18 MARCH 1916, Page 2

The Foreign Office has issued a detailed refutation of twenty-

six preposterous charges made by the German Government that German women and children have been ill-treated, in England. The charges, when they do not refer to wholly imaginary events, relate trivial grievances, and even in the latter case the evidence comes from very undesirable persons. The British Government have always admitted that at the time of tho terrible crime of the sinking of the Lusitania ' there was an outburst of popular violence, such as might be expected in any country upon the receipt of such appalling news. But this violence was suppressed by the full strength of the police in all the working-class quarters of the towns where it occurred. No German was seriously injured, but one hundred and seven ordinary and special constables were injured in protecting Germans. The Foreign Office statement shows that seven thousand persons have returned to Germany and Austria. Eighteen thousand four hundred begged to be allowed to remain in Britain. In over fifteen thousand cases these requests were granted ; and in many instances those who were forced to depart went with the greatest reluctance and after repeated attempts to get permission to stay here.