INSIDIOUS, UNTRUE REPORTS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2685, 3 February 1916, Page 5

INSIDIOUS, UNTRUE REPORTS

GERMAN CHANCELLOR DELUDES THE REICHSTAG

BRITISH REJOINDER / .

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright London, February 1. 'The "Deubsches Journal" says that Hcrr Berfehmaim-Hollweg (tho German Imperial Chancellor), ad'dressing the party groups in the _ Reichstag, remarked tlluit Great Britain was the. only obstacle to peace. There had been no official peace overtures, but there had been unofficial conversations in Switzerland and Sweden, sixty persons without official standing being the participants. It was believed that the warring nations, except Britain, would willingly negotiate peace, but England was compelling her Allies to refrain. England hoped to succeed in her economic war, hence the war would probably last some time. UNSCRUPULOUS TACTIfS EXPOSED

The High Commissioner reports:— London, February 1, 3.40 p.m. "A Foreign. Office' communication states that the German Chancellor stated that England! was compelling the Allies to refrain from entering into any peace movement. . This statement, which our Allies know to be untrue, was made for the purpose' of injuring England in the oyes of neutrals. "The Allies, on the other hand, hear insidious, untrue reports circulated from German sources that' England'- intends to'abandon thorn and- even to make poaco overtures to Germany, which will be refused. These statements, taken together, give a good illustration of how unscrupulous German methods are." NO SEPARATE PEACE. TEXT OF DECLARATION SIGNED BY THE FIVE ALLIES. The following Declaration by which Great Britain, France, Italy, Japan, and Russia engage not to conclude peace separately during the present war was received by the London Press early, .in December last from the Foreign Office for publication:— Translation, • ( The Italian Government having decided to accede to the Declaration between the British, French, and Russian Governments, signed at London on September S, 1914, which Declaration was acceded to by the Japanese Government on October 19, 1915, the undersigned, duly authorised thereto hy their respective Governments,.' hereby declare as follows: ' Tho British, French, Italian, Japanese, and Russian Governments mutually engago not to conclude peace separately during the present war. Tho five Governments agree that when terms of peace come to be discussed no one of \the Allies will demand conditions of peace without the previous agreement of each of tho other Allies. In faith whereof tho -undersigned have signed this Declaration and have affixed thereto their seals. Done at London, in quintuplicate, this 30th day of November, 1915. (L.S.) E. GREY. (L.S.) PAUL CAJIBON. (L.S.) IMPERIALLY (L.S.) K. INOUYE. (L.S.) BENCKENDORFF.

THE WORLD'S WHEAT INCREASE OF 25 PER. CENT, IN PRODUCTION. By Telegraph—Press Association-Copyright London, February 1. Statistics prepared by ■ tho International Agricultural Institute show that the world's wheat production for 1915 increased 25 per cent, as compared with 1914. The Dominions Royal Commission has issued a memorandum relating to "Food and Raw Material Requirements of the United Kingdom." The ■ Commission states that a general survey of the statistics shows that there has been a decided tendency, during the period 1901-1913 for the United Kingdom to draw an increasing proportion of its fcod supplies from sources within, the Empiro. Taking the requirements of wheat for the United Kingdom and the extent to which Home and Overseas supplies contributed towards theso requirements, the following figures'are given: Annual • Home supply. Overseas. Average. (cwt.) (cwt.) 1901-05 28,700,000 110,100,000 1900-10 ' 31,900,000 111,300,000 1911-13 32,900,000 116,300,000 Hdw the wheat supply has come from our Oversea Dominions is shown in the following statement of annual, averages. 1901-5. 1906-10. 1911-13. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Canada 10,300,000 17,200,000 24,500,000 Australia ... 6,600,000 9,400,000 12,000,000 New Zealand 400,000 300,000 400,000 India 15,500,000 13,300,000 21,500,000

Total ... 32,800,000 40,200,000. 59,000,000 The largo increase in the proportion of the wheat received from the Dominions has been mainly due to the g.-wit extension of wheat cultivation in Western Canada. As th& United Kingdom is dependent for so large a proportion"'of its wheat supplies on the surplus of overseas > countries, the growth of tho cultiva-' tion of wheat is of particuar interest: Increase 1 , 1901. 1911. per Acres. Acres, cent. • British Empiro 34,696,000 50,490,000 45.5 . Euro, countries 98,326,000 115,105,000 17.1 , Others 07,908,000 81,403,000 19.9 . i "It is important to find,"- tho Rei port says, "that while in foreign criin- • tries, both. European and extra-Euro-i (pean, the increase of wheat area is pioccwling at practically tho same rate as i the increase of population, in the British Empire the wheat area- is developing far mord rapidly, so that the Empire as a whole is becoming more selfsupporting." .. The total production of whesyt within the British Empire was 227,500,000 cwts. in 1910, and 399,700,000 cwts. in 1911, an increase of no less than 75 psr cent. -