PARLIAMENTARY STATEMENTS

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue LXXIV, 26 April 1918, Page 5

PARLIAMENTARY STATEMENTS

(Reuter Service.)

LONDON, April 25. In the House of Commons, Mr Bonar Law, replying to a question about the withdrawal of the Fifth Army from St. Quentin, said there was not the slightest justification for the suggestion that this portion of the line had been taken contrary to the judgment of Sir Wm. Robertson or Sir Douglas Haig. Arrangements were made entirely by the English and French authorities. It was untrue that Sir Douglas Haig protested against taking the extra line from the French. . •

There was a mysterious suggestion in the House of Commons that the Germans in the .most recent fighting were using a new explosive or chemical. Mr Gilbert sought a statement regarding the nature of a wound allegedly caused thereby.

Mr J. I. Macpherson (Parliamentary! Secretary for War) said that consequent upon Mr Gilbert's information he had instituted urgent enquiries, which had not yet been completed. Mr J. F. Hope, in the House of Commons, anounced that an. agreement had been ratified with Turkey, providing for the repatriation of al] British invalid prisoners, irrespective of rank. A thousand would be repatriated immediately.

Mr Balfour said Britain did not intend to appoint an ambassador to Russia-