GENERAL ITEMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3247, 7 June 1916, Page 23

GENERAL ITEMS.

New Krupp -works at Munich occupy nearly two square miles. The Town Council of Altenburg, with $ population of 40,000, is appointing a Somen's committee to deal with all food questions. In the House of Commons a Bill to reduce the output of beer by 15 per cent. yraa tend a second time. The purpose of the Bill is to reduce the calls upon shipfoing. The import of malt and hops has been forbidden except under license. The Commercial Conference at Paris will probably meet on June 14 under M. vlemenceau's presidency. The postponement Is due to the desire of the Italian Minister of Agriculture. In answer to a question in the House pf Commons, Mr Runciman said that the Government was considering the question tof the meat supply. The consumption per bead bad continually decreased during the frar period. The President of the Board of Education Otfr Arthur Henderson) received a Navy Jueague deputation urging the teaching of naval history in the secondary schools. Mr Tennant said he believed sufficient fcteel helmets had been issued for all under shell fire in France. The percentage of head wounds was 12.35. A German wireless message says that {ully 85 per cent, of the German wounded Tsrfli be fit to resume the most arduous within nine months. At present there are 1,500,000 wounded, all of whom Wt> returning to the front. One million &re now ready, and the remainder are frapidly becoming convalescent. Lord Bryce, presiding at a lecture at Union College, said tbe spirit of aggression old not prevail in Liberal Germany prior fo 1864. He hoped the defeat of Germany lltonld mean her repudiation of a policy of

aggression, revealing a higher and nobler Germany. Turkey must be divested of all her territory, except that inhabited by Mussulmans. The aviation sheds at Dresden and Neustadt have been burned, with 24 aeroplanes. Great Britain and France have agreed upon maximum freights for coal, thus reducing the prices by 35 per cent., in addition to a reduction by 45 per cent, on freights. This means that France will effect a saving of £40,000,000 annually. Sir E. Carson has conveyed to Mr Bonar Law the Unionist War Committee's resolutions in favour of a revision of the parliamentary register, including the granting of the vote to soldiers and sailors. It is feared that Mr R.unciman's illness will prevent his attendance at the Commercial Conference at Paris. Mr L. Harcourt will act as deputy President of the Board of Trade during Mr Runciman's illness, which is due to overwork. Sir Oliver Lodge, Principal of the Birmingham University, when introducing Mr W. M. Hughes for the degrco of LL.D., said : "All the dominions and dependencies of the Empire are united in love and | loyalty, and have given strenuous help to the Motherland when attacked by a brutal and insidious foe, diabolically efficient in an unscrupulous war." Lord Midleton, in the House of Lords, drew attention to Colonel Churchill's statement that 200,000 officers' servants and 50,000 grooms were behind the lines. Lord Kitchener said the servants and grooms served in the trenches. He did not consider them as being behind the fighting line, and thought that Colonel Churchill thoroughly realised the fact. Mr Henderson (President of the Board of Education), in welcoming the French professors on tour in England, said the teaching profession would be a great factor in the reconstruction after the war. An educated democracy would be the best guarantee for the internal progress of nations and their right to conduct international affairs. The Anglo-French friendship had been sealed with the best blood of both nations. In the House of Commons Mr Pretyman announced that the Paris Economic Conference had been definitely fixed for June 14. In the House of Commons Mr Tennant said that steps were being taken to employ German combatant prisoners in Britain at timber-cutting, mining, and forestry. The Reichstag will next week be asked to authorise a war loan of 12,000,000,000 marks (about £600,000,000). In the House of Commons Dr Macnamara stated that since October, 1914, the Germans had captured and taken to German ports 195 neutral ships laden with cargo for Britain. At the annual meeting of Nobel's Explosives Company the chairman said that the original £IOO shares were now worth £3OOO each. On these shares' £BSOO had been paid in dividends. The Socialist party in the Reichstag has resolved to vote against the Budget. Herr Liebnecht has been indicted for alleged treason. It is reported from Amsterdam that in the German Reichstag the Socialists demanded the abolition of the press censorship, and condemned the advocates of a reckless submarine war. The importation of matches, beer, leatheT articles, gloves, sewing machines, and stoves has been prohibited, except under a Board of Trade license. The New Zealand War Contingent Association is establishing soldiers' clubs. Sir T. Mackenzie appeals to the New Zealand newspapers to send papers for the reading room files. Petrol tickets are foreshadowed by a new regulation under the Defence of the Realm Act requiring petrol users to supply the Government with information regarding consumption. In the House of Commons Mr Samuel stated that the Government regarded as important the enlistment in their respective armies of the men of the allied nations now in England. The British authorities had actively co-operated with the allied Governments in this matter, and arrangements were now being considered for giving facilities for the eventual enlistment of foreigners in the British army. In the House of Commons Mr Tennant, Under-secretary for War, stated that when the Military Service Act is in full working order every man will have the job for which he is best fitted during the war. It was not possible, he said, to draw on the population of India, for the creation of soldiers was largely a question of officers. It was almost impossible to send officers from England to take charge of Indian troops, and a similar difficulty applied to Africa. If Colonel Churchill would read the foreign press he would see that the Germans were pleased with the idea of Britain resorting to coloured troops, indicating that we were near the end of our tether.