ITALY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LII, Issue 50, 27 February 1918, Page 5

ITALY

AN AUSTRIAN OFFENSIVE EXTENSIVE PLANS OBSERVED. 'Australian and N.Z. Cable Association) (Rec. Feb. 27, 11.10 a.m.) ROME, Feb. 26. Evidence is growing that an Austrian offensive is being prepared on the Italian front. The enemy is broadening the roads and installing many aerial cable cars for the transport of war material among the mountains. Mr Ward Price says that the new sector, which the British have taken over along the Piave is separated from the enemy by a two thousand yards wide river bed with expanses of shingle and occasionally patches of low shrub, in which the streams flow amid a multitude of sand-banks. The whole is wellfilled with water in the spring when the snow melts. AMERICA WOOL MERCHANT ARRESTED. CHARGE OF BEING GERMAN AGENT. A "CORNER" FOR GEMANY. (Reuter's Telegrams.) NEW YORK, Feb. 25. Augene Schwerdt, a millionaire wool merchant, has been arrested on a charge of being a German agent. He will be interned. It is stated that he conspired to corner all the wool in America for Germany. He holds £600,000 worth of wool, which is stored. GERMAN SUPPLIES FOR THE SINN FEIN. WASHINGTON, Feb. 25. The authorities have issued a state*ment showing that the former editor of the newspaper Gaelic American directed an attempted shipment of German supplies to the Sinn Feinere prior to Casement's arrest. Secret service agents seized a letter and advised the British, who were thereby enabled to capture a ship bound for Ireland. The authorities Rave also published a German letter circulated in the Spanish army urging closer relationship between the Spanish and German armies, arid endeavouring to prevent Spanish merchants from supplying the American forces in France. ILLICIT TRATTE WITH ENEMY. LONDON, Feb. 10. As a result of Bolb inquiries in America suspicions have been ai'oused that some" Australian goods shipped to North China have reached Germany. American inquiries have disclosed considerable illicit traffic between America and Germany through neutrals of important supplies/ including wool. FIGHTING SUBMARINES. VANCOUVER. Feb. 10. A message from Washington states that Mr Daniels, Secretary for the Navy commenting on the new methods adopted by the Americans in fighting submarines, exclaimed: "The submarine war is being won." * The Wall Street Journal says that the German submarines have been sunk lately at the rate of 38 monthly., while the Germans are only able to construct them at the rate or 23 a month. Washingon officials believe that submarines are being sunk rather faster than they are being built. AUSTRIAN FINANCE. ZURICH, Feb. 10. The Austro-Hungarian bank returns, published for the first time for three and a half years, show that while the note circulation has enormously increased, the gold cover has decreased to a point of extinction. The amount of gold for * the redemption of the _notes was 1 per cent, of the note circulation of 1917, compared with 22 per cent in 1914. CONSTANTINE'S PRO-GERMAN .PROPAGANDA. STATE. PENSION - CANCELLED. • ATHENS, Feb. 10. In view of the evidence of Constantino's pro-German propaganda among the Greeks in Asia Minor, and the arrival of Constantine's officers to recruit Greek Ottomans for Turkish divisions in Macedonia, the Government has cancelled his pension and prohibited remittances of money to him. SOLDIERS' MONEY. LONDON", Feb. 10. The Australian Natives' Association has protested against the limitation of £2O of soldiers' withdrawals from the Commonwealth Bank. Mr Campion, manager of the London branch of the bank, has decided to withdraw the regulation pending the receipt of instructions. INDIA AND SELF-GOVERN-,MENT. DELHI, Feb". 12. Lord Chelmsford, Viceroy of India, at the opening of the Imperial Legislative Cdtrhcil, said that he had every hope thatT fhe Secretary of State for India, Mr E. S. Montagu, would take Home proposals which, provided they got co-operation,, would maSe progress towards the realisation of responsible government for lridia^.' Alluding to the Indian industries, the Viceroy said that the prospects of the tea industry were now materially improved and the rice difficulty overcome. STRIKES IN GERMANY. RUTHLESS PRUSSIAN HAND. LONDON, Feb. 11. Reuter's correspondent at Amsterdam ' states that the. Lokal Anzeiger, published at Berlin, ' says that 6000 men have struck work at Gera—3s miles south-west of Leipsic—and it is believed that a > great strike is threatened'. Tho situation has hardly changed in the, Munster mining district. At Bremen a number of workmen are still out on strike. The correspondent of the Times- at Amsterdam states that the semi-official newspaper, the No.th German Gazette, Berlin, indicates that the Government is contemplating the ihtroductioß.' of « more drastic labour law dealing with strikes. , The newspaper points out that the moral support of the Socialist members of the Reichstag to the strikes introduces an element into politics which Germanv must isolate. A Berlin telegram states that in consequence of a strikers' threat to bomb the Imperial Palace arrests have been made. The correspondent of the limes at Zurich states that Woolff's Agency admits that 270,000 strikers in Berlin have not resumed: work, the Government continues to intimidate them with threats of punishment. Feelintr tired and run down! Try KOLA-'NTP. It is a splendid tonic as well a» a cooling beverage. Invigorating—stimulating. Refreshing—wholesome. Buy a bottle to-day. Hotels and stores.

GERMAN COMMERCE RAIDER ELEVEN VESSELS SUNK. (Australian and N.Z. Gable Asseoiation and Renter.) LONDON. Feb. 25. The Admiralty states with reference to a German officiaLreport that the auxiliary cruiser Wolf has returned after a fifteen months' cruisd says it is pre- ! sumed that she sank in the Indian and Pacific Oceans the following vessels, taking prisoner the crews : —Turritella, Jumna, Wordsworth, Dee, Wairuna, Winslow, Beluga, Encore, Matunga, Hitachi Maru, and Igotzmendi. The Turritella, an unarmed merchantman, was captured in February, 1917, nad equipped for minelaying. She shrotly encountered a British warship, and the prize crew scuttled the Turritella and surrendered. CAPTURED BOOTY. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association and Reuter.) (Rp.c. Feb. 27, 3.45 a.m.) LONDON, Feb. 26. According to telegrams from Amsterdam, Berlin officially announces that the auxiliary cruiser Wolf, CommanderCaptain Nerger, returned from the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans with four hundred members of crews of sunk ships, including white and coloured British military forces, also several captured guns, great quantities of valuable raw material, rubber, copper, brass, zinc, cocoa, beans, and copra, worth many millions of marks. After capture the Surritella was equipped as auxiliary cruiser, and operated in the Gulf of Aden, commanded by the Wolf's first officer, until she encountered the British, who took crew of twenty-seven. ,' ;>> S^'fel * 5, -GERMANY ENTHUSIASTIC. (Rec. Feb. 27. 11.10 a.m.l LONDON, Feb. 26. Germany is enthusiastic over the Wolf's achievements. The vessel tried several times to return v to the North i Sea, but the watchfulness of the British ships prevented her, but she finallyreached port DOMINIONS. AND AMERICA. AUSTRALIAN MISSION URGED'. • ' ""uONDOtN, Feb: t 12. It is understood that Canada is despatching a war mission to the United States. It includes soldiers and merchants, and will be located at Washington. With a view to increasing the bulk of Australian Government purchases in America, and the extension of general trade, and the urgency of Australian propaganda in the United States, particularly concerning the future of German New Guinea and Samoa, Australians, in London, are strongly of the opinion that a Commonwealth war mission should be despatched to Washington. It is understood that the Foreign Office disapproves the project of the establishment of Dominion High Commissioners in America. SOUTH AFRICAN WOOL. HERTZOG AND THE SALES. LONDON, Feb. 9. The iSOuth African Assembly _ to-day discussed the motion of the Nationalist leader, General Hertzog, condemning the Government's attitude in connection with the sale of wool to the Imperial I Government. I General Hertzog vehemently condemned the Government for acting as j agents of the Imperial Government and 1 endeavouring to force the farmers to dispose of their wool to the Imperial authorities. Rather than be approached by the Imperial Government with such a humiliating request there should be a cancellation of the contract and; the Government should have resigned.;Mr H. G. Van Heerden, ex-Minister for Agriculture, in reply, gave "a lengthy resume of the negotiations sl*ice May, 1916, showing that the Government had advocated since September, 1916, an open market for the sale of wool. He emphasised the fact that the Imperial Government's proposals in connection with the disposal of wool would be attended with the gravest consequences inasmuch as it. was most difficult to explain them to farmers and merchants, and they would be deeply resented b-v a large section of the community. The debate was adjourned. IMPERIAL CONFERENCE. LONDON, Feb. 11. The Times referring to the proposed visit of an Australian representative to the Imperial Conference, states, that since 1917 the hand of the _ war has been heavier upon the nations, and some of-the Dominions have experienced unusually critical times. Despite local preoccupations, the war demands .from the Empire' the utmost concentration for counsel and endeavour. The Imperial Cabinet must meet as soon as possible to do work of the utmost gravity and importance which is awaiting it. Otherwise the efficacy of the British peoples is certain to suffer. FEAR OF AIR REPRISALS. LONDON, Feb. 11 It is reported from Geneva that the residents of the German towns, "especially of those -near the'" French, frontier, are increasingly fearful of aerial reprisals. The whole south-west of Germany is in a state of alarm. The burgomasters of the chief Rhine towns have visited Berlin, and urged the Government to conie to an arrangement with the Allies. The Government's reply was unsatisfactory burgomasters returned home. RUSSIAN EMIGRANTS. LONDON, Feb. 13. Representatives of dispossessed Russian landowners and non-Bolsheviks are going to Australia to inquire into the prospects for land settlement, mining, and commerce, particularly in Queensland and West Australia. Three of the leaders,, interviewed said that the prospect before Rusaia was such that they did not want to return. The alternatives were anarchical misgovernment or German dominance. They had heard alluring accounts of Australia, and proposed co settle co-operatively, bringing their families and relatives. It is estimated that if the arrangements are satisfactory ,a thousand families of former landowners of the best educated class will desire to emigrate. Those interviewed were mentallv and physically of the highest quality. They speak good English. ' ITALY AND THE JUGOSLAVS. LONDON, Feb. 11. The ißome newspapers are discussing the possibility of an Italian agreement with the Jugoslavs. The idea is rapidly gaining popularity, though the Giornale dTtalia opposes any reduction of the Italian national programme as_ a sign of weakness towards Austria. The Corriere della Sera .representing _ the commercial interests, irisists that it is essential to remove the causes of friction with Jugoslavs, which only profited Austria. ' Italy should attain creatness by generosity to the Jugoslavs, the 'Albanians and the Greeks.

DISTRICT NEWS. i -tfcfc*. ; - WAKCJfIELD. (From Our Own Correspondent.) ' This district, in common with, other parts of th 6 country, is losing many of its young men through this ghastly war." Among the recent deaths recorded as that of Harry Syder, youngest . . son of Mr and Mrs W. G. Syder, of Foxhill. This young man leaves a widow and child. His death, occurred' on the 9th of February, about a month, after landing, from bronchial pneumonia and measles. The deceased soldier was ' a railway employee at Gierihope previous to being called up. This make* th e third young married man from near this district who has died before rea'ch- | ing the firing line. The widows will have the sympathy of the community in their loss.. WEATHER AND CROPS. The season has been a remarkabl e one for growth. ft is some years since the country lias looked so well at'this time of year. Usually it is dried up and smoke from bush fires has mad e things rather unpleasant. There is an abundance of gra F s, root crops also have done well. The harvest is about all in, but unfortunately the yield is not' expected to -be anything like a good average. The hop crop has lecovered to a _ marvellous extent, and the gardens, in consequence of the late rains, are a, picture. There are no wind galls or' broken branches. Samples should' beall that brewers and merchants could' desire. Picking has commenced in a few gardens, but it is not general yet, though it will be next week. MOUTERE \ FRUITGROWERS' ASSOCIATION. The monthly meeting of the Moutere Fruitgrowers' Association took place at the jubilee Half, Lower Moutere, on the 20th February. There was a large attendance of members. ; In the absence of the President (Mr R. P. Hudson, M.P.), Mr J. Bowden was voted to th e chair. An apology for ahsenco was received _ from the President, who was absent from the district. The chairman welcomed to the meeting Messrs Hyde and Williams, orchard instructors, and Mr Heatherbell, a visitor from Tasmania. Correspondence was read from the New Zealand Fruitgrowers' Federation as -under:—(l) Forwarding statistics in connection with- the orchard industrj ; (2) letters regarding spraying materials $ (3) a circular regarding Provincial Conference to elect delegates to the "Fi' ui tK rowers' Conference in Auckland; (4) regarding Tail charges on fruit j also - From the Union Steamship Coy. and,,.Anchor Coy. re freights. _ It was resolved, on the motion of Mr Flett, seconded by Mr D. Drummond, , ~ "That Mr Hudson he asked to represent the Association at th e Nelson Provincial Conference, and that if* ho he unable to attend, Mr 0i Mackay be the delegate." ■■ - It was also resolved to recommend, that the conference be held in Motueka. . . On the question of remits for the Auckland Conference, an interesting discussion took plac e regarding ' the need- fsr amendment of the Orchard and Garden Diseases Act to allow rruit . infected with -black spot to bo sent to . the factories. The need for this change was stressed by Messrs Flett, T>. Drummond, A. Reay and C. H. Mackay.— It was l finally decided to leave the drafting of a remit tr' th e next meetA very interesting discussion then took place on spraying materials. The relative merits of red- oihand lime sulphur as a winter wash wer e especially debated. and much interesting information was given, by Mr Hieathcrbell and by Messrs Hyde and Williams. A hope -was expressed that Mr Heatherbeir might b e able to address a future meeting. The meeting, which was one of- the most successful yet held was broutrht to a close -by a vote of thanks to Messrs Heather bell, Hyde and Wil- "„ Mams for their presence. ' The next meeting «is to he held on the 20th March, and 'will ho open to the public. „