CONDUCT OF THE WAR.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 November 1915, Page 5

CONDUCT OF THE WAR.

THE WAR COUNCIL. tfRENCH MINISTERS PRESENT. Paris, Nov. 17. /The first Anglo-French War Council Las been held here and participated in ly Messrs Asquith, Balfour, Lloyd George, Sir Edward Grey, M. Briand, Generals Gallieni, Lacade, and Joffre. Mr. Asquith has announced that the Emperial Defence Committee has been absorbed in the War Committee. MINISTERS FRATERNISE. Received Nov. 18, 8.5 p.m. Paris, Nov. 17. The British Ministers were entertained «J lunch, at which were present Generals JofTrc and Gallieni, MM. Viviani, Ribot, and Laiai. The British Ministers will dine with M. Poincare at the Champs Elystes to-night.

LORD HALDANE SPEAKS. i CONFIDENCE IN HIS ACTIONS. P.eceived Nov. 18, 9.65 p.m. London, Nov. IS. i/sra Haldane, speaking at Hampittead, said that he had been criticised for not warning the country and his colleagues about the war. The fact was that he had conveyed considerable information to hia colleagues, and they immediately began activities, which resulted in our command of the sea. But tor this Germany would now have been At Paris and Calais. All he had done had been recorded, and Iw Ad not fear the result when his actions will be repealed* at the proper time.

WELDING THE EMPIRE. .LORD MILNEE OK THE MASSES. , Received Nov. 18, 9.55 p.m. London, Nov. 18. J*Td Ifitoer, speaking at King's College, said that be was painfully conscious that the Empire question had hitherto not attracted the attention of the pnasaea, white the working classes had even given evidence of hostility, but the war had awakened public opinion to the fact that "Empire did not mean militarism, but organic union, free for all the peoptes of the Empire. It appealed more to the Cokmiea than the Motherland. The tremendous heat and strength of feeling evolved by the war provided the greatest, perhaps the only, opportunity of doing something decisiws. We may find ourselves after the war farced up agunaj an Imperial problem, but if we worked the stubborn Empire material H*o a new organic body there would M_ some compensation for the terrible ■offerings of the wax."