TABLE TALK.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 13, 15 January 1918, Page 1

TABLE TALK.

An American messsige states ttat Britain needs a. further 420/KlO men immediately. .

Tlie British Food Department expects to have 3jooojooo acres more sown ia corn this year than last year. A neutral -who has just returned from Germany eaye that the main blow of the new' German offensive will be aimed at Verdun.

Experts declare that ■it is unlikely that any of the 130 miners who remain entombed in the Halmer End. mine will be rescued. »

Telegrams from -Finland indicate t!>« [likelihood of a serious encounter between the Republican authorities and I the Red Guards.

An All-Ukranian Congress is reported to have been summoned to discuss a number of important matters affecting the new republic. The Argentine has agreed to grant Britain and France credit to tlic extent of £40,000,000 to facilitate the purchase of her wheat crop. ■The president of the American Shipping Board announced that 41 vessels, totalling 327,152 tons, will be ready iv January and. February. A movement is being organised throughout Germany, urging the Government to refrain from any open or , secret annexation, demands.

German newspapers have started a fresh campaign against hospital ships, including a revival of charges respecting the misuse of the Red-Cross.

The "Daily Chronicle's" correspondent states that the situation in Petrograd is slowly improving, Siberia and Southern Russia having partially resumed supplies of foodstuffs.

A "well-known neutral lias jnet returned from Berlin says that although the German machine is as powerful as ever, it is likely to? collapEC at the first military failurel

A decree has teen issued in Russia giving the local councils power to recall *iembers of the Constituent Assembly where they do not express the views of the labouring masses. A conference of Clyde engineers , and shipwrights resolved that if the Government would riot withdraw the new Man Power Bill, they would ask the Federation to "down tools."

A two days' massacre of naval officers of tlia Black Sea fleet has taken place at Sebastopol. At least 60 were.killcdj including four admirals, while many reports.place the number , of killed at 100.