ECHOES OF THE WAR

Otago Witness, Issue 3495, 1 March 1921, Page 19

ECHOES OF THE WAR

EX-SERVICEMEN IN CONFERENCE. CAPETOWN, February 21. Earl Haig, accompanied by 20 oxservicemen’s delegates, representing Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, has arrived. They were accorded an enthusiastic civic welcome. Earl Haig in a speech, said that the conference fie had come to attend aimed at linking up all the ex-servicemen throughout the Empire and at preserving the spirit of #omradeship evolved in the Great War, so that the benefits for which they strove in the war should not be thrown away. After paying a. tribute to the services of the South Africans in the war, he said it was singularly fitting that an important conference of ex-servicemen should be held m South Africa, where 20 years ago the men from the overseas cfominions gave their first great proof of the abiding solidity of the British commonwealth of nations. February 22. The Grand Council of the South African League of Comrades in the War has appointed General Luken chairman of the Empire Conference whfch will be opened on February 28. BRITISH RED CROSS. LONDON, February 22. The final war accounts of the British Red Cross and the Order of St. John of Jerusalem show that the receipts during the war amounted to £21,885,035 and the expenditure to £20,058,355. The public donated the sum of £16,610,023. The committee foreshadows the development of a scheme to benefit disabled ex-service men, in addition to the £2.717,927- already expended in post-war relief on behalf of disabled men. ALLEGED MUNITION’S SCANDAL. LONDON, February 23. Mr Bonar Law, in the House of Commons, consented to the setting up of a committee of inquiry under a judge to investigate the allegations made against certain officers of the Ministry of Munitions, including high-placed officers, who ordered the destruction of documents relating to contracts in order to prevent an inspection by auditors. In one instance it is alleged that the sum of £IB,OOO was paid to a contractor, blit the sole voucher discoverable is one for £6OCO. BELGIUM’S DEBT TO AMERICA. NEW YORK, February 22. President Wilson has recommended Congress to enact legislation accepting German bonds in full payment of Belgium’s debt to the United States. This was contracted before the Armistice, and totals 170,000,000 dollars. Belgium owes as much more, which was contracted since the Armistice. President Wilson reminded Congress that an agreement in this direction had been made by the Reparations Commission in June of 1919.