LOBBY GOSSIP

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2752, 22 April 1916, Page 5

LOBBY GOSSIP

(Rec. April 20, 8.30 p.m.)

London, April 19. There was a Cabinot sitting of thres hours bofore tho House met, and Mr. Lloyd George and Mr. Bonar Law had a lengthy consultation at the Colonial Office. -

Tho House of Commons was crowded to hear the promised statement, and Mr. Asquith's request for a further postponement; created a sensation, Animated groups in the lobbies discussed this dramatic development, and there wero many rumours concerning Mr. Lloyd Georgo's attitude at the meeting. Ho did not attend tho sitting of the House. .

Most members scout tho idea of an election, the general impression- being that' a reconstruction of the -Govern" meut may result. On "tho Houso agreeing to adjourn till Tuesday lobbj opinion became more hopeful tilat a compromise would bo found to savo the Coalition Government. ; The Labour Party has decided to ask tho Government whether, if the party is unwilling to accedo to tho request for a. secret- session- for -a' discussion of tho recruiting auostion, it will jolaoo

I•;• - • ' [■ -• ... * "... 1 ; Labour members in possession of the essential faots'of tho case.' iWhat. Mr. Lloyd George.and Mr, Hen- | derson .Wanted. I Mr.. Hcndorson (Labour, President of ! flie;Education ' Board),'proposed that | Cabinets should re-open' tho -voluntary r reoruitiiw system-for-six weeks;' to- al-" ! low",unit 'ostod "married ineii to join the [ Army.{asVolunteerß;;:V.in:/th(j.;eiverit;:dt (. ~thq. result being disappointing Cabinot I to decide unanimously that compulsion | was',,absolutely necessary,'arid he (Mr/ [ Henderson) would endeavour to reconj cile organised Labour to a .further j dose of compulsion. Mr.. Lloyd George and some of • the [. / Unionist Cabinet ministers, ; however, j wanted a general. Compulsion Bill [/ trodueed immediately; this to remove the, recruiting, question from- the arena i; of controversy. If tlio yield, of . men j should fall below, fifty: ..thousand per . Month, which the Army Council declares s is the margin'of safety, then the com- | pulsory powers of the Apt would bej - 1 . some operative' by resolution", in the ! House of Commons.. • ! Mr. Lloyd George dosirea to provido i .tor. tho emergency now; Mr.:Henderson I vants to meet the emergency when it, • wises. , . ■ j LIBERALS' CONFIDENCE IN MR. ! > ASQDITH ! . (Rec. April 21, 5.5 p.m.} '. ; _ ' London, ' April 20. ; • Cabinet sat for three hours, and there ; Were numorous consultations and meetj ings;'.of .groups ■ throughout- the day.' Compromise oil the Committee's scheme ! apparently failed, owing to dissatisfac- ' ■ fion amongst the compulsionists.; I . Mr.. Lloyd George seems to fiave gain, tv'edr»,]'mjyorily,:in -the Cabinet, including I Lord Kitchener. In view of the {jen- }: evening,'; ;■ Mr. .Arthur Henderson .was\'.pfepared-to ! accept'the pnnciple : 'of.■coinpulsiori..;;;' , .' , :.. !■■ Mr:" John"'Ward (Labour) j'is'indigji nant at the acou'sation that the Labour I. Party would oppose' compulsion. ..He i .told his colleagues ; that he'was' pre- | pared to go to tho country and lead a [ new Labour • Party, really representing | tho workers. . . ' I , Hundreds of Liberal members in the I House, including Sir John Simon, | met,. and. -resolved that r Mr. As- |.., quitli's continuanco of the Premierj chip was a.national necessity. j PRESSIoSSIP ■ MR 'ASQUITH WILL STICK-TO ; OFFICE. | (Rec. April 21, 5.5 p.m.) • L London, April 20., j, :-. The . "Daily Mail".. states that the ( Ministerialists in the lobby say that j Mr. Asquith declared that if there were K any Cabinet resignations he would conj - tinue' in office witlr tho remains of his [ Liberals and Labour support/ and, if' !. necessary, would appeal, to the country. |V The members of the General ' Staff,"' \ notably Sir William Robertson,' are ex.•r'tremely dissatisfied. ..They believed that .under, the War Committee's pro-, posals they were not given, the required numbers of men.,. . It. was understood. ,/that sonie of the military leaders had intimated that- they'would be obliged to. consider their-positions unless their ■ demands wore satisfied. : - THE CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR : " ■ (Rec. A.pril-21: 5:5 p.m.) London, April 20: - •; .Speaking in' ..the House of Commons, ■Mr: .. Tennant (Under-Secretary for iWar) 'stated that the'position of the conscientious objector .waß, ~'a " difficult one. Tho Government had : '.done its I best to meet it/i'and.the tribunals were '.. dealing with jsuchiicaS&S/.fairly .' .. .^ : Mr. stated "that' /Companies : of . : non-combatants*'would'-shortly be sent I to Trance, and ' employed' in Toad-mak- ;: . ing, -.timber-cuttingi! sanitary. work, and unloading ships. ' " . \:BRITISH BY-ELECTION, f, . - (Eeo. April 21, 10.50 p.m.) 7• 1 ) London/ Aprib'2o:'' !At/the. Wimbledon—by-election.. Mr j. Stuart-Coats-(Coalitionist)-polled -8£)70 L,votes. The defeated' candidate," : Mr. . Kennedy, Jones, polled 7159. : SOUTH AFRICAN MAGNATE'S OFFER £100,000 FOR SOLDIERS' PAY. " ; _ ... Cape Town, April'l9.":" -' Sir Joseph'Eobinson, chairman of the ' Ropinson bouth African Banking' Company! has offered £100,000 towards a /million. required to make up the difference. 1 between Imperial' ' and, - colonial • rates 'of ;,pay.' His offer'.is. conditional • iippn Abe Bailey's, gold companies con- : tribu'tingproportionately, . and : tho Union Government granting half a ' raillion. , , : ' - ':LB-jvas' recently' reported that- Sir Josepli Robinson' had' oifered : a/ 'very large sum to' assist in the dispatch of '50,000 South Africans to help Britain . on - the Western front... Ho-says that • Britain requires assistance to defeat tho enemy there, and urges the .Government to follow the examples of Can-' pada" and-Australia.] ' ' ... ;■ .. AUSTRALIA'S EFFORT •; : i COULD MANAGE ANOTHER NEW DIVISION. ■ I j : . Sydney, April 20./ [ Tho Acting-Prinie Minister (Senator i Peairce) considers-that'' Australia is : capable of supplying another new.divil' don'.for the" front, besides'keeping" up''! j, the_ reinforcements. He believed the i' spring campaign would be the crucial j i point. In -that case, a new-. division :. planted in tho. right place and at tho : time would mean a great thing. j • r — 1 : ' -