MOTHER COUNTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 January 1919, Page 5

MOTHER COUNTRY.

SPEECH BY LLOYD GEORGE,

WIL FIGHT FOR THE PEOPLE.

GOVERNMENT MUST FULFIL

PROMISES.

Received Jan. 4, 3.5 p.u, London, Jan. 1. Mr. Lloyd George, at Carnarvon, speak- | wg in Welsh, said they could rejy on one i thiug—namoly, that he would still be one of the people, and would continue to fight for them. Unless the Government did its best to fulfil its promises he would not remain at the head of .the administration, Lut would appeal to the country for its confidence.—Aus. and N.Z. I Cable Assoc. , PRISONERS IN GERMANY. j ■ ' ! EXCEED ESTIMATE BY 15,000. LAItGE NUMBER REPORTED DEAD OR MISSING. Received Jan, 5, 5,5 p.m. London, Jan, 2. The discovery of fifteen thousand more British prisoners in Germany than British records show assures that a large uumlwr of men previously reported dead 01-. missing will return home safe. The British expected to get twenty thousand prisoners out of Germany in a fortnight, but the Gen-tkftri records show that thirtyfive thousand are remaining, of whom fifteen thousand, through failure of the Germans to report all their captures, or the men's failure to communicate with their friends, have been reported dead.— Reuter.

MISSING MEN.

CAREFUL SEARCHES MADE.

; METHOD OP PROCEDURE. Received Jan. 5, 5.5 p.m. London, Jan. 8. In view of the inquiries from relatives of the missing men, it is officially stated that a man is posted missing only after failure of all possible inquiries by regimental and hospital officers. Returned war prisoners are systematically examined regarding the fate of comrades. There is no reliable evidence of the existence of secret enemy prison camps. Inquiries are made in hospitals, and all battlefields ara being systematically searched

A British representatives has been instructed to investigate the working camps, mines, asylums, ete., where prisoners might be found. Enemy Govern' menta are required to account for every British war prisoner. No case of a prisoner's identity being untraceable through loss of memory has yet been found, but the possibility will be kept in view. It is inevitable that the fate of considerable numbers of men will never be knovn, but no step to trace them is omitted.

It was officially estimated that there were 24,000 British war prisoners in Germany on December 29, of whom five thousand entrained and are proceeding to Holland, while a further eight thousand are expected to reach Holland in a few days, and seven thousand are being repatriated this iveek, via Baltic ports, tha remainder being transferred to the concentration 'camp at Wahn, which is under British supervision.—Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assoc. and Reuter.

SOLVING THE HOUSING PROBLEM.

HALF A MILLION BEING BUILT.

Received Jan. 4, 5.5 p.m. London, Jan. B. The Government has begun the construction of half a million houses.—Aus, and N.Z. Cable Assoc.

RELEASE OF "CONCHIES."

PETITION TO THE PREMIER.

Received Jan. 4, 5.5 p.nj,

London, Jan. 3.

Bishops and prominent statesmen have /petitioned Mr. Lloyd George to release the "conchies," fifteen hundred of whonj were imprisoned, many for two years.— Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assoc. EMIGRATION PROBLEMS. Received Jan. 6, 12.30 a.m. London, Jan. 4.

The Government has appointed a committee, the chairman of which will be the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, to deal effectively with emigration problems arising during reconstruction.