MOTHER COUNTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 April 1919, Page 5

MOTHER COUNTRY.

LLOYD GEORGE'S SPEECH. MERCILESS CASTIGATION OP NORTHCLIFFE PRESS, Received April 21, 8.30 p.m. London, April 17. Mr. Lloyd George's speech created a good impression in the lobbies, and secured fairly good press notices. There was some disappointment at his failure to give definite information regarding the Conference, but it is agreed that the Premier's general account is satisfactory. The Daily News' Parliamentary correspondent says that the merciless eastigation of Lord Northcliffe was a feature of the speech, particularly the passage in which Air. Lloyri George referred to a great newspaper proprietor laboring under a keen sense of disappointment because his very ridiculous expectation had not been fulfilled, that he was the only man able to make peace The correspondent adds that the speech indicates that the great twin -brothers, who have used and been used by each other, have finally broken the partnership of politics and journalism. Both will gain from the breaking of an inglorious association-

The Northcliffe papers give prominence to the Premier's onslaught, and profess indifference to what they term a gross diatribe. They declare that the wild accusations of attempting to sow dissension between the Allies was extravagantly untrue, and they continue their fierce criticism of the Government. —Aus N.Z. Cable Assoc. Received April 21, 8.30 p.m. London, April IG. Mr. Lloyd George's 'attack on the Northcliffe press referred to the attempt bv certain newspaper owners suffering from diseased vanity to sow dissension between the Allies. Ttii Premier also said: '"The Times is a threepenny edition of the Daily Mail. On the Continent there is an idea it is the semi-official organ of the Government. That shows how long an old tradition takes to die." —Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc, and Reuter. SHIPPING AND OTHER MATTERS. STATEMENT BY MR. MASSEY. Received April 21, 7.15 p.m. London, April 15. Mr. Massey had a conference with the Colonial Office, Board of Trade, Food and Shipping Controllers, and Admiralty regarding 2 lew Zealand shipping. He is convinced that the situation is steadily improving and the outlook is very gioi. New Zealand should get rid of all her produce after the next three months. It is not yet possible to arrange for the shipment of 'apples and rabbits, as the British Government is unable to spare frozen storage, which is urgently required for meat. , New Zealand soldiers are returning more rapidly than those of any of the other dominions, and few, if any, will be left at the end of July. Regarding the Peace Conference, he was so much in the heart of things at Paris that he did not care to diseuss the situation, but it is certain that we are approaching the end, and that there are very good prospects of a satisfactory settlement.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

DEMOBILISATION SUSPENDED. a Received April 21, 7.15 p.m'. London, April 15. Mr. Churchill stated that, owing to recent events, demobilisation had been suspended in India and Egypt.—Aus.NZ. Cable Assn.

PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT OF COLONIAL SUGAR.

Received April 21, 7.25 p.m. London, April 15.

A deputation representing the British Empire Producers? Organisation urged on Mr. Amery (Under-Secretary for the Colonies) the necessity for preferential treatment being given to colonial grown sugar. The proceedings were private, but it ia understood that Mr. Amery's replv satisfied the deputation.—Aus. N.Z. rCable Assoc.

DEALING WITH ALIENS Received April 21, 7.25 p.m. London, April 19. Mr. E. Shortt (Home Secretary) in moving the second reading of the Aliens Restriction Bill, said there was considerable difficulty in dealing with, enemy and neutral friendly aliens now resident abroad and desiring to come to Britain There were 24,200 enemy aliens still interned at the time of the signing of Ihe Armistice, also 21,000 at liberty, while 19,000 had been repatriated. The remainder were rapidly decreasing and were departing on the ships now available. There was a total of 200,000 aliens now in Britain. No proper machinery existed for the exclusion of aliens before the war, but 28 Orders-in-Council had been issued. The Bill proposed to continue those regulations for two years. A committee, under the presidency of a judge, was considering the cases of enemy aliens unwilling to be repatriated Many members supported the motion for the rejection of the Bill, on Die ground that the Government should boldly declare a policy for the absolute exclusion of undesirable races and legislate accordingly, instead of leaving particular cases to the Home Office, acting through Orders-in-Council. They declared that to be the only way of preventing England from again becoming a dumping ground. Sir Hamar Greenwood (Under-Secre-tary to the Home Office) assured the House that there was no danger of the Home Office forgetting the Premier's and Mr. Bonar Law's pledges. He added that there were 92,000 Russians in Britain, 19,000 Italians, 16,000 French, and a large floating population of Scandanavian. Chinese, and other foreign seamen The motion was withdrawn after H\r H. Greenwood had promised to limit the Bill's scope to one year. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

RESULT OF MINERS* BALLOT. Received April 21, 11.50 p.m. London, April 17. Mr. JVC. Wedgewood, M.P., has joined the Labor party as a protest against the Liberal party's lack of ideas and courage. The final ballot figures showed that 693,084 miners accepted Sankey's report, against 76,992.— Au5. and N.Z. Cable Association,