MOTHER COUNTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 June 1919, Page 5

MOTHER COUNTRY.

fLEA FOR CLEMENCY.

L & WILLING TEEATX DESIEED,

By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyrlght Received June 9, 5.5 p.m. London, May 30.

Lord Beanchamp, Messrs Clifford Meyer, Sydney Webb, C. P. Scott, and a dozen others have memorialised Mr. T.loyd George and President Wilson in favor of an impartial sympathetic consideration of German appeals for modification of the treaty, with the desire to meet them wherever possible. They add that peace willingly signed will be of infinitely greater value than one forced by threats of famine, and will be a far better foundation for the new world order to which we are looking forwards—Au3. N.Z. Cable Assoc. EX-SERVICE MEN. PREFERENCE IN EMPLOYMENT. Received June 9, 8.50 p.m. I London, May 30. Mr. Home, in a letter, states that as the result of Mr. Lloyd George's solicitude the employment exchanges have been instructed to give preference to exservice men for employment in their trades. A scrutiny of Government offices is proceeding with a view to find ing vacancies for demobilised men Consultations are being arranged with trade advisory committees in order to provide a certain proportion of disabled men with employment in each trade.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. SOLDIERS AS STRIKE-BREAKERS. A SECRET ORDER DISCUSSED. London, May 29. In the House of Commons, on the army estimates, Mr. Adamson (leader of the Labor Party) called attention to the secret order issued by the War Office and published in a Labor newspaper calling on commanding officers to report weekly whether their troops were likely to respond to orders to preserve the public peace and to assist in strike-breaking. Mr. Adamson said the circular had produced intense resentment, among the working classes. He declared that the War Office was playing with fire. Mr. Churchill replied that the document was purely military and of no political significance. He had not seen it till it was published. It was issued when strikes were prevalent and threatening to disorganise the country's vital needs and the troops were restless regarding demobilisation. The wording of the circular was unfortunate, particularly the phrase strike-breaking. It did not mean employing soldiers as blacklegs to replace "strikers in industrial disputes; it meant that the State must use all its resources, including the naval and military forces, to carry on the country's vital needs and prevent a general catastrophe.

The replies of the commanding officers to the circular deprecated the employment of troops for sfcrike-hreaking- The circular had now lapsed as the circumstances had changed. The copy was stolen and published by the newspapers with the deliberate intention of provoking a mutiny and general strike, which was to smash up society.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc.