FURTHER THEORIES.

Northern Advocate, 15 May 1918, Page 3

FURTHER THEORIES.

CENTRAL POWERS PERPLEXED

(Received 11.35 p.m.)

LONDON, May 14

The "Morning Post's" Paris correspondent says: "It is believed that General Mackensen could provide as a maximum 600,000 men, but this would denude the Russian front of practically every man."

The correspondent learns that Austria is likely to agree to the German ■demand to send an army from the Tyrol, but is determined to maintain her forces there in readiness for the Italian counter-offensive. Germany's reluctance to withdraw her armies from the Russian front is easily ex-plained,-as Germany then would be powerless to enforce her claims for the food supplies which she hopes by fair or foul means' to extract from the occupied provinces. In the event of a German withdrawal these supplies would probably fall ( into the ihands of the Austrians, who are much, nearer absolute famine than the Ger•mans are. Austria regards Russian :grain as a most important factor, and. •undoubtedly, in the absence of German troops, she would secure the hulk of not all of the 440,000 tons of Wheat which Ukraine has promised to deliver to the Central Powers jointly. Austria regards the question as vital; she must secure additional foodstuffs before August because her own supplies are dangerously near exhaustion.—A. and N.Z.