AFFAIRS IN BRITAIN

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16216, 20 May 1918, Page 7

AFFAIRS IN BRITAIN

(By Cable.—Press Association. —Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) (Received May 19th, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, May 17. Mr Arthur Goldfinch. Director of Raw Materials, predicted that for many months tho shipping programme would not be complied with.

It was estimated on the maximum arrivals of wool that there "would bo no difficulty regarding clothing wool. The coming in of tho British clip would keep the supplies of crossbred combing wool within a safe limit with small New Zealand assistance, but stocks of merino combing wool did not give tho requisite margin of safety. The matter was still less satisfactory because France "was badly off for combing wools, and was pressing for British assistance.

LONDON, May 17

The new Nationality Bill empowers the authorities to apply to the Court to revoke the naturalisation of British subjects who show disloyalty, or aro of proved undesirable character, and also of those resident abroad for seven years.

Mr G. N. Barnes, Labour member of the War Cabinet, in a speech at East Ham, paid that a League of Nations, after the war, must reduce armaments and suppress private capitalism therein. It must inaugurate machinery to enforce its decrees. ' He added: —"It is difficult to envisage a league including Austria and Germany, but we must look beyond the smoke of battle; wo must subordinate feelings of repugnance for the Germans, and look ahead to the time when the German people are chastened. Their present depravity may be only a passing phase, and it may well be that the peace terns will require Germany to enter the league. There is a growing feeling among the Entente democracies that Governments should consult organised Labour to a greater extent."

Mr Barnes suggests an early Hague Conference, to frame a scheme to reduce armaments among the Entente Powers, also to consider a scheme for combinod action against aggression.