TRADE AFTER THE WAR.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 March 1916, Page 5

TRADE AFTER THE WAR.

A CONFERENCE TO BE HELD. STATEMENT BY THE PREMIER. London, March S. A deputation representing commercial and industrial interests waited on Mr. Asquith and a-sked for the appointment of a Minister of Commerce, who should be a business man. Mr. Asquith pointed out that it had been arranged to hold a conference in Paris shortly, at which the whole question of commercial and economic relations would be debated. The Government had to consider not only the interests of the United Kingdom but those of the Dominions. He was glad to say that Mr. Hughes was in London and that Messrs Mclvenna, Bonar Law, and he would have the opportunity of conferring with him. Mr. Hughes came with very definite ideas and concrete proposals. In this matter it was most desirable that they should hear what the Premiers of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa had to say, so as to be prepared at any conference or negotiations to act, not only as spokesmen of the United Kingdom, but of the Empire as a whole. They hoped they would be able to arrive at a solution satisfactory to the Allies, the Dominions, and the United Kingdom, but, in view of the consultations they would have with the Allies and Dominions, it was inexpedient at present to make a definite announcement of the policy the Government will advocate. LUDICROUS CHARGES. OF ILL-TREATMENT DISPROVED. Received March 10, 12.45 a.m. ' . London, March ft. The Foreign Office gives a crushing reply to German allegations of twentysix cases of post-war ill-treatment of German-, in Britain. The majority are disproved seriatim. Some were trivial, and included one of a schoolboy's eye ( being blackened at school. Another ludicrous complaint was that a man and his wife were imprisoned for three months and treated as criminals. They actually were criminals and were sentenced for a grave moral offence. Most of the charges relate to the riots that followed the Lusitania crime. The Foreign Office in reply quotes the Kaiser's message to Mr. Goschcn, justifying the Berlin mobs' attack on the British Embassy at the outbreak of the war, and contrasts the 107 constables injured in suppressing the Lusitania disturbance, when there were 966 arrests and no German was seriously hurt,