MOTHER COUNTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 February 1918, Page 5

MOTHER COUNTRY.

THE SOCIALIST CONFERENCE. AGREEMENT on war aims urged. TRADE UNIONISTS AGGRIEVED. ' Received Feb. 24, 5.5 p.m. /». London. Feii. 2.T. Mr. filbert Thomas is president of the iSecialist conference, which .include; representatives' from France, Italy, Roumania,' South Africa and the Southern Slavs. II:'. Thomas said the conference mu3t show .itself able to reach an agreement on the war aims, which the Allied i Governments had failed to do. "the Daily Telegraph stages that the Trade Unions are considering the advisability of separating fr.im Socialist organisations ar.if establishing a trade,'union labor party, owing lo their resentment of •the..pec-fist attacks 'm trade union officials who, while members of Parliament and Ministers, advocated the prosscutiou if the war. " SUPPRESSION OF SECRET ' / ' - DIPLOMACY. TERRITORIAL ADJUSTMENTS. Rsceired Feb. "24, 5.5 p.m. / London. Feb. 23. The Inter-Allied .Socialist Conference hoi agreed to the suppression of secret diplomacy, and placing the foreign policy in the hands of a league of natior.3 commission. In considering territorial adjustments, the inference was liable to reach anvttiitig like unanimity. The British Trade t'hion "defecates entered a vigorous protest against some of the proposed territorial adjustments. They ridicule the French proposals regarding the German colonics. Van dl>r Velde, the Belgian Minister, v>Y t o is presiding, declared that we cannot' ignore the fact that the Bolsheviks have discredited Russia internationally, but we must not forget what the, litis - .ian revolution has done for inte;»nationalijnii and Socialism. The.great lesson to be derived is that democracy would commit an irretrievable mistake -by throwing away its arms before imperialism is defeated. AGREEMENT ON WAR" AIMS. DEMOCRACY DESTROYED. IF GERMANY IS VICTORIOUS Received Feb! 25, 12.50 a.m. i London, Feb. 24. The Inter-Allied Socialist Conference has agreed to the memorandum of its war aims, declaring that the peoples of Europe are the chief sufferers of the v&r, though not responsible for the outbreak; md that the invasion of Belgium and France threatens the very existence of independent nationalities, and strikes a blow at the faith of treaties; therefore a victorious German imperialism would mean .the defeat and destruction of European democracy and liberty. Socialists arc not warring with the Austro-German peoples, but with the Governments which . oppose them. While inflexibly resolved to light until the task of liberation is achieved, the Socialists oppose a war of •. conquest. The conference has appointed Messrs Henderson, Albert Thomas and Van der Velde a commission to endeavor to secure from the Allied GQvernments an agreement that at least one representative of Labor and Socialism shall participate in the peace conference. WAR GRAVES. RECOMMENDATIONS of COMMISsion. Reuter Service. Revived Peb. 24, 5.15 pan. London, Feb. 23; A meeting of the Imperial War Graves' yunitiimiinn approved the report of Lieu-tenant-Colon elKenyon, making a recommendation for eqiality of treatment of the headstones for officers and men, the Gkrrtrnmeat to bear the cost of tbe outlay iiid maintenance. It is Btated that gotoe, aot all, of the dominions would HtknUa on a form of headstcme representing fhifßrifajafen rather than the individif'A- ' ' :: .;

MAN-POWER SCHEME. OPPOSITION* OF SCOTTISH. MINERS. Received Feb. 24, 5,30 p.m. London, Feb. 23. The president of the' Scottish miners' conference has announced that large majorities' a!" various mining districts have baliotted against the Go, ornment's manpower proposals. - v.-wORS PRAISED A DAY'S WORK DETAILED. London, Fell. 2-2. In the House of Commons, Major Raird, introducing the Air_ Hoard's estimates, praised the courageous boyish aviators, who arc constant),• exposed to attacks by enemy aircraft aif.i antiuircraft guns'. He paid a special tribute to the overseas aviators for their luyaA and brave services on all frontsIn one day. owing to aerial observation, the British artillery silenced 127 enemy batteries, destroyed 28 gun-pits, "and damaged SO. They' also bombed (if! ammunition dumps. lialloou observations on the same day resulted in silencing 34 batteries. The work of our fighting squadron was glorious and invaluable. During September they destroyed Kill enemy machines and shot down 122. In the same month 15,837 photographs of enemy positions were taken and 78S0 bomb's dropped. LANDLORD EJECTS RUSSIAN DIPLOMAT London, Feb. 22. The lr.nulord has evicted Lifvinoff, the Bolshevik nominee as 'Rneninn Ambassador. from his offices in A'ictoria Street,, on the ground thai he has not observed the clause prohibiting propaganda work. WAR DECORATIONS CONFERRED. Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assoc. and' Renter. Received Feb. 25, 15 a.m. London, Feb. 24. The King, at Buckingham Palace conferred 200 decorations.'including the Distinguished Service Order to Colonels W. Cunningham and J. Duigan, New Zealand ers. CONFERENCE WITH JAPANESE MINISTER. Received Feb'. 25, 1.10 a.m. London. Feb- 24. Importance is attached to the Japanese Amhasador's interview with Mr. Balfour-