THE MOTHER COUNTRY

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVI, Issue 16808, 18 March 1915, Page 7

THE MOTHER COUNTRY

NATION OF SH3PKKPEI&

"GOOD THING FOR THE AITES."

By Telegraph—Picas Association—Copyright. LONDON, March 18.

The Right Hon W. Runciman, President of the Board of Trade, addressing the members of the Associated Chambers of Commerce, said':—"We have been called a nation of shopkeepers. It is a good thing for the Allies we are a commercial people. If we are not fighting at the same numerical strength as the others, we are producing. If we fail to produce to the utmost, wo will fail in our obligations to our Allies."

COMMANDEERED MEAT. LONDON, March 16

Mr H. T. Baker, Financial Secretary to tho War Office, in reply to Mr Thome, said that between August and December tho Army had commandeered 40,190,97:i1b of frozen beef, 10.407,4081 b of frozen mutton, and had paid at current rates. ifr W. J. Thorne suggested that Australian and New Zealand meat not required for the troops should bo sold to the public at cost price. Mr Baker said the Government was considering tho manner of the disposal of such meat.

OUTPUT OF WAR MATERIAL.

INCREASES THREE HUNDRED FOLD.

LONDON, March 16.

Lord Kitchener states that since the outbreak of war the output of war material has increased three hundredfold. The Defence of the Realm Amendment Bill has received the Hoyal assent.

POSITION IN PERSIA. LONDON, March 16. The Marquis of Crowe, in reply to Lord Curzon, Eaid that considerable- reinforcements had been sent to Ahwa.z (Persia) to make the position perfectly strong.

RACING TO CONTINUE.

DECISION OF THE JOCKEY CLUB. LONDON, March 16. The Jockey Club has decided that racing; shall continue without social functions at Epsom and Ascot. The Duke of Portland wrote a letter urging the suspension of the larger meetings in order not to distract the energies of the. nation from the .supreme object. Captain Greer, who presided, said that an indefinite stoppage would bankrupt breeders of blood stock and throw idle many thousands of employees. Lord Villiers announced that the Royal enclosure at Ascot would lie' closed and no special trains would run. The King never intended to he present.

Lord Roseberv asked the club not to identify itself with people who wanted a fog of gloom to_ rest over the country "and walk with heads hanging down because they wore engaged in a gigantic war on behalf of liberty.

The resolution was carried with one dissentient.

COST OF THE WAR.

STUPENDOUS FIGURES. (Received March 17, 11.30 p.m.) LONDON, March 17. Mr Edgar Crammond, in an address before the Royal Statistical Society, said that the cost of the war was £0,000,000.000 a year. Belgium's loss was £026,000,000, inciuuing~£2-50,000,-

000 destruction of property. A year's war would cost Germany £2,775,000,000, including £958,000.000 decreased production and £879,000,000 capitalised value of human liie, compared with a cost to. Britain of £1,258,000. A war indemnity to compensate the victors would amount to £4,500,000,000.

NOTES FROM LONDON.

GERMANY'S SITUATION. GOING FROM BAD TO WORSE. " Tim** " *iid Sydney. " Sun " Semcu. 'LONDON, March 16. "The Times's" military correspondent says:—"lf the stfbmarine blockade proves a practically valueless menus of coercing Britnin, and if the AustroGerman eastern offensive fails, Germany must admit that the prolongation of the war is without object, since it will make Germany's situation worse instead of better. " The German navy has lost more tonnage than ours, and wo are therefore in a relatively better situation than in August. The Germans would like to discuss terms before their military machine begins to wear out, and while they aro still in possession of Belgium and West Poland, and have a nominally unbeaten fleet."