WOMEN TO THE RESCUE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3247, 7 June 1916, Page 22

WOMEN TO THE RESCUE.

LONDON, May 29. There is a great rush of women applicants for the May harvest, beginning in a week or a fortnight from now. Ten thousand women have applied to the National Land League for work. School teachers and Girton and Newnham College students are assisting. The authorities have placed hundreds of women for six months at 13s 6d per week. A TRAWLER SKIPPER. LONDON, May 29. The Dally Mail tells a fresh story _ of the skipper of the famous trawler King Stephen, which declined to rescue the crew of a Zeppelin sinking in the North Sea. Her skipper, according to the latest adventure, caught a German submarine in the act of sinking a helpless ship. There were several German seamen on the submarine’s superstructure. The King Stephen directed a hail of shells at them, and hit the submarine. One of the German’s had his leg shot off. The submarine began to sink, on which the King Stephen’s skipper swam to the enemy and saved the wounded man. SHIPPING PROFITS. LONDON, May 31. The Shipping Record states that out of 115 leading German shipping companies ! only three paid dividends during 1915 1 viz., of 6,4, and 2 per cent, respectively;

and this was done by winding up accounts, counting interest, receipts, and profits, and trenching on their reserves. Seven companies did not publish any balance sheets, including the German East Africa, iNorddeutcher Lloyd, German Levant, and Hamburg-Amerika Companies. THE DARDANELLES PAPERS. LONDON, June 1. In the House of Commons, Sir J. H. Dalziel appealed to the Government to publish the Dardanelles papers. Colonel Churchill supported the request, saying he did not see why the papers should not be presented to the House, as the operations to w’hich they referrecl had closed. So far as he himself was concerned, he would say : “Publish everything.” Mr Bonar Law admitted that the demand was justified, and the Government j intended to make most complete publica- | tion, subject to two limitations —some of ; the documents were most confidential, ! while others might refer to current operaj tlons. Apart from this, if the story were to he told at all, the whole story should be told. STORM IN THE REICHSTAG. ATTACKS ON THE CHANCELLOR. AMSTERDAM, June 1. A stormv debate took place in the Ger- ■ man Reichstag. Tiro Conservatives accused Dr von Bethmann-ITollweg of surrounding the Kaiser with a clique of advisers who prevented him from learning the people’s true wishes. : Dr Helfforlch, the ex-Treasnrer and new i Vice-chancellor, vehemently retorted that | the Kaiser’s name must not be introduced. The Conservatives and National Liberals ' next bitterly attacked Dr von BethmannHollwcg and Herr von Jagow (Foreign Secretary) for supinely yielding to Arm nca on the submarine question. Most of their speeches were accompanied by violent attacks on America and President Wilson. The idea of the latter’s mediaterdiip was strongly denounced. The Centre party applauded the National Liberals’ dcscrip- ( tion of President Wilson as the “protoc-

tor of America’s ammunition supply and of England's starvation of Germany.” Herr von Graefe (Conservative) suggested that Dr von Bethmann-Hollweg’s speeches and interviews should be censored, as the enemy press was interpreting them as a veiled retreat, the result being that President Wilson, after stilling Germany, was posing as an angel of peace. Dr Heli'ferich replied that the abolition of the censorship concerning Germany’s war aims was impossible. The Reichstag then passed a resolution that the freedom of the press should only be restricted in the interest of a victorious termination of the war. AX TI - MILIT A RIS M IN GERMANY. AMSTERDAM, Juno 1. There was an animated anti-militarist debate in the Reichstag. Resolutions were adopted, demanding that non-military matter be submitted only to civil censorship, and demanding the introduction of a Bill guaranteeing that civil rights be not encroached by the military. LAND FOR SOLDIERS. LONDON, June 1. Earl Grey presided over the meeting of the Colonial Institute. It was resolved to urge the establishment of an Imperial Board, representing Great Britain and the dominions, to deal with the question of settling soldiers on the land. The institute viewed with satisfaction Sir H. Rider Haggard’s reception and the liberal offers of Australia and South Africa.