WORKERS AND MUNITIONS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3197, 23 June 1915, Page 19

WORKERS AND MUNITIONS.

OFFICER SEVERELY CENSURED. \ LONDON, June 16. In the House of Commons, Sir A. B. Markham (L.) said that if Mr Asquith’s Newcastle statement denying a shortage of munitions was made on the highest authority, he could only have been referring to Lord Kitchener. For months after the I war broke out the War Office took no steps | to organise the supply of munitions. The ! Government ought to inform the House whether the Master-general of Ordnance or Lord Kitchener was responsible. A captain who had returned from the front, in a speech to the Northwioh Unionist Association, had stated that thousands of our men had been killed through our lack of ammunition. This officer had been severely reprimanded by Lord Kitchener, and was not allowed to rejoin his regiment ; yet military members of the House of Commons were allowed to make similar speeches in the House of Commons, and i were not censured for doing so. PURCHASES IN AMERICA. LONDON, June 16. The Daily Chronicle says that one of the most important problems for the new Minister of Munitions is involved in the contract whereby the Pierpont Morgan firm acts as agents for Britain in all purchases of munitions in America. There is a growing desire for a revision of the terms of the contract. The belief is widespread that, however justifiable it might have been early in the war to employ middlemen, such a course is no longer necessary. WORKERS’, BONUSES. LONDON, June 17. The Board of Trade statistics regarding war bonuses show that 1,987,444 workers from January to May secured a -weekly increase of nearly 3s 6d per head, exclusive of overtime. Mr Lloyd George, in a further private conference with representatives of 41 workmen’s societies, discussed methods for securing a sufficient supply of labour to produce munitions. ACTION IN AUSTRALIA. MELBOURNE, June 17. Senator Pearce states that the- Federal Government has received plans and specifications for shell-making plants, and certain firms are now considering these.

RUMANIA ALERT. BUCHAREST, June 16. The Rumanian authorities have stopped another train of 20 trucks proceeding to Turkey. The trucks had a double frame- , work, and the spaces between were filled t with shells. All were confiscated. So-called German and Austrian couriers • j are daily passing towards Turkey, inj variably with large quantities of luggage . | and cases supposed to contain Red Cross . material. Many of these were found to j contain war material and apparatus for poisonous gases. RUMANIA AND RUSSIA. ' LONDON, June 15. It is reported that on Tuesday the Montenegrin Minister at Rome received notification that Rumania had. signed a tentative agreement with Russia, the effect of which is the overcoming of the obstacles that have preverfted Rumania entering the war on the side of the Allies. This report is confirmed from other sources, and despatches from Bucharest state that the negotiations are being continued. GRAECO-SERBS’ ADVANCE. SCUTARI,, June 16. The Montenegrins have occupied Chementi, defeating the Malissori. The Graeco-Serbs’ advance continues steadily. Colonel Zontas, cousin of - M. Venizelos, is commanding the Greeks. SIGNIFICANT IRISH EMIGRATION. LONDON, June 15. The emigration of young men from the west of Ireland to America has aroused attention. The arrival at New York of 300 young Irishmen aboard an American liner has drawn fresh attention to apparently organised efforts to induce the Irish to avoid enlistment. All the immigrants are well provided with gold, suggesting that some agency has assisted emigration. I A GERMAN SPY. \ WASHINGTON, June 16. The State Department has ordered an investigation into charges regarding a person supposed to be Dr Anton Meyer Gerhard, of the German Red Cross, who was recently raising funds in the United States, and was given a safe conduct home to Germany, but who is really Dr Alfred Meyer, head of the ammunition purchasing department of the German Government. It is alleged that Dr Meyer acted as a spy while ostensibly upon a Red Cross tour. i WHY NATIONALISTS DID NOT JOIN. LONDON, June 16. In the House of Commons, Mr John Dillon said the Nationalists resented the destruction of the Asquith Government, and therefore declined to join the Cabinet, because it would be inconsistent with the independence of the Nationalists. Ho would sincerely aid the Government to bring the war to a triumphant conclusion. Mr Asquith said he appreciated Mr Redmond’s reasons for not joining the Government. Sir E. Carson also refused to join, and accepted only under strong pressure. PREMIER’S PERSONAL STATEMENT. LONDON, June 16. Mr Asquith, in the House of Commons, referring to the reconstruction of the Ministry, said : “Let me say in the plainest possible terms that I not bo justified in what I have done if I had done it under pressure from any outside influence, to relieve a temporary embarrassment or transient parliamentary exigency.’’ He assured his colleagues and supporters that there was no man more faithful to the great principles which for 30 years had been his aim and inspiration in such services as he had been able to render to the State. He receded from nothing, abandoned nothing, sacrificed nothing. He supposed that there wa* enough of the old political Adam in then bosoms to say that none of them mud ' liked the change, and there was in thi

country on both sides doubt, suspicion, and bewilderment for a moment. He would not say a word about his own position. Some might think that, having had the privilege of serving, in confidential and responsible relations, three successive Sovereigns, he had still not satisfied his ambitions. They were welcome to their opinion, but they little knew the truth. Like other people, he had tried to do his best. It would be unprofitable to compare the military and international situation tc-day with the beginning of March. The accession of Italy was a new factor of immense importance. Mr J. E. Redmond is recovering from ptomaine poisoning. GERMAN LETTERS. LONDON, June 16. A German letter intended for British eyes was thrown into the Ypres Canal. It reads : “ Our .victorious ends are accomplished. The Serbs want peace with the Austrians; Russia is ready for peace, as her interests in the Balkans are threatened by Italy’s declaration of war, and Russia is tired of her great losses in Galicia. Britons, don’t you fear?” Another letter found on a German at Arras, from his “ Gretchen,” said : “Don’t send any more of the English to Germany. They are not worth feeding. Kill them all.” TRADING WITH THE ENEMY. LONDON, June 17. In the case against Robert Irvingdale and Henry Wilson, partners in the firm of Jacks and Co., charged with supplying iron ore to Krupp’s, an accountant gave evidence that Jacks and Co. appeared to be merely a selling agent for the Nova Scotia Company. The defendant Wilson gave evidence that his firm acted solely as agents for a Nova Scotia company. The firm had an eighteenth share in that company’s capital. The firm had nothing to do with the cargo when it reached Rotterdam. Ho had striven to stop the vessel proceeding there, believing that every effort should bo made to prevent the ore from reaching Germany. GERMAN OFFICIAL REPORT. BERLIN, June 16. A communique states : Influenced by the Russian defeats, the French and British made strong attacks at uit..»y points, mo English near Ypres slightly pushed bade our positions north of Lake Village, towards Belle, where fighting continues. Two attacks of four English divisions were made between the Estaires-La Basseo road. Dud completely collapsed. The Westphalians, reinforced by portion of the Guard, repulsed this attack after desperate hand-

to-hand fighting, in which the British suffered heavily. We captured several machine guns and one mine-throwing howitzer. The defeated Russians attempted to arrest their pursuit on Wednesday on the San front, between Seiniaja and the; Dniester marshes. After hard fighting the | Russians were thrown out of their posi- j tions by the evening. Since the 12th General von Mackensen has taken 40,000 prisoners and captured 69 machine guns. The Russians gained some ground between the Dniester marshes and Zuawano.COTTON FOR GERMANY. LONDON, June 17. Lord Robert Cecil, in the House of Commons, announced that the Government had taken steps to prevent cotton from entering Germany. All cotton from overseas suspected of an enemy destination was brought to port and restored to the owners on Prize Court terms. GENERAL NEWS. LONDON, June 17. Mr E. S. Montagu said the Government was devising means to tax war profits. Neutral statisticians place the Austrian losses in the war at 2£ millions. The winter campaign in the Carpathians killed 120.000 from consumption. A neutral observer writes to The Times : “The German public has been brought to believe that the annexation of Belgium and the Congo will be the natural outcome of the war. The Lord Mayor’s special appeal at a Mansion House meeting on behalf of '■he Red Cress Fund resulted in £87,455 being donated, including the second £20,000 from Mr Waldorf Astor. The aggregate is £5,400,000. Owing to the war the Cambridge University Senate is appealing for £13,000 to meet the deficiency in the University finances. The Lokal Anzeiger announces officially that it will be weeks before Germany answers the American Note. The reason given is because the matters concerned are so extensive that it is necessary to collect evidence from many sources. ENEMY’S TOTAL CASUALTIES. PARIS, June 16. The newspaper Matin estimates the German killed, wounded, and prisoners to 1 date at 4,200,000 out of a possible c'ght ' and a-half millions, and the Austrians at 2.526.000 out of four and a-half millions. TRIAL OP DE WET. ’BLOEMFONTEIN, June 16. General Smuts, giving evidence regarding De Wet’s rebellion, said it delayed ; German South-west African operations for [

months and gave the enemy very material assistance. General Smuts emphasised the fact that he had not discovered anything to suggest that De Wet had been in communication with the Germans. “AUSTRALIA DAY.” SYDNEY, June 17. The “Australia Day” movement aims at raising £200,000. Mr Holman has suggested that the Belgian Committee for a month should divert the proceeds of their operations into the fund. He points out that various committees are raising about £2OOO daily in New South Wales, and the Belgian Committee at present has £200,000 in hand. INFERIOR BOOTS. MELBOURNE, June 17. It is stated that large quantities of soldiers’ boots have been returned from Egypt owing to the poor quality of the soles.