NOTES FROM LONDON.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144858, 9 December 1915, Page 3

NOTES FROM LONDON.

OVERSEA PASSENGERS. RATES LIKELY TO RISE. (Received Dec. 9, 9.35 a.m.) LONDON. Dee. 8. The difficulties aud cost of passenger traffic between England and Australia are likely to increase. Nearly all the services via the Capo have been taken over by the Government, and many passengers to Australia desiring to use that service aud thus avoid the Alediterrnnean arc unable to secure berths. The position is more acute owing to the demand for vessels in. connection with tho Australian wheat scheme. Lord Inchcapo, speaking at tho meeting of the Peninsula and Oriental Company, said the Government had taken over 42 of their vessels at various times and was still using 31. Tho working cost had so increased that it might ho necessary further to raiso passenger rates. POSITION IN PERSIA. DISCUSSED BY THE LORDS. LONDON, Dec. 8. in the House of Lords, Lord Bryce drew attention to the position in tho Persian Gulf, and emphasised that tho situation in Persia demanded most drastic action by Britain and Russia. He booed it would be found possible to deal gently with the frail fabric of tho Persian monarchy. Lord Crowo said ho desired to correct the misapprehension that General Townshond had only one division, because ho had additional troops, infantry aud cavalry, which were considered bv competent autlia; iiios to be sufficient tor the task. The Russians were concentrating on the northern frontier of Persia. Britain had given Persia material financial support. There was no reason to despair that Persia's independence would be saved. General Townsbcnd's campaign bad been tlioroughlv considered and if effective it would lie a great stroke in tho war. No charge could ho brought against the leader, for the task proved heavier than was expected, owing to the greater forces and more powerful artillery of the enemy. General Towiishend’s retirement was a wisq move. Lord Sydenham said it was evident tho enemy’s force had been underestimated. Sir Edward Grey, in the House of Cnmraoils, said the Persian Cabinet was anxious to restore order, and there was no information that tho Shah had broken his engagements with England and Russia or allowed the Germans to transport military supplies to Teheran.

EECETJITING CAMPAIGN. ENERGETIC PINAL EE FORTS BT ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH. —COrTUIGUT. LONDON, Dec. 8. The press is earnestly appealing to young men to come forward to save Lord Derby’s campaign before it is too late, pointing out that the whole world is watching the result, the enemy closely and anxiously. At tho week-end recruiting increased, but there is an undue proportion of married men. In London canvassers are making ceaseless efforts to sweep in tho “oxcusers” during tho remaining days. Tiie Evening Standard says that Lord Derby and the Labour leaders of tho country are not satisfied, and the paper points to tho magnificent results in the dominions, which provide an object lesson to tho young men of Britain. Tho. Daily Mail says that this is tho last chance for voluntarism, and asks “Will the young men of Britain bo worthyi'” From tho position that Britain holds to-day they can sec that tho reverses at Bagdad and at tho Dardanelles are due to insufficient strength, and it rests with them whether they will fight as volunteers or as conscripts. If they come forward now they may preserve voluntarism. RETURNED PRISONERS. STORIES OF GERMAN BRUTALITY LONDON, Dec. 8. The Daily Chronicle says 160 civilians who have been released from Ruheleheii have arrived at Flushing. They told pitiable stories of ill-treat-ment and said they wore exhausted in body and mind. They said the Germans were revenging themselves on the 4500 British with means which were only possible to the German character. There was no heating in the camps before 2 o’clock in the afternoon, and then it was only meagre. The soldiers in the early part of tho war attempted to persuade the prisoners to work, belabouring them with . rifles and by other means of cruelty. They forced even invalids of CO years of age to walk for an hour at a fast pae* around the racecourse in which they were interned. They were tied to posts for tho smallest infractions of rules. Tho clothes of all the prisoners were painted with broad yellow stripes. The food was bad and there was a high rate of sickness and mortality. The returned men include a number of maimed soldiers. The majority wear pinched faces and sunken eyes, and f»,ve tho shabbiest clothes, contrasting with the warm suits and overcoats in which the well-fed Germans returned to Germany tho same night. Tho returned men, detail shocking happenings at Wittenberg. Fifteen thousand interned prisoners were treated in the most brutal fashion. Typhus broke out, killing ICOO prisoners. The German guards immediately tied, and six British army medical officers at the camps volunteered to go to Wittenburg. Five immediately caught typhus and throe died. TRADE AFTER THE WAR. LONDON, Dec. 8. The British Chamber of Commerce are shortly considering post-war proposals, and will probably recommend that a conference of Government representatives and representatives from Britain and tho dominions should discuss international trade mattere with a view to fixing a maximum and a minimum British tariff with preference to the dominions, aud a surtax upon Austrian and German goods. THE MALAY STATES. SPLENDID LOYALTY OF NATIVES. (Received Deo. 9, 9.55 a.m.) ' SYDNEY. Dec. 9. A visitor from the Malay States says that of a population of eight thousand Europeans six hundred have gone to the front. Whites, natives and Chinese are campaigning for funds to present an air Hcct of fifteen units to Britain. Tho campaign is organised by Mr. C. Alma Baker, a Now Zealander. Sufficient money for ten units lias already been supplied. The natives and Chinese are very loyal, and are large subscribers to the funds. Although the war efforts have been heavy, there is no national debt. A Dreadnought, costing two and a-half millions, was recently presented to England, and paid for out of revenue.