NOTES FROM LONDON.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 16037, 23 January 1918, Page 3

NOTES FROM LONDON.

the man-powefmbill. PASSES COMMITTEE STAGE. \ Y Telegraph— Press Assn.— Copyright. Australian and N.Z. Cable _ssn. LONDON, Jan. 22. The Man Power Bill passed the committee stage after a lively debate. Many members of the House objected to the immense powers vested in a Minister. Representatives ot agriculture were particularly critical, desiring that agriculture be withdrawn from the purview of the Bill. Sir Auckland Geddes, in a sympathetic reply, met the objections, promising that any order under the Act should be subject to the approval of both Houses. THE CAMBRAI INQUIRY. LONDON, Jan. 21. In the House of Commons, Mr. Bonar Law said that all documents coj*nested with the Cambrai inquiry were submitted to the War Cabinet, at whose request General Smuts examined them. General Smuts’ report -was approved by Cabinet, and was not subject to revision by Lord Derby or any army councillor. The decision not to publish them, was taken by the War Cabinet. Mr. Bonar Law was heckled regarding the Cambrai report. He said he was awaro there was a 'great deal of public dissatisfaction owing to the nonpublication- of the detailed account, but the War Cabinet had decided it was not in the public interest to give more 1 information.. Mr. Hogge asked if soldiers from the front were prevented from telling the Mr. Bonar Law: If the rumours are the same as those which have reached me they are entirely unfounded. BRITAIN AND PERSIA. . / , LONDON, Jan. 21. Lord Gurzon has announced- that (Jreat Britain has- informed Persia that Britain- regarded the’ Anglo-Russiam agreement of 1907 as suspended, and emphasised that Britain desired Persia to remain neutral in war time and retain her complete independence after the war. ■ SIR E. CARSON RESIGNS. LONDON, Jan. 21. Sir Edward Carson has resigned in order to relieve the Government of embarrassment in connection with affairs in Ireland. COLONEL REPINGTON’S WAILS. LONDON, Jan. 22. The Star interviewed Colonel Repington, who said he had resigned The Times’ military correspondentship because he had hitherto regarded it as a gnfeat independent newspaper, with its columns open /to criticise the Government, public servants and institutions, as the country’s welfare demanded. If the present state of things were allowed to continue, only disaster would befall the country. The Government had lost the confidence not only of labour, but of the great majority. If existing methods continue, the military and naval services would be wrecked. . It, instead of intriguing against generals and admirals, tho Government would inform the nation of tho seriousness of affairs, they might retrieve- the position. The army was tired and disgusted with the intrigues, which sickened every decent-minded person. The army had seen one good man _after another sacrificed to cover politicians’ blunders find intrigues. Every time an attempt was made to shift the responsibility from the politician to the soldier. This campaign of slander and-vilification was nauseating. Sir Douglas Haig’s dispatch showed that the army’s handicap was, due to the difficulty of securing drafts sufficiently long before a division went into battle. Sir Douglas Haig also made a report upon the Cambrai officers responsible, who were quite prepared to take Any blame justly at- - tributed to them, but the War Cabinet again resolved upon secrecy. Why hot tSi-ihg jubliq the tsttk£ „ -

SAD END. TO A DISTINGUISHED CAREER. (Times.) (Received Jan. 23, 9.5 a.m.) LONDON, Jan. 22. The inquest on General Sir Beauchamp Duff, late Commander-in-Chief in India, showed that lie had been suffering from insomnia since the Mesopotamian report. The verdict was that death was due to an overdose of veronal, taken accidentally, to induce sleep. ANOTHER SHIPPING COMPANY. TO BE BOUGHT BY P. AND 0. (Received Jan. 23, 8.45 a.m.) LONDON, Jan. 22. The proprietors of the Mercantile Steamship Company are considering Lord Inchoape’s offer to purchase the share capital on behalf of tho Peninsular and British India Companies. [The Mercantile Steamship Company owns twelve vessels.] THE FUTURE OF PALESTINE. f PLANS OF THE ZIONISTS. (Received Jan. 23, 8.45 a.m.) LONDON, Jan. 22. At the Jewish Conference at Bradford, a member of the] Executive Council of the Zionist Federation stated that the Government intended shortly to allow a commission to proceed to Palestine to - prepare for the establishment of a JeVish nation. Afterwards a staff of technical experts, engineers, architects, agriculturists and town-pfenners would go out. The Zionist Mission did not intend to create a) group of international financiers to exploit Palestine, -but to place on the land! by purchase a Jewish proletariat that would work harmoniously with the Arabs.