THE GREAT WAR BILLS OF BRITAIN

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3039, 28 March 1917, Page 5

THE GREAT WAR BILLS OF BRITAIN

SOME HUGE ACCOUNTS London, March 26. Tho immense military effort by Great Britain ib strikingly illustrated by the Army Appropriation Account for 1916. This shows that the total net expenditure on tho Army was £543,187,648. This amount includes pay, £98,157,156; supplies and clothing, £212,960,815; quartering, transports, and remounts, £96,378,107, of. which sea transport of troops cost £30,687,882. The Bum of £5,670,820 was credited to the Indian Government for tho ordinary expenses of the Indian Expeditionary Forces.— Aus.-N.Z. Cable ABsn.-Reuter. THE SILENT WAY TO FINAL VICTORY SOLVE TRANSPORT AND FINANCE PROBLEMS ; Paris, Mai-cK 26. !A! decree by the Ministerial Council prohibits the importation into France and Algeria of all merchandise except on behalf of tho State, or goods specially authorised by the Minister of Finance. M. Ribot (Premier) states that each country of the Allianco must become as. far as possible self-supporting. Tho war had become very largely one of transport and finance, and any measuro saving tonnage and restoring oxchango brought victory nearer. The Goverment intended to eucourago tho Lome production of foodstuffs. France in 1916 spent sis hundred million sterling abroad, the imports exceeding tlie exports by four hundred million sterling. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. SOMEWHAT PREVIOUS GERSLCN PARTITIONING OF. BELGIUM. (Rec. March. 28, 1 a.m.) •■ Amsterdam, March 26. Following the recent Flemish depjiitatjon to Horr von. Bethinann-Hollweg, tho Governor-General of Belgium has issued an order "dividing the country into two administrative sections, separating Flanders from tho Walloon, or Frenon-speaking part: The new frontier runs from south of; Ypres to north of Liege. The order makes Bjjj»wlp the capital of the Flemish part, and" Nanmr the capital of the Walloon province. Other details are withheld. The official newspsj>er claims that this prder realises the long-harboured wish of tho Flemish people. There will be a Flemish unlversitv in Ghent. Flanders will have its own administration, with a Flemish official language. Vaoant professorships in Ghent University are being filled with pro-German neutrals.'—Aue.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

[The Flemish deputation asked Herr j von Bethniann-Hollweg to grant Flan-1 dors autonomy on the basis oE ; the i Dutch language and culture. Herr' von Bethmann-Hollweg replied, that | both economically and culturally Flanders and Germany were one. Hβ promised in the Kaiser's name that Flanders would receive freo culture scope to work out her destiny under Germany. The Government of Germany would guarantee free development of the Flemish race at the peace negotiations and thereafter. It was pointed out at the time that the deputation was merely a German catspaw, and its members are denounced as traitors by the vast majority of Flemings, as being identical with the obnoxious section accepted by the Flemish University, and bent under German patronage. It was subsequently announced that Germany had divided Belgium into two provinces, one Flemish, and the other 'Walloon, with Brussels and Namur as the two capitals. , Belgium as a whole would remain under the Gorman GovernorGeneral. \The two new provinces would havo a statns similar to that of Poland.]