the happy appearance of the men and the excellence of the hospital arrangements. INCREASED RATES ON MEAT. London, Nov. 15. Increased rates for Australian and Argentine meat are inevitable owing to higher insurance cost. Recent South American round trips resulted in heavy losses to the Government. CRITICISMS ON WAR COUNCIL. London, Nov. 15. The Morning Post states that the functions of the War Council are now explained. They are comparatively harmless, but will not result in unity. The war necessitates swift action, and it would bo better to shelve the whole scheme than to have war plans discussed and re-discussed in the roundabout way inevitable under a war council which was conceived in panic, and will end in confusion.

The Daily Telegraph says that a decided change of tone is observable among those who have designs against the Government, who arc realising that the Prime Minister's plan seeks to achieve unity in the simplest way. The invasion of Italy is the worst military danger on the west front since the beginning of the war, and this is not a time for recrimination and dissension.

RAID ON PACIFISTS. Loudon, Nov. 15. Detectives raided the offices of four pacifist organisations in London. They required a van to remove the correspondence and samples of propaganda to Scotland Yard. Received Nov. lfi, 7.50 p.m. London, Nov. 15. In the House of Commons Sir George Cave (Home Secretary) stated, in connection with the propaganda in favor of a premature peace, that the Government had seized many thousand leaflets, but it was difficult to ascertain their authorship, hence the Government was taking additional powers whereby every leaflet must be signed and submitted to the Press Bureau for approval