NOTES FROM LONDON.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 145045, 22 July 1916, Page 2

NOTES FROM LONDON.

THE COMMISSION OF INQUIRY. INTO DARDANELLES AND •MESOPOTAMIA. By Telegraph—Press, Assn.—Copyright. Australian and N.Z, Cable, Assn. ; LONDON. July 20. In the House of:Cbfam’ons, &T. Asquith stated that lie would shortly introduce a bill naming "tho coriiraissioncrs and ’ giving compulsory pqtvgrs. Sir E. Carson withdrew his motion., .It is understood .from the: Premier s statement that Sir William -Robertson and Mr.: :A.. Chamberlain are satisfied that everything is being: done to remedy tho disastrous state of affairs, in Mesopotamia. It is confidently believed that dir William Robertson : is a man who will, not bo influenced -by politicians. Mr. Asquith moved the adjournment, on the understanding that tho, debate would lie confined to his statement., Mr. Churchill hoped-the enquiry to be held would be as much in public as possible. .Mr. Asquith,-in reply to Mr. Churchill's. suggestion, said the, commission would sit in secret if- necessary. la the House of Lords, Lord AAemyss raised the question regarding the Mesopotamia expedition and moved for an inquiry into the whole campaign. Many believed it was but a gambling venture. At the moment the Dardanelles enterprise failed the .Mesopotamia campaign ought to have been abandoned., A madder undertaking-could-not bo imagmed than that 12000-troops.could have advanced five’hundred‘miles against the full force of the Turkish array. The Earl of .CrcwD'said it was imperative that in the critical moments of August, 191-1, we should- reassert our paramount position in the Persian Gulf in order to counteract the German campaign. .which- sought, to, induce a holy war. It was necessary to support the faithful Arab chiefs. Otir presence in tho Persian Gulf hodsaved the Empire from a near approach to a. great disaster. It was also necessary to consider the great- Moslem peoples in - Africa, who might easily, .have been, .aroused **Lord Islington stated that all the troops in Mesopotamia wore now fully rationed, except for a'shortage of vegetables and milki Political considerations would not-bo-allowed to over-rule the advice of the military in connection with the campaign. ' The motion was carried, .

THE NEED FOR COALr - SHORTAGE OF A -MILLION TONS A AVBEK. - - ■.> V. - ■ -Published' in .The A ~(Received.'July ’22,; 9.20‘;4,n1’,^ "'London;'"July 21. The Adniiralty'.iM'qf.&'od 'Whiiev'-miuers thaj;.'thq-fpai“piifput of the United Kingdom-has falfen"|s‘ inillion ’ tons'"siiice‘.dhe.’w : av, , .,tv’tior’eSs. tha ‘ national" and 'allied demands necessitated 20 million. more , tons , than before the wav. ■ CAPTURED- NAVAL MEN. . • ■ LONDON, July 21. In.the House of Commons. .Mr.-Mac-namara stated that -we had captured 136 naval officers.and 2078 tneS. ‘The Germans had captured 45 British officers and 304 men.. , : ABOLITION OF LICENSES URGED. LONDON. July 21. A memorial has ,been extensively, signed by distinguished men unconnected; with temperance .‘bodies, which urges- tho Government to withdraw all drink .licenses duringdhe war; ARMY TRAINING. ITS INFLUENCE-ON MEN.’ “There is only one, thing -that can i.and Avill; save .the ; British .tifitiqh’,; and teach it a now way, of„h‘fev-it ’is, the Brill sh‘ A rin’y. ” " Thus J writes ProTessqr J'.: H.. Motplany in'.Eand.,' and Water, on, the cifoctscbf-army training on ’millions of British, cmlians. • Of one thing we can bo qnite.sure,” lie continues. i “The men : w.hq rhaye, been through this, great freemasonry 1 of arms iwill. he '.very ■.ifripatient’pf Atlie old appeals to ejass-prejudicq-whiclrdiayq so long disfigured our politics.' After -the ’realities'.'aL Avar,.,'.the , shamJigKls of politics Avill, iyeaii a, .s.ingujarlyyinept vesture, and iu nothing so.inept as in tlicir.iUtachuicut to .words and.plirases.:.. It mhS.beFhlSii'jhat.they will bo far less conscious, or rights and ■ far more alive. to - duties.-. . . They.. will bring it. highly, critical ruiud.'tp- bear upon. these things,.' . The- or the .'artisan who lias. lieeif’a 1 N.G.O. or a subaltern., and. the emplo^errot’professional'' who' has'.sori-ed..as a''private iu the, ranks, wlllhave.learnt., the'.buc to rule, tho,other toyobey, hayo -discovered- tbc.peculiar -secret .-ofall I 'armies't ha I com mauds must■ have ;' learnt. first-how [to -execute .them’.. .Of,,all* the. lesyous i that .the army ,can .teachi'thaU ''is' , ''the | most .enduring .and,-the most..valuable, I and the one which the. average ’EnglishI man—especially - the ' 'Englishman who 1 has hot .been to._a, v E.uhlic. school—needs I most to learn. Another is tho habit of I turning vour hand-to. anything .without I inquiring too'closely-vvhether'itis, the. i job voii contracted to do or whether you are getting the-pay"you bargained, ter. ! “The. first thing aim in.the.army. ! finds—-particularly - the ■ infautrvman—-is. that his pav bears no appreciable relation to his work,“that he . may he called I upon at any moment to do. another i man's job, that-there’s-no such thing as 1 piece-work.- rates and . 1 that it’s a mere chance whether ho can ! count on no more .than four days in. the, trenches,' four', iu support,-, and no less than ten in billots after-he has rung the changes on the one and the.other. “These men are 'going through- a "Teat school of ..patriotism, a,nd:it would he affectation do deny that.nine,out ot ten Englishmen badly needed if.

THE LNCR EASED EXPEND ITUR E. LONDON, J idy 21. In the House of Commons, Air. M’Kcimn, iu reply to questions as to the rise in 'the.- rate of the-natioual expenditure'; during thp past seven weeks, said it was due/firstly to the Government s purchase of American securities, and secondly, to the rate -Whereat the _aavunccs to the Allies and the Dominions had been drawn iipon. “He tyas hopciul lire expenditure would decline. ■ Air. M'Kenna informed a deputation from municipalities that a grant oi six millions would bo placed at the disposal of the statutory committee in charge of pensions alter the war. In addition to tho millions already granted, the Government was now spending 80 millions annually in separation allowances and pensions.

NO GERMAN RHODES SCHOLARS. LONDON, July 21. 'Die select committee of the House of Lords lias passed the Rill to revoke the codicil to Cecil Rhodes’.mil-provid-ing for scholarships at Oxford -for German, students, on the ground that Mr. Rhodes believed that the understanding between Britain. Germany and America, would render war .impossible. The preamble ot the, BUI states that events have happened showing that the testator’s' anticipations have not been realised. It is proposed to substitute twelve scholarships within the., British. Empire. SOME UNNECESSARY BLOW. LONDON, July iO. Sir Thomas Mackenzie, speaking at tho opening of the Canadian hospital at Putney, stated .that-the military authorities ivere satisfied with the hospital the New Zealand War Contingent had established on AValton-on-Thanies and regarded'it as a model hospital in EngIwd.