BRITAIN.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 June 1916, Page 5

BRITAIN.

THE WAR IN PARLIAMENT, REPLIES TO QUESTIONS. THE CONDUCT 07 THE WAR. Received June 1, 5.5 p.m. London, May 31. In tlie House of Commons, Mr. Mt-Na-inara stated that since October. 1914, the Germans captured and took German parts 105 neutral ship?, laden with cargo for Britain. Mr. 'lVnnant said that steps arc, being taken to employ German combatant prisoners in Britain at timber cutting, mining, and forestry. Mr, Prettyman announced that the Paris economic conference had definitely been fixed for 14th June. Mr. Tennant said that every effort would be made to increase rifle strength by removing younger nu-mbers from the irmy Service to the Ordnance Corps, but t-hU could not he done wholesale. Mr. McKenua said that the troops in Britain consisted o{ sirk and wounded, trainees, and others who were waiting to depart, and the neces.-'ary number for home defence. Mr. Ivor Herbert moved to reduce Lord Kitchener's salary by a hundred pounds. He declare,', that our great failure had been the absence of a wellconsidered scheme at the beginning of the war. The centralisation of the War Office had never been so severe and there ought to have been an early conference of representatives of industry to arrive at an understanding. A full enquiry into the Dardanelles campaign was urgently needed. Mr. Asquith said that he believed that Britain had no larger a proportion of non-fighters than other Powers, but the Government was taking most effective steps to use a larger proportion in the fighting line. General Sir W. P. Robertson and other staff officer; had visited the front, and had made a suggestion resulting in the disproportion being sub|stantially reduced. MR. CHURCHILL'S VIEWS. Received June I, 5.5 p.m. I.cndon, May 81. Mr. Churchill said that he believed that half the Army's ration strength was remaining at Home while half was abroad. Half fights and half does not fight. Three-quarters of the fighters were employed in the Infantry trenches and these sustained nearly all the casualties. He declared that the proportion of trenchers could easily be raised, especially by the transference of young able-bodied men in other branches to the trenches. The proportion of rifles to mouths are urduly low. One and a half million men were employed in Britain. The lines of communication and the strength of fighting units should have been kept up. The staffs in l'ritain could be reduced by one-half. Young men ought to supersede retired officers, who iiad been reinstated. Mr. Aaquith said that this was being dona. , WAR COMMITTEE CRITICISED. BY LORD BEP.ESFORD. Received June 1, 5.5 p.m. London, May 31. In the House of Lords, Lord Chas. Beresford criticised the War Committee for their military and political conduct of the war which did not appear to be successful. We suffered from lack of quick decisions at critif.a 1 moments, and we must stop "Birrellism" abroad. Lord Crewe said that no large movement had been sanctioned without consultation with the naval and military advisers. The committee consisted of Mr. Asquith Mr. McKtnna, Mr. Chamberlain, Lord Kitchener, Mr. Balfour and Mr. Lloyd George, and all urgent war matters came before them. Lord Middleton complained of the danger of confidential papers going astray, while the Cabinet numbered twenty-three. Lord Crewe replied that 99 per cent, of war matters did not come before the Cabinet. The War Committee's decision was final. Lord Salisbury contended that not a single Minister was responsible for initiating the policy. DIRTY SLURS. LORD KITCHENER CRITICISED. FINDS CHAMPIONS IN THE COMMONS. Received June 1, 6.30 p.m. London, June 1. Mi'. Asquith said: Thank Heaven we are not likely to be invaded, but the risk could not be neglected, The only troops kept in Britain were numbers of the navy and army who were jointly considered necessary for absolute security. Staff officers had been considerably reduced, and the Government had depleted the staff, some of whom were the best in Europe but were uv.able to respond 10 the new demands of a growing army. Thp Government's policy was to promote young men with brains, fresh ideas, and experience, regardless of red tape and etiquette. He warmly championed Lord Kitchener, to whom th" army, country, and Empire owed a dett of immeasurable word.s The charg'j levelled at Lord Kitchener should also be aimed at the Government. Mr Asquith said that he accepted his share, because he was closely associated with all that Lord Kitchener had done. Sir A. B. Markham: Lord Kitchener has been stripped of every authority. What is the use of having a War Minister when Mr. Asquith had to go to the front to discover the shortage of machine-guns? Lord Kitchener gave no orders for necessary materials until Mr. Asquith came on the scene. No other belligerent shielded incompetence. Mr. Tennant had been made a hutt for much of Lord Kitchene-'s stupidity. Sir G. H. Reid said that "Kitchener" was almost the only English name which aroused a sympathetic echo in dominions overseas. His most serious fault was that he was not an adept at advertising himself, and that he was also a relent-

less enemy to the feather-bed soldier and disloyal subordinate. Lord Kitchener will attend the House of Commons to-morrow. Mr. Asquith said that he was not going to say that Lord Kitchener had never made a mistake in one of the most arduous undertakings a human being ever had to face. No other man in the Empire could I ftve been summoned at so short a time and gained such satisfactory and bewildering results from our enormous army. Surveying the twenty-two months of war, with its uni'orseeablp events, and hazards of kaleidoscopic variety, and remembering the size of the army with which Britain started, there was 110 fair-mindn-l man who wou'd not pay his respect md appreciation for Lord Kitchener's services. DEBATE ON PEACE TERMS. London, May 31. In the House of Commons Sir A. B. Markhair. asked, in view of Herr von Bethmn nn-l-follweg's declaration that Germany was ready to make peace, and blaming the Allies for withholding peace, whether the Allies would inform Germany, through a neutral. of the definite terms on which they would be willing to make peace, provided Germany would act similarly. Mr Asquith said that nothing in Beth-mann-Hollweg's statement indicated that Germany was prepared to consider tfsrms safeguarding the interests of the Allies and the future peace of Europe. He had nothing to add to Sir E. Grey's recent speech in the House of Commons. Sir A. B. Markham asked what end would be gained by not informing Germany what our actual terms of .peace would be. Mr. Asquith said the question >vas debatable and he could not usefully add to what he had already said. COAL FREIGHTS 'TO FRANCE. Paris, May 31. Britain and France have agreed on maximum freights for coal,, thus reducing prices by 35 per tent, in addition to the reduction of 45 per cent, in freight. This means that France will save £40,000,000 annually. CHANCELLOR'S STATEMENT REPUDIATED. London, May 31. A Foreign Office statement repudiates Herr von Bethmann-Hollweg's charges regarding the British policy in thp Bosnian crisis, which are based apparently on untrue hearsay or malicious gossip. War in 190S was averted because Russia was reluctant to press the, Serbian territorial claims against Austria to the point of a European war, and Britain, concurred. Had Germany taken a corresponding view in 1014, when the Austrian demands on Serbia were pressed to the point of extinguishing Serbian independence, war could have been averted.