MOTHER COUNTRY

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17861, 6 August 1918, Page 5

MOTHER COUNTRY

THE PRICE OF PEACE

REPLY TO LORD LANSDOWNE.

(Received August 5, 7.50' p.m.) LuNDON, August 4

Mr Winston Churchill, repiyinsr to Lord Laiifidowno, says:—"To enter a strugglo lilto this, tp proclaim the vital' sacred issues at stake, to cast tho flower of tho hcod into tho furnace for four devastating years and then to discover that tho too is eo stiff that reasonable accommodation should be arranged, <is not the way to an honourable peace. We have but to persovere to conquor. All the world is marching against Germany and her confederates- Peace now when the German triumph is tottering would be to shut off mankind from its native basic" rights. Are we 10 doom ,our children to accept, for all time tho Germans at their own extravagant valuation and allow them to stamp their false values upon the world after going through all we have done? Why seek peace at. the moment that Germany is. about to fall? Ought we to seek' to negotiate a treaty which would bo a brand on tho heads of our raoe for generations? A fictitious inferiority and a sham defeat ? That is what Lord Lansdowne is obstinately beseeching us to do. The Germans must bo decisively beaten in the field by the Allied armies. That is an indispensable preliminary to the suspension of hostilities. The German people before they are received into the League of Nations must make a definite break with the military system which has led them intb so many fearful and monstrous crimes."

NATIONAL EXPENDITURE

MINISTRY OF INFORMATION CRITICISED.

LONDON, August 4. The Committee on National Expenditure criticises the Ministry of Information's withdrawals of expenditure on propaganda, much of which was ineffective and unsuitable. Tho committee states that publishers were unnecessar ily subsidised by the Ministry's larg<purchases of books on unfavourable terms, also that £126,000 was paid for cablegrams to Renter's, wiuiout a written agieoment. It points out that the managing director of Router's is a high official in this Ministry. Tho committee condemns tho lavish expenditure in entertaining visitors.

TREASON CHARGE. LIFE SENTENCE. LONDON. August 4A court-martial sentenced Bowling, who recently :anded on tho Irish coast from a German submarine, to death, but commuted the sentence to penal servitude for life. The sentence was read to Dowlm? on tho parade ground of the Tower of London, in the presence of the troops.

SECRETS SOLVED. - OPTICAL GLASS INDUSTRY. LONDON. August 4. British manufacturers have solvod the secrets, of Germany's optical glass

industry, and, aje turning out gla's l ' equal to the best Jena: DENATURALISATION BILL NATURALISED ALIENS IN COUNCIL LONDON* August «. ' The House of Lords debating the De« naturalisation Bill, added several amendments, making it more drastic, but refused to. remove naturalised aliens from; the Privy Council. Lord Ourzon said that the case of Sir Edgn>; Speyer was under examination. Hm eulogised his services. The Marquess of Milford Haven and Sir Ernest Cas- ; selV.ere the only other members of alien origin in the Privy Council.:

SOLDIERS' FAMILIES. " . INADEQUATE PENSIONS. LONDON. August 3. v Mr Hogge. discussiha ■ the Credit Vote, protested against the inadequacy of the pensions, especially to widows with children; The whole A 6cheme was full of anomalies. ' He also condemned; the proposed voluntary fund appeal for £3,000,000 for disabled men as a dis- . grace to. the Government. ;I; r . Other speakers supported the protest, urging that disabled fighters and de-pendents-should not have to depend on charity- ■ t, Mr Forster, in reply, said that the Government had sympathetically considered pensions. Ho believed that the scale was fair and equitable, remember* iuer the earnings of the soldiers" in their civil life. The...majority of the wohuen were sufficiently strong and willing to . do work. Pension Committees were empowered to deal with exceptional cases, therefore there was uo reason for a

general increase for those who did not really need it.

AUSTRALIAN RED CROSS.

QUEEN'S DONATION. LONDON, August 3. The Queen has presented the Ail*tralian Red Cross with £ISOO for. Australian prisoners, from the silver wedding contributions collected in London through Australian Bources.