MOTHER COUNTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 January 1918, Page 5

MOTHER COUNTRY.

j THE LABOR CONFERENCE. A CLEAN PEACE WANTED. NOT A PEACE BY NEGOTIATION. 'henloi' Service. Deceived Jan. 21, S. 10 p.m. London, .Inn. '23. Mr. Purdy, in his presidential address to t-lie Labor Conference at Nottingham, snid tlmt peace by negotiation while Germniiv occupies foreign territories would mean a f.'crman victory. If Germany did not accept President. Wilson's and Mr. Lloyd George's terms we must on. Germany could no longer claim she was fighting a defensive war. There had not yet been a sign that the enemy was willing to accept Mr. Lloyd George's or I President's or Labor's principles. Mr. Purdy continued: "Would the Oman democracy define its war aims and face the Government as we have faced our Government? 'Dip way is open to Germany, if the German people and Government sincerely desire a just peace in place of an agreement. The present conditions mean fastening militarism more strongly on the people of Germany and the peoples of the British Empire and | tho world. We must have a clean peace. If it is only obtainable by fighting, we must go on fighting to the end.'' Ilugomaii. secretary of tli» International Socialist Bureau, said that if the moderate democratic war aims of the Labor Party were presented to an international Labor Conference, then tile Aus-tro-German Labor Party would be compelled to declare its war aims, end if a general agreement transnired fighting would be paralysed. .ALLIES' WAR AIMS. LLOYD GEORGE'S AND WILSON'S STATEMENTS ACCEPTED. REQUEST FOR FORMULATION. Received Jan. 24, 11.30 p.m. London, Jan. 24. At the Labor Conference Mr. Henderson moved a resolution welcoming Mr. Lloyd Georges and President Wilson's war aims statements, so far as they harmonised with Labor aims, and requesting that the Allies formulate their aims at the earliest possible moment, in order that they may be placed side by side with a similar statement which the democracies of enemy countries have been requested to make. The resolution was practically unanimously carried. Received Jan. '24, 8.10 p.m. London, Jan. 23. Mr. Arthur Henderson, M.P., in a circular to the Labor delegates, recapitu- ' iates Labor's war aims, and adds that all Socialist parties in Europe now agree with the Bolsheviks, and so does President Wilson's published statement. DAILY COST OF THE WAR. NOW SEVEN AND A HALF MILLIONS. Reuter Service. Received Jan. 24. 10 p.m. London, Jan. -23. Tn tho House of Commons, Mr. Bonar Law said the daily average of national expenditure for the seven weeks ended the 10th inst. was £7,500.000. exceeding the estimate by £1,150,000 daily. ° MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCEOF NEW ZEALAND OFFICER. A CASE OF MERITED PROMOTION. Received Jan. 25, 1.30 a.m. London, Jan. 24. Captain Charles IC. Ward, who disappeared recently, belongs to the New Zealand Dental Corps. Enquiries suggest that he may be still alive, as he was seen after the discovery of his abandoned bicycle. Colonel Arthur Asquitb, who was severely wounded in France, and had a foot amputated, has been promoted to the rank of brigadier-general. He won two bars to his Distinguished Service Order. THE REFORM BILL HOUSE OF LORDS* AMENDMENTS. London, Jan. 23. The Daily Chronicle's Parliamentary correspondent says that tho. vacancy in the War Cabinet will not be filled immediately. It is extremely improbable that the House of Commons will agree to the vital changes made by the House of Lords in the People's Bill. The House of Commons three _times defeated proportional representation, and if Lord Selbome's proposal is included in the Bill it will be impossible to pass it into law this session. The Government will probably invite the House of Commons to disagree with the amendments. BOLSHEVIK PROPAGANDA. RAID ON SOCIALISTS. London, .lan. 23. Sir George Cave, replying to Mr. Trevelyajn. said that the police raided the premises of the British Socialist Party and seized .leaflets intended for distribution at tho Labor Conference at Nottingham, containing the party views of Labor's policy, and a message from litoinoff, Bolshevik representative in London. The leajftet contained statements likely to lead to civil strife and pross misrepresentation of the Government attitude to the Russian people. The Government was considering a prosecution. He denied that a person claiming to represent a foreign Government was at liberty to engage in propaganda, in this country.